Jewish Art History - Essay Example

Turkey political system March 15, Jewish Art History Section Essay The Jews prayed in the Dura Europas temple during scheduled days (Classmate notes, 1). The days included the Sabbath days. The Dura Europas temple aided in the reconstruction of the Jewish art, estimated to have been constructed in 244 CE. The present site of the temple is well preserved. The temple’s images include animal themes. As usual the images include human images. The Temple is filled with frescoes. The temple has the Torah shrine. Consequently, the Torah is the center of Religious ceremonies and faith. The Dura Europus is definitely one of the most vital places for Jews’ attitude towards arts and the related antiquity. The Dura Europas Temple started as a simple private home. The Jews converted the home to a synagogue during the 2nd Century. The Jews are a religious people. As religious individuals, the people often go to pray in their temples. The Dura Europus is one of the famous temples of the Jews. However, the temple was reduced to sand starting in 244 CE. The Jews filled the temple with wall paintings. The paintings included the famous Tanakh stories. The people’s lives revolve around the temple’s teachings. The priests impart the religious rules on how to live life by implementing the religious teachings. The images on the temple walls add to the religious fervor of the people. Several individuals did not believe that the decorative cycle paintings reflected didactic images. The images include stories of the Ark located in the land of the Philistines. The images include the important story of the Tabernacle’s consecration. The Dura Europas’ ceiling was filled with majestic images. The images had Roman themes. The temple included the Torah Shrine image, the Menorah Image, and the Akedat Yizchak (binding Isaac as he is prepared for the Sacrifice). The Paintings located inside the Dura Europas had Eastern, Roman, and Hellenic themes. Essay 2 The Lower East side of New York Movie shows how the Jews lived (Riis 1). The Jews were poor people. Consequently, they lived tightly packed like sardines under one roof. In some homes, six persons slept on one bed, tightly embracing one another. Some Jews lived together under one small room in Shtelt and other communities. Consequently, the rooms were congested with people. Tightly packed, the Jews, especially the children, often played together on the streets and within their residences or communities. When the Jews come out of their temples, they are either smiling or crying. They are smiling because they are happy to hear the priests’ new religious teachings. Some other Jews cry after attending the Jewish Temple’s services because of the happiness to hear the priests’ news. In the story of Island of Roses movie (Viens 1), the Jews immigrants try to retain the religious practices of their parents. The last survivors of the German massacre of the Jews recount memories of their abandoned Jewish homes. The Jewish People of Rhodes were invaded in 1944 by the German army, leaving only several survivals to continue their religious tradition. The people of Tel Aviv, Israel try to continue the religious tradition of their parents. After the German Army’s attack on the Jews, the Jews escape to safer ground. As the Jews escaped, they brought their religious beliefs, cultures, and practices to the new country. Consequently, the Jewish try to import their religious teachings to their new space, another country. In the new country, the Jewish survivors (escapees from the long arms of the German Army) set up Jewish temples that are similar to the Temples set up in their original Jewish nation. Consequently, the escaping Jews brought their religious culture to geographically many countries around the world, displaying Jewish history to the non-Jews. Report: Ashenazic Synagogue The Ashkenazic synagogue was constructed to contain a bimah in the middle of the temple (Krinsky 49). At the Khodorov, the bimah was intentionally dislocated. There were no seats between the bimah and the ark. The bimah was located under the west part of the recess within the central cupola. The synagogue places importance on the location of the bimah in relation to the center of the temple. The center of the synagogue has an altar. The temple is located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was set up in 1900s. The temple was based on Austrian themes. Historically, the temple is based on continuing the Jewish religious ceremonies (Krinsky 49). The ceremonies include weddings. The ceremonies also included the regularly held Shabbat services. The temple also schedules Bar Mitzvahs. The temple leader is called rabbi. There is an altar in the middle of the temple. The temple has chandelier lights. The lights ensure that the people can easily see the rabbi deliver his regular sermons. The interior of the temple includes one of the most religious sections, the Torah. The interior of the temple is spacious (Krinsky 49). The temple is spacious enough to allow the comfortable sitting of the visiting religious Jews. The temple is composed of several long chairs. The long chairs allow more Jewish devotees to visit the temples. The religious devotees sit side by side as they listen to the rabbi deliver his scheduled religious messages. The temple has a circular roof. The interior is composed of long chairs that accommodate that Jewish people. Section 2: What is Jewish Art? There is a vibrant Jewish Art (Rosenberg 150). Harold Rosenberg delivered a fine discussion about Jewish Art. Rosenberg emphasized that Jewish Art is not confined only to the time of Jesus Christ’s time period. During Christ’s time period, the Jews orchestrated the crucifixion of the Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the Jewish art extends to our modern times. The Jewish art includes the paintings that show important Jewish images. The Jewish images included the Torah. Rosenberg reiterated the Jewish art must include the Jewish traditions. The traditions include how the Jewish temple celebrations were conducted. Likewise, Rosenberg stated that Jewish art included the Jewish handicraft. The Jewish art includes the uniquely religious Jewish incorporation of the Hebrew alphabet. Jewish Art is not complete without mention of the famous Jewish artists. One artist, Yaacov Agam, was instrumental in passionately espousing the importance of Jewish art to the non-Jewish world. Further, Ben Shaham also placed importance on the historic benefit of the Hebrew alphabet as part of the Jewish cultural heritage (Rosenberg 150). Rosenberg emphasized that the bible includes several Jewish art descriptions. The bible descriptions of Jewish art masterpieces include Joseph’s coat. Another bible-based Jewish art masterpiece is the Balaam’s ass. A third bible-mentioned Jewish art masterpiece is the burning bush image. A fourth Jewish art masterpiece is Aaron’s rod. Rosenberg reiterated that the Jewish art includes future Jewish masterpieces (Rosenberg 150). The future masterpieces include the metaphysical concept of Judaica. Rosenberg went further by discussing the problematic Jewish Identity. The modern Jewish art has been injected with modern art concepts. This is understandable. As the escaping Jewish travel outside of their original homes to escape from the German army’s massacre, the Jewish people assimilated the culture of their new country. Consequently, the Jewish art is now a mixture of different culture. Thus, the modern Jewish art is not exclusively a Jewish tradition. With the incorporation of the foreign new country’s culture into the purely Jewish art forms, there is a doubt as to what is the Jewish culture. Some may feel that the Original Jewish art culture has been lost. This is completely wrong. The Jewish art culture is an evolving process. As the time moves forward, the modern day Jewish art is now a combination of two or more nation’s cultures. Likewise, Jewish law is the incorporation of the new country’s laws with the purely original Jewish laws. As the Jews live in a new country to escape sure death under the German invaders, the Jews must obey the laws of the new country. In the new country, the Jews continue to obey their own Jewish laws. Consequently, the modern day Jews adhere to the laws of both the new country of residence and their religion-based Jewish laws (Rosenberg 150). Personally, my concept of Jewish art and Jewish law is similar to Rosenberg’s concept. To survive in a new country, the Jewish must obey the new country’s laws. To ensure that Jewish art is accepted by the new country’s residents, the Jewish artists incorporate the art culture of the new country. In terms of my opinion, Jewish art is an evolving activity. As time passes by, the Jewish artists learn to adapt to the new changing environment. The new Jewish environment includes incorporating the new country’s changing art forms and culture. The new Jewish environment includes combing the new country’s laws to the Jewish laws. Works Cited Classmates’ Notes, Dura Europas, Krinsky, Carol, Synagogues of Europe. New York. Rosenberg, Harold. Is There a Jewish Art? Riis, Jacob, Lower East Side of London, 1898 Viens, Island of Roses, 1995 Read More