Dali and the 12 Tribes

Dali's connection with Judaism is not always very clear. A Catholic by religion, even though he was inclined to admire the crazy dictators from the 1930s and 1940s, he showed genuine interest towards Jewish themes, some of them of Zionist nature.

In 1967-1968 he created series dedicated to the Aliyah, the Birth of Israel, and among his graphic works there is also a drawing of the Western Wall and a Menorah. 

One of the most interesting works I've seen are the 12 .999 silver coins representing the 12 Tribes of Israel. The work was commissioned by the State of Israel in 1973, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the creation of the state. On one side of the coin is the big signature of Dali, the mention of the anniversary period 1948-1973, and a menorah in the middle. The menorah are designed in high relief. On the upper low side it is written the name of the tribe. On the other part of the coin there is represented the symbol of each tribe. 

Each design is unique and beautiful in itself, but I especially loved the unicorne for Joseph, the beautiful boat of Levi and the entire design chosen for the tribe of Reuben. 

The 12 coins were placed in an elegant wooden box. The emission has a limited numbered edition of 5,733 corresponding to the Jewish year when the event was celebrated. Nowadays, many were bought by collectors of Dali works, entered the patrimony of Dali Museums or can be bought from eBay or auction houses, as a full box or as separate items.  

Time to do something now: Save the Iraqi Jewish Archive

Act Now: Help Save the Iraqi Jewish Archive

When a big haham is leaving this world

We are so poor now without Rav Ovadia zt''l. It's everything I can say after so many days after thinking he left this world. Days before, I was davening for his refuah shleimah. And was thinking, how I am to daven for such a gadol?

After with tears in my eyes I watched the impressive levaya when 800,000 people at least were there praying together, Sephardim and Askenazim, young and old, women and men, modern, religious and secular, FFB or BT, I realized what we lost. For me, he was one of the biggest personality of the Jewish world of the last century. Again, who I am to give qualifications who is bigger or not?

I have a lot of personal memories related to Rav. At the beginning of my religious journey, he was always the example of the big wise who is all the time busy with Torah. I was reading and told by those who had the honour to meet him how Torah was his only preoccupation. And Torah is what unites us, Jews from all over the world.
Rav Ovadia zt''l was important for the Sephardi world. Through him and his vast knowledge, the Sephardim heritage was re-evaluated and brought back in respect. I've heard a story about a discussion he had with his wife about the involvement in the creation of the Shas party. He told to his wife that getting involved in what will be the party of the Sephardim is a big duty and he doesn't want to be asked when arriving in Shamayim why he was not there when needed. How opportune is the presence of a religious figure in politics is another discussion, but his presence contributed to the creation of a new Sephardi Israeli identity. Political involvement means controversies and the last elections brought a lot of discussions and poisonous exchange of arrows, but this is already history. Many of those targeted by his arrows davened for his recovery and this is another example of his powerful personality.
Through his works, he tried to bring a unique voice to the very fragmented and not initially self-aware Sephardi world. My Iraqi Jews friends were davening together with the Yemeni and the Moroccans. Creating a unique authority at least with the same written base as the Askenazim was also part of his tremendous work in the service of Torah. He was highly respected by all the big Askenazim chassidic leaders in Jerusalem and abroad and he was often visited for advice on important Torah matters.
There are also many other significant moments associated with his personality: the recognition of Ethiopian Jews, the discussion about Bnei Menashe, the negotiations for the liberation of Gilad Shalit, the decisions in favour of 'chained' women. A complete history of his work and life is still to be written.
Over 800,000 said the kaddish together in Jerusalem for Rav Ovadia zt''l. Some say that such a big gathering of Jews for levaya was not seen since the death of Aaron haCohen.
Rav Ovadia zt''l takes care of us all now. Our duty is to intensify the Torah study and the good deeds. This can be done even by an am haaretz like me.

A mysterious artist, Issai Kulvianski

'My parents shtetl'

The information about the work and life of Issai Kulvianski is not easy to find. After a couple of research and documentation, I still cannot say that I know 35% of his story. 

He appears under different names: either Izaijas Kulvianski or Isaja Kulwianski. He was born in Jonova, Lithuania, in 1892. He studied first sculpture at the Vilnius Art School and later at Berlin, in 1912, at the Berlin Academy of Art. Later, he went to Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, where he got in touch and eventually was influenced by Soutine and Chagall. Before the WWI, when he served in the Russian Army, he was member of the semi-anarchist group in Berlin 'Novembergruppe', together with, among others, El Lissitzky. 

In 1933, he moved to the then Palestine, where for around 17 years was a teacher of arts at a school he created. One of his paintings of that time of the Tel Aviv beaches  continue to be an appreciated presence in the auction houses. The next stage of his life was of a permanent travel, especially in Europe. His stops included Nurenberg, Oudeuil/Oise, Val de Mercy/Yonne before establishing in London, where he spent the rest of his life.
His works are strongly influenced by the neo-realism, one of his inspiration being the German painter Lovis Corinth.
Many of his works can be found either in different auction houses in Europe or in museums and galleries. 

Post-hagim blues and plans for the new year

Every time the end of September is a time of re-adaptation and effort to get back on a kind of normal track. The time between Rosh Hashana and Simcha Torah is full of spiritual developments, new cooking and a lot of introspection. Returning back to a certain 'normality' is not always a welcomed development and it is not easy to change the daily life pace. 

I ended the last year on a very tired yet optimistic note, with a lot of projects in the air, but nothing clear to talk about. Without panic or hurry, I continued with my other daily tasks, trying to find the right moment and inspiration to move forward with more quality and coherent projects, at least for the next months.

Somehow, my travels helped me to find the words to describe what I will start doing soon on the blog:

- I will continue to focus on book reviews on Jewish topics - literature, history, specifically. Over the last months, a lot of notes were accumulated and I should start catching up with past readings till I still have the ideas fresh in my mind.

- Fighting the lack of action on the blog, I try to force myself to be around at least once the week. This occasion will be a little bit of discussion about the weekly parasha, with some personal insights and observations. 

- Another big project that I would love iy''H to put into words soon is about 'Jewish Heritage'. The world is full of traces of Jewish history and every fragment matters. As soon as I can, I will try to bring back histories with pictures and various local insights.

- As usually, politics will be addressed only if the events are so important that cannot be neglected. 

This is all for now! A lot of work ahead that will help me to get rid of the post-hagim blues.

Before Yom Kippur

I am afraid of fasting. Not because of I am a glutton, or maybe I am, but rather because without a proper hydration, I automatically develop terrible headaches. And what can be worse than a headache? This is what usually happens in the middle and after almost every fast, I went through. Invariably, Tisha B'Av is one of the most terrible experience in that respect. I go to sleep after I listen a shiur, and for hours later I feel like seasick. 

All being said, I often welcome Yom Kippur with a deep feeling of fear. I usually start the New Year with a lot of hope and optimism but till Hoshana Rabah I cannot do anything coherently. The work and travel projects are floating in the air, all my efforts to do something serious are failing and even when it comes to people I am sent back into my shell. Till the end of the hagim, there it is nothing to do for the future, I am like stacked into the present. I need to rest, make more plans and analyse what happened in the last months.

Psychologically speaking, the beginning of the New Year is the best time to take decisions, make changes and upgrade the level of observance and learning. But without the day days leading to Yom Kippur, the deep change may be in jeopardy. How can one start when the hard stones of the past aveiros are taking him or her back? How can we start anew or almost anew with an old toxic perspective? The key is teshuva and more introspection and Yom Kippur is the climax of the change. 

But back to my first statement of being afraid of fasting, how can I really 'enjoy' the spirituality when I am hardly able to breath or think in general. When my head is no better than a 5-day old salad? 

A couple of years ago, I was told about spending Yom Kippur with a group of hasidim, that after one nigh of reading tehillim and another couple of hours of davening, were so happy and full of life when the moment of blowing the shofar arrived. At that moment, was difficult for me to envisage that genuine feeling.  

Now, I am longing for happiness on Yom Kippur. For what have been done and for what I am ready to deal with. For the mitzvot I want to do every day - at least once, if possible and for all the 'slichot' I have to say to those I misunderstood or bothered. I want to change something and it is the right time to do it. Trying to do anything else till Sunday at least failed, so I need to get the best of the time and focus on what really matters this time of the year.
It's all for the best!

'Come to Israel...'

"Come to Israel, come and see the splendor of a desirable land, the splendor of the Carmel and of the Sharno, the splendor of the pleasant and beautiful azure skies, the magnificience of the clear, pure, and temperate air that reigns in its majesty and glory, even in Tevet. Delight and rejoice in this desirable, fair and pleasing land. A land of life, a land whose air is the wellspring of the spirit. How beautiful and graceful she is!

Come to Israel, come and see 'and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like grass' (Isaiah 66:14). Come and see how our beloved and precious nation like an eagle renews its youth, how she begins to stretch her bones, aching and shattered from wandering and bitter exile; some and see how she accustoms herself to standing erect as a date palm. Come and feel how our national invigorates its spirit by remembering its strength and majesty, by remembering its grandeur and glory at every turn. Come and delight in memories better than good wine, that exalt the soul and increase wisdom, memories of kings and princes, memories of heroes and prophets, memories of glory and strength, greatness and majesty. Come to the Land of Israel - here you will behold the vision of all this, here you will know that you are alive, living a life worthy of the name, in the land of life".

from Rav A.Y.Kook, Selected Letters, translated and annotated by Tzvi Feldman, Ma'aliot Publications of Yeshiva Birkat Moshe, Ma'aleh Adumim, Israel, 1976, pp. 239-240