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My parents raised our family with frequent visits to museums and galleries, fueling the passion for the making of art that became a large part of who I am. As I examine further links, the original creation of the world filters into my work, whether painting the human figure or screen printing molecular renditions of targeted cancer therapy. My abstract works reference the materials and acts that Deity used to organize the earth. After gathering, arranging and finalizing my assemblage pieces, I experience a visceral, in addition to intellectual, feeling of completion, a feeling of gratitude toward the Higher Power in my life.  During this time of COVID-19 quarantine, precipitously locked out of the print shop and my studio, I began teaching myself how to dye organic cloth and cotton paper, using natural foraged material in inner city Philadelphia. This has given me additional time to consider our God, his works and my human imitation of His original acts. His grand ability to create...

Today’s blog post is about the rise of and simultaneous oppression of non-traditional faiths.       Although I was raised as a reform Jew, I’ve seen and read about the rise of non-traditional faiths.  Most of these faiths, such as the Asatru faith, are based on old religions that were once dormant. These faiths have seen a major rise in popularity particularly among the youth. The belief systems that guide them are a mix of Paganism and distinct cultures from around the world. One of the reasons these non-traditional religious beliefs are on the rise is because they are less organized and more individualistic in nature. It’s about what you put into the faith and get out of it more than following any strict guidelines. While these faiths do have temples and places of worship, there are only a few and they are scattered around the world.       The reason I bring all of this up today is that these faiths are under attack in certain ways. The Asa...

This summer, we are featuring meaningful art in our new blog series: Art and Identity. In this week's post, Laurie Pollack reflects on the Hebrew phrase, Hineni, through her art. If you have artwork and commentary you'd like to share, please ema il Liz er@interfaithphiladelphia.org and Andrew jaf@interfaithphiladelphia.org I do not call myself an artist but I describe myself as a poet who sometimes also plays with paint. My main genre and where I feel I may have a gift, is writing not art. I paint not to perfect my rudimentary skill or create fine art but to express myself. I do not have the skills yet to express myself and may never get there.  But I find meaning in it  and do it anyway  I am Jewish though not religious, and sometimes write or paint  on Jewish themes. Here is a painting I did at the start of the pandemic, which hit us a little while before Passover. It is called "Hineni". The numbers refer to the 10 plagues "Hineni" means in Hebrew: I am p...