THE MESSAGE IS THE KEY

Moritz Oppenheim has been considered as the first Jewish pioneer-painter. Unquestionably, his artwork has been described as the direct expression of Jewish culture, traditions, faith and socio-political struggles. As a fervent Jew, Oppenheim in his paintings, echoed, preserved and “loudly” reflected the Jewish collective identity, struggles and horrifying anti-Semite experiences German Jews encountered in Germany and Eastern Europe. The Jewish art identity was revealed in the message, the artist conveyed on linens. The message was the key. When Moritz Oppenheim portrayed the illustrious 18^th century Jewish philosopher, Moses Mendelssohn with a zealous Swiss Lutheran clergyman, Johann Caspar Lavater, Oppenheim was  intentionally conveying the message of  and explaining the implications of an experience that illustrated a primordial juncture in Mendelssohn's quest for a Judaic philosophical and an intellectual path. Mendelssohn realized and understood that Lavater's renunciation of his Judaism was another illustrative example of polemics against Jews. Unfortunately, the pioneering Jewish spirit of Oppenheim and his struggles to preserve the Jewish identity through art are rarely mentioned in the history books.

 

Photo: Moses with the Law, by Moritz Oppenheim, 1818. S. Wiener Family, London.

PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE JEWISH EXPERIENCES

In many instances and passages of life, personal or collective socio-ethnic experiences play major roles in shaping and defining the ethnicity of art and the religious background of an artist. It is not always the faith of the artist that categorizes and identifies the religious nature, race, ethnic origin and nationality of an artist or his/her work. Unforgettable personal experiences, pain, sorrow, fear, incertitude, despair, hunger, poverty, homelessness and hopelessness caused by racial and ethnic biases, social injustice and persecution redefine and frame the landscape, colors, structure, composition, vibes and “psyche” of a piece of art. “After the Pogrom” painted by Maurycy Minkowski retraces, illustrates and captures the fear, panic and hysterical trauma felt by Jews in Eastern Europe. It was a humanistic tableau of the decadence of the human race, the social prejudices, the despair and frightening hopelessness of the Jewish refugees; a personal and a collective experience of the suffering and persecuted Jewish people. And because Maurycy Minkowski was physically challenged (He could not talk or hear), his personal “physical “ condition and related experiences added an extra sense of isolation, fear, separation, despair so closely attributed to and associated with prosecuted and persecuted Eastern Jews .“Czarny Sztandar” (The Black Banner), a   masterpiece by Samuel Hirszenberg is another example of a personal emotional and religious Jewish experience. This fabulous painting depicts the funeral scene of a Rabbinic leader.

Through the dark and somber colors of melancholic Hebraic lamentations, the painting has become an authentic Jewish mourning scene. Ironically enough, several totally different Jewish experiences, divergent and convergent in collective Jewish attitude and social reactions, and determination (Of a new  generation of brave Jewish nationalists) to fight back, instead of fleeing, mourning or hiding, deeply influenced Jewish artists who were not accustomed to paint Jewish uprisings, revolts and public protests. “Birth of Jewish Resistance” painted by Lazar Krestin, after the “Kishinev Pogrom” in 1903, is an enlightening and a very convincing  a propos example. Once again, the artist transmits a strong message based upon current Jewish efforts and perpetual fight to secure stability, security and new direction in the daily life of struggling Jews.

The Rabbi in this drawing is standing in synagogue. We can tell this because behind him we can see the Ner Tamid, or everlasting light which burns in every synagogue, as a reminder of God's omnipresence. He is holding a palm leaf, which is known as a lulav, and is one of four species (Arbah Minim) that are shaken together on Succot. All four of these species are found in Israel. The others are the Myrtle (Hadas), the Willow (Aravah) and the Etrog, which is a citrus fruit. Branches from the three trees are bound together and held together with the etrog. They are then shaken in all directions to show that God is all around. It is not known why the Rabbi in this drawing is only holding the lulav, and what has become of the other three species. However, this is probably once more due to the fact that Solomon was not an observant Jew and had probably not witnessed the Succot celebrations since childhood.

 

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