LITERATURE + LECTURES

The Center for Jewish Living and Learning at the Jewish Community Center of Houston presents Hillul HaKodesh: Israeli Art and Jewish Blasphemy, Thursday, Feb 24 at 8:00 PM. Lecture by Dr. Alec Mishory, (pictured) Schusterman Visiting Israeli Professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

One of early Zionist artists’ significant dogmas stressed a deliberate “negation of the Diaspora” that was manifested in a contemptuous attitude toward Jewish culture. However, in the 1970s, attitudes began to shift and a process of strengthening Jewish identity through the arts began to take shape. Interestingly, some secular artists began to give visual expression to Jewish taboos and rituals. Orthodox Jewish-Israelis regard these works as blasphemy.

Join Dr. Mishory as he explores this confrontation.

In addition to his academic posts, Mishory was art adviser to the Office of the President of Israel and served in the cultural affairs division of the Israeli government’s Ministry of Education and Culture. He also was the art critic for “Haaretz,” the daily Israeli newspaper, curated several exhibits of contemporary Israeli art and crafts and published extensively on themes and subjects in Jewish-Israeli visual culture.

For more information, please contact Naomi Barancik at 713-729-3200 ext. 3288 or nbarancik@jcchouston.org.  
 
The Jewish Community Center has founded the Center for Jewish Learning and Living, a collaborative process that brings together the arts and culture programming of the Center, such as the Book and Arts Fair, the Jewish Film Festival, and the Jewish Music Festival, and the education initiatives of the Center, such as the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, and the Bunny and Leo Horvitz Scholar-in-Residence Program. In addition, this collaboration brings additional programs and staff to the Jewish initiatives of the JCC, with high hopes that more members of our community may be touched by meaningful Jewish experiences.