Temple B'nai Abraham 's Congregational Learning offers monthly classes in History Through Text with Rabbi Clifford M. Kulwin throughout the year at Temple, 300 East Northfield Road, Livingston. The topic for this year is Jews, Art and Jewish Art. The Ten Commandments insist that we are not to make graven images. Nevertheless, graphic arts—to say nothing of music, literature and other artistic forms—have long been associated with Jews and Jewish life. The Torah itself contains prose and poetry of unparalleled beauty; a Renaissance rabbi “proved” that all orchestra instruments were found in the Bible; and Marc Chagall is on anyone’s list of the greatest painters of the 20th Century. We will examine Jewish writings about art, and works of art themselves, to try to understand Judaism’s historic relationship with art, and the prominence art enjoys in Jewish life today.

Each class is a stand-alone unit so that an inability to attend all (or even most) of the sessions will not be an impediment to an enjoyable and stimulating learning experience. The next class will be on Thursday, May 16, 7:30 PM, when “Jews and Painting” will be explored. Jewish themes, like Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac, have long been subjects of the greatest western artists; many of those great artists were Jews. How did this happen? The last class will be on Thursday, June 13 (“Art and the Holocaust”), at 7:30 PM.

All sessions are free and open to the community. To register or for more information, please go to www.tbanj.org. For information, call 973.994.2290.