Sunday, December 12, 2010

Menorah, watercolor on paper

Judaism: Estimates of the world's Jewish population range from about 12 million to over 17 million. On the high end of realistic estimates of how many people would consider themselves Jews seems to be about 15 million, but a figure this high would include a large number of non-practicing, purely ethnic Jews. Judaism is far more important in areas such as history, literature, science, politics, and religion, than its relatively small numbers might suggest. The American Jewish Year Book published in 2000 by the American Jewish Committee, reports there are currently 5.7 million Jews in the United States, 362,000 in Canada, and 13,191,500 worldwide. More.

For a short time after graduating from The Museum School in Boston ( 1982), I lived with a Jewish family in Seattle.
I  especially enjoyed being there on the Sabbath, and the ritual of getting all the chores done and food prepared before the sunset on Fridays was very enlightening to me. It was peaceful and restful. Saturdays were quiet. Regular activities resumed on Sunday.
Growing up with Sundays being the day that things were closed was nice, although I didn't think so at the time.
I got this image of a menorah from www.amityaffe.com , and painted it in watercolors.

2 comments:

Kelley Carey MacDonald said...

LOVE this. I think in another life I was Jewish, I have always loved the traditions, and sentiment, of Jewish holidays. And I still want a mezuzah because I think that's a good thing to have in your life.

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

that's beautiful. Design and color.