Sacred Arts Video One Part I - Introducing Illuminated Letters: Threads of Connection

Artist Sara Harwin takes her learning of Hebrew roots as an inspiration for creating powerful new sacred art that inspires our the viewer to enter Torah through the lens of empowered awareness, spirituality and meaning.

The themes drawn upon Sara's work are universal and have been described as "deceptively eloquent, encompassing the joy and celebration that can be found in life, love, and spirituality." This diversity of expression in media, both two and three dimensional, has been the foundation from which the idea for her Illuminated Letters: Threads of Connection project collaboration with Reclaiming Judaism has emerged. The Illuminated Letters project was conceived in 2007, as a way to further her own exploration of Jewish text and language through art. A traveling exhibition is anticipated for 2014 along with the corresponding exhibition book through Reclaiming Judaism Press.

Here Sara Harwin speaks about her project:

"My vision is that the completed Illuminated Letters project will broaden the borders of Jewish study, literally "shifting the gaze" through the innovate blend of visual and textual commentary on Jewish life and thought, enriching contemporary dialogue within Jewish studies. Perhaps capturing in the process the hearts and minds of those who may currently be disengaged from more traditional modes Jewish study and discourse while offering a new visual insight to those individuals already on a path of Jewish learning and living.

The six imagery panels for the eighteen core concepts (as represented by specific shoreshim/roots) are near completion. The next phase of the project will be to put each of the images in a contemporary context by placing it in the center of a "Talmud like" page, then framing it with four to six "commentary/teachings". These commentaries will be generated by partnering with approximately ninety renowned and respected teachers, scholars, authors and rabbis who will approach their shoresh from diverse perspectives-male and female, liberal, traditional and secular-providing a multi-faceted interpretation of each core concept."