Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester: Religious Education

Student Reflections: Through a Jewish Lens 2008

We're thrilled to inform you that "Temple of Community" by Kevin Slack, "Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue Cemetery" by Eric Handelman, and "Purple and Red" by Julia Rubin will be included in the Jewish Lens Student Photography Exhibition at UJA-Federation of New York! Other student photographs submitted but not selected for the exhibition will be shown at the gallery opening as an ongoing Power Point presentation.

The forty student photographs will be on view from May 23rd until June 20th, and we will be hosting an opening reception at the UJA-Federation building on Thursday, May 29th from 5:30 - 7:00PM. We hope that you will be able to come and celebrate the work of these talented student photographers, and also meet other Jewish Lens educators. Zion Ozeri, the founder/director of the Jewish Lens curriculum as well as professional staff from the Jewish Lens initiative and Avoda Arts will also be there.

KEVIN SLACK TITLE: TEMPLE OF COMMUNITY (Eldridge Street Synagogue)

I chose it because of the opportunity I got, as well as the angle. It represents community for a simple reason. This is a Temple and Temples are where the Jewish people make friends and listen to wise words and make prayers. In other words, it is a lifestyle.

ERIC HANDELMAN TITLE: Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue Cemetery

I chose this image because I think it is important for other countries to have Jews.

JULIA RUBIN TITLE: PURPLE and RED

This picture represents friendship. It was a candid photograph, not posed, showing the trueness of the friendship. Friendship is vital because it links people together and is the base of every community.

TYLER KAUFMAN TITLE: GIANT AMONG MIDGETS
I chose this picture because it represents standing out, much like how you should do right even if the crowd does wrong. This also represents being the bigger person, with a modern twist.

HANNAH HOCHMAN TITLE: CHALLAH
To me, this photograph represents that there are a lot of people who are hungry and others who have a lot and don't recognize it.

RACHEL OATES TITLE: THE MEETING HOUSE
This is a Meeting House where families and friends can meet. People can talk about things and people getting together shows a value of community.

CAROLINE ROY TITLE: THE ARK
To me, this represents this community and how the Torah is very important. It is important enough that we would keep it in a special place. This also represents our traditions.

MATTHIAS FRIED TITLE: TZEDAKAH BOX
This is important because it represents charity and helping the poor, which are key if the world is to be made a better place.

JEFFREY SHERMAN TITLE: JEWISH SIGN IN THE LOWER EAST SIDE
I chose this picture because it shows how Jews are living today and what types of jobs they have. It means that Jews are finding ways to incorporate their religion into their life and jobs. It represents values and community by showing that there's a strong Jewish community in the Lower East Side and also that they would help people, especially by repairing or buying a Jewish artifact or Torah.

THEO GEVIRTZ TITLE: A TRIP TO THE PAST
This is the cemetery of the first Jewish people in New York. This shows community because they all chose to be buried together. This cemetery is located on the Lower East Side.

TYLER PAGER TITLE: MY JUDAISM
I chose this photograph because it shows how my family celebrates our Jewish holidays with our special wine glasses and on Hanukah we use a menorah that reminds us of a famous story of Noah's ark and all his animals. These three objects are very special to my family because we use them at very special occasions.

HAYLEY KLASS JAKE BOGART

May 2008
The Seventh Grade Class of Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester participated in a project this year entitled "THE JEWISH LENS: Exploring Values and Community through Photography." This program used the work of renowned photographer Zion Ozeri as a stimulus for an investigation of Jewish values, identity and tradition.

Mr. Ozeri's photographs capture the unity and diversity of the world Jewish community, reflecting the values and traditions that have defined Jewish existence across the globe for centuries.

As part of this curriculum, students examined Mr. Ozeri's work, explored the diverse Jewish communities reflected in his photographs, and learned about the art of photography. There was a text study to accompany each class subject.

Students took their own photographs to capture the values and distinctiveness of the local Jewish community.

Hinda Bodinger, Project Facilitator
Marcie Aiuvalasit, Religious Educator

ZION OZERI - A Brief Biography

Zion Ozeri is a world-renowned photographer. Born in Israel to immigrants from Yemen, he grew up among people whose lives had been shaken by displacement.

In his travels, he has encountered diverse Jewish communities scattered across the world, and through his photographs he brings them together depicting familiar customs, shared experiences and a sense of home. His images speak to all who have altered, shaped and reinvented their traditions, fusing old and new, familiar and unfamiliar to create rich, modern, meaningful ways of life.

Zion Ozeri graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute, both in New York City, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

His photographs have been exhibited in many museums and galleries and his work can be viewed on The Jewish Lens website: www.jewishlens.com