Title: The Tenth Man. Size: 6 ft. 7 in. x 10 ft.
[ Home | Prev | Next ]

The memorial window in the painting duplicates the one in B'nai Israel shul (synagogue) in Rochester, New York that was founded by my grandparents. Through this window pours the light (metaphorically from the past), that illuminates the contemporary scene being depicted. The haphazard numbers on the pews suggest that they have been moved from a larger area and now only serve the remnant in attendance, one short of the ten needed to pray together. The memorial to the deceased former congregants on the wall, and the extra tallisim (prayer shawls) both point to Jews from the past. The Rabbi is at the door waiting for the tenth man to arrive. The stars in the doorway signify eternity. There are hundreds of such synagogues, with peeling paint and aging congregants, the embers, and the last glow, of a fire that roared.