In this painting, I chose to give Jerusalem shades of turquoise—blue like the sea, the sea like the sky, and the sky reminding us of the Creator who dwells above, to whom we aspire to resemble.
The walls are painted in silver tones, reflecting the yearning of every Jew to connect with God, to reach Jerusalem, to pray, and to give thanks before Him.
The golden flecks represent the light of Jerusalem, its majesty, and the significance of the city.
In this magical painting, the long and immersive journey of the pilgrims to Zion is evident—they walked by day and night… to reach Jerusalem, they had to climb hills and mountains, for “Jerusalem is surrounded by hills.”
Along the way, they saw olive trees, from which pure olive oil was prepared during the Temple period to light the Menorah.
The enchanting colors of the painting, the light emanating from Jerusalem and rising upward, add a spiritual dimension to the work and evoke a longing for the days that once were…
The above idea in a lighter version.
In the painting, you can see the enchanting landscape of Jerusalem, surrounded by hills, and the pilgrims ascending the mountains on their way to enter the city through its gates. The chain of walls enclosing the Old City is also visible.
Even today, we strive to ascend to Jerusalem, to the Western Wall, which is a remnant of our Temple, during the three pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot, and recite with devotion the prayer instituted by our Rabbis:
Because of our sins, we were exiled from our land and distanced from our soil.
And we are unable to ascend, to see, and to bow before You,
and to fulfill our duties in Your chosen House, the great and holy House upon which Your Name is called,
because of the hand that reached out in Your Temple.
May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, Merciful King,
that You return and have mercy upon us and upon Your Temple with Your abundant mercy,
and rebuild it quickly and magnify its glory.
Our Father, our King, reveal the glory of Your Kingdom upon us quickly,
and let it appear and rise before all living eyes,
and gather our dispersed ones from among the nations, and collect our scattered ones from the corners of the earth,
and bring us to Zion, Your city, with joy, and to Jerusalem, the House of Your Temple, with eternal happiness…
