An exhibition of Biblical illustrations has opened in Tel Aviv

The Center for Jewish Tradition at Tel Aviv University, with the support of the EAJC, has launched an exhibition of illustrations created by Israeli artists Mikhail Yakhilevich and Ella Byshevskaya for a unique edition of the Torah, published by the Moscow synagogue on Chistye Prudy.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, Director General of the EAJC, stated: “This significant exhibition serves the noble purpose of bringing Israel and the Diaspora closer together, while fostering a deeper understanding of the eternal text among students. It is written that the Torah has 70 faces, and the contemporary illustrations by Yakhilevich and Byshevskaya clearly demonstrate the profound depth and relevance of the meanings and ideas contained within the Book of Books.”

The illustrations, rooted in the traditional and unique approach to understanding the eternal text, likewise draw upon rabbinical literature. This was a key topic of discussion among art historians and biblical scholars at the opening event.

Most existing illustrations of the Torah were created in the Diaspora (Galut) and rely heavily on the artist's imagination. In contrast, Yakhilevich and Byshevskaya reside in Israel, directly at the site of biblical events. Consequently, their illustrations are distinguished by a profound understanding of the spirit and beauty of the Promised Land.

The artists successfully maintained the stylistic abstraction characteristic of Jewish art. They eschew portrait realism in their depiction of characters and avoid literalism in landscapes, thereby offering a sense of freedom and a profound insight into the Book of Books, which remains highly relevant today. Paradoxically, the illustrations combine miniature-scale details with monumentalism, integrating Eastern graphic ornaments, European plastic culture, and the Jewish spirit.

Ella Byshevskaya was born and educated in Dushanbe, while Mikhail Yakhilevich was born and educated in Moscow. Both artists have resided in Israel for nearly 30 years.

The illustrations featured in the exhibition are included in a new edition of the Torah, which contains the original Hebrew text alongside its modern Russian translation. The cycle of illustrations by Mikhail Yakhilevich and Ella Byshevskaya has previously been exhibited and warmly received in Moscow and Riga.