
Join artist Laya Crust for a conversation about the artwork featured in her book, Illuminations: An Exploration of Haftarah Through Art and History. Selections from the book will be on exhibit in the Leon Family Gallery, September through October 2023.
The Haftarah is a Bible reading that follows the Torah reading each Shabbat and every major Jewish holiday and fast day (82 total).
The Haftarah is traditionally written by a scribe on scrolls of animal parchment. Beth David Synagogue in Toronto commissioned a Haftarah scroll in 2013 and later commissioned Laya Crust to create a painting for each haftarah of the year.
Crust painted these illustrations directly onto the scroll in gouache paint, and has now reproduced them in her book, Illuminations: An Exploration of Haftarah Through Art and History.
Free to attend, Registration Required
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Laya Crust is an internationally recognized artist and soferet (Torah scribe). Foremost a painter, Laya creates hand-made artist books, ceremonial objects, and architectural installations. She has also written and illustrated several books. Laya’s work is in collections throughout the world. She teaches, leads workshops, and gives lectures on art and Jewish text. She lives with her husband in Toronto.
Illuminations: An Exploration of Haftarah Through Art and History can be purchased at Haftarah-Illuminations.com. High-quality reproductions of the paintings are also available for purchase on the website.