Vayaqhel (ויקהל – And he gathered) and Para Aduma (פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה – Red Heifer)
Exodus 35:1–38:20 and Numbers 19:1-22, and Ezekiel 36:16-38
Inspired by G-d, Bezalel, Oholiab, Hiram, and other exceptional craftsmen transformed materials into sacred works of rare finesse.
Exodus 35:31
וַיְמַלֵּא אֹתוֹ, רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, בְּחָכְמָה בִּתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת, וּבְכָל-מְלָאכָה.
He filled him with the spirit of G-d, with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in all craftsmanship.
Founded in 1906 in Jerusalem by Boris Schatz(1), the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design is Israel’s oldest institution of higher education. Since 1969, it has been supported by the State and embodies a symbol of cultural and spiritual elevation. In 2023, the Academy relocated to a modern campus designed by the architectural firm SANAA(2). This new space reflects the Academy’s commitment to innovation and creativity, standing in stark contrast to the darkness imposed by the terrorists(3) controlling Sanaa.
(1) Boris Schatz (1862–1932) was a pioneer of modern Jewish art, educator, and entrepreneur. A visionary, he created an institution where Jewish art is rooted in tradition.
(2) SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates, named after its founders Kazuyo Sejima (born 1956) and Ryue Nishizawa (born 1966)) is a Japanese architectural firm renowned for its luminous, minimalist, and innovative designs. Their work has earned numerous accolades, including the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2010.
(3) The Houthis, a Shiite terrorist group backed by Iran, took control of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, in 2014.