Jacob Bornfriend 1904-1976
framed: 54 x 46 cm
Simchat Torah is Hebrew for 'the joy of Torah' It is a celebration, often accompanied by dancing and singing, to mark the completion of the annual reading of this section of the Bible. Bornfriend's lithograph depicts three processing celebrants with their fringed robes (tallitot) creating a distinct pattern of repeated triangles. The torah (compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, comprising the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) appears in a separate section on the upper right.
This is one of six original hand prints in mixed media in a limited edition portfolio celebrating Jewish religious festivals. It was produced in a signed and numbered edition of 250 (this is no. 5). The contents page contains the following text explaining the project's origins: 'In 1957 the architect Eugene Rosenberg, who designed Jews' College, London, commissioned Bornfriend to paint a mural for the library of the college. He chose the Jewish festivals as the theme. This series is based on the ideas that Bornfriend dealt with in the mural.'