שַחֲרִית Shacharit — Morning Prayer
August 27, 2015
In January of 1990 I had the privilege of going on a tour of Israel conducted by an outstanding Orthodox guide named Joe, who was so completely well-versed in history and biblical understanding that archaeological sites acquired lively, humanized detail under his well-studied knowledge of what we believe took place there.
Though he was conducting about a dozen clergy, he was able to draw comparison between traditions which were tied to ha aretz (הארץ), to the land, helping us see the visceral, physical connections we’d only tried to understand through having read the ancient texts and stories.
‘Western Wall Shacharit’
watercolour on Arches Hot Press 140# Paper, 10″ x 15″, sold
The Western Wall is almost certainly the most revered of all sites in Israel, as it physically connects worshipers to those before them who also had to struggle to build a homeland–who also had to appeal to that higher power to protect and defend them.
I felt privileged to have been able to see Israel at a time when the intifada was at a standstill and veritably every location in the country was accessible and security was more relaxed. We could travel the Golan Heights as well as the West Bank, stand at the Lebanese border and visit the historic cities and towns throughout the land.
…this is a repost from an entry several years ago
weisserwatercolours 
The Like button is back — I guess WP had some weirdness yesterday when they were rolling out the new editor. 🙂
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…how kind you always are! THANK YOU. I am enjoying your postings very much on your site, Robin. Your not finding a ‘like’ symbol is puzzling, but hopefully that will clear up the next time.
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Oh, such a powerful image. Warm colors, like morning sun. I don’t want to read too much into it (since I may be way off-base/presumptuous) but your placement of the siddur partially obscuring the weapon has a lot of meaning. This is watercolor?Wow. How you do the textures and detail is amazing to me. Also, that face! His expression makes me want to answer his question even though I haven’t heard one. Thank you for sharing this. 🙂
By the way, I can’t find a “Like” button to click. The place where it should be just says “Loading…”
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Thank you Sharon for your equally thoughtful comments.
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Thank you for reposting this touching and thought provoking painting. Your image and writing stopped me in my tracks this morning.
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…my, Cynthia, you always draw me closer to you. We share the unspoken, which you somehow dig deep to indeed speak in your sparse, exacting way. thank you for this.
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…oh Barry, what a great place–such a beautiful city on the sea. To have lived there must have been profound.
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I have had the enlarged version of this on my laptop screen for quite a while; I can’t stop wanting to look at it. Of course the many decisions you made about color, texture, composition, were briliiant—as if you were very moved by your experience. But it’s that face, those eyes, that draw me into…..perplexity? long suffering? even the tinge of a sense of humor?….a deep humanity as old as the stones.
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I lived in Haifa fr 1975-76
Great place
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