Sid and I recently participated in the dedication ceremony for a bronze sculpture made by William Zorach, a Jewish immigrant born in Lithuania in the late 1880s.  Our local Maine band provided music as part of the program which included the benefactors who made the sculpture possible financially as well as historians and local notables connected with the City of Bath and the Patten Free Library where this magnificent artwork graces its grounds.

As I listened to the speeches of the various groups involved, in particular, those sharing the decades of history behind the gift, the prevalence of Jewish influence in the narrative was overwhelming. This reaction was not just because I am Jewish, or that the sculptor was Jewish. Rather, the remarkably large Jewish imprint was especially noteworthy given the location of the sculpture in Bath, ME, not a hotbed of Jewish population by any means!

I encourage you to read about William Zorach’s life. You will be fascinated by how his family fled antisemitism in Europe and ultimately overcame poverty in America where he  flourished as an artist in major metro art circles. The particular piece “Spirit of the Sea” which is now the centerpiece of the Patten Free Library fountain, portrays a young woman, arms uplifted and posed on one knee. You will be amazed at the decades of community effort needed to make this accomplishment a reality given the staggering hurdles that had to be overcome. Despite his fame and life in other major cities Zorach remained committed to giving back to his community in Bath, ME where he died in 1966.

So why share this random piece of Maine history? I do so for the very reason that it is not random.

Of the six speakers at the event, two were Jewish. They were not chosen due to their common ethnicity with the artist, but rather, as a result of their roles as leaders of local cultural and historical nonprofit organizations in Bath, ones identified as community oriented and not specifically Jewish. In both of their commemorative speeches the emphasis was on how this sculpture has brought diverse groups of people together in multiple ways. These speakers’ hearts, words, and actions represented the Jewish virtue of “tikkun olam”, repairing the world.

One of the Jewish speaker’s comments brought to light an amazing “synchronicity”: William Zorach was born Zorach Gorfinkel. “Zorach” in Hebrew means “dawn” or “full of light”. The location of this sculpture is the homeland of the Abenaki people whose name is often translated as “people of the dawnland” or “people of first light”. Revelation of this strange “synchronicity” created a “Big Wow” moment after which he teased the listeners with a smile,  “Random? I don’t think so. “

The speaker rhetorically asked whether it could be random that the fountain with the “Spirit of the Sea” sculpture – the centerpiece of the fountain on the grounds of the community library – is just steps away from Bath’s multiple churches of so many different denominations and Bath’s only synagogue. Sid and I have attended events at that synagogue and our being Messianic Jewish is a complete non-issue. Similarly, by its nature the library is open to all with “Free” even being part of its name. The synchronicity of the indigent people’s Abenaki name translated so similarly to the artist’s in Hebrew, their allusion to light, and the welcoming location to diverse populations is not random. The maiden’s reverent pose radiates her awe of the light of love, our Creator’s love, against the backdrop of a city loving its diversity, thriving by the sea.

When Yeshua walked among us as a Jew He was the model of welcoming all to Him. He loved the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the leper unconditionally, as He lived a life demonstrating to those who follow Him how to do so as well. He brought the light of God to all as demonstrated by such ability to love unconditionally. Despite personal pain, suffering, and death by mankind He returned to never stop loving His created beings and to continue to teach us The Way.

The Jewish soul carries with it the pain of being unloved by mankind seemingly since inception. Being oppressed is a painful road, yet one perhaps that enables the marginalized to more fully see what others take for granted who have not been so persecuted. This wounding may foster a yearning for and understanding of God’s love that produces fertile ground for inspired creativity and the desire to share such beauty and joy with others in making this world a better place.

The massive hatred of the Jewish people throughout history perhaps contributes to their disproportionate numbers in giving back to the world in accomplishment, especially in the arts. Despite mankind’s hatred, we feel God’s love. Being the target of hate becomes the catalyst for creative love expression. Ironically, experiencing how it feels to be hated for no justifiable reason teaches us how to more easily love for no reason, on the road to unconditionally. For many the outworking of this dynamic results in art, and music, that move multitudes and make this world a better place.

Decades ago there was an ad campaign featuring people of all ages and ethnicities eating a piece of rye bread with the tag line, “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s real Jewish Rye.” You don’t have to be hated or Jewish to be yearning for, and grateful for, God’s love and to be dedicated to giving back as you are able to make this world a better place. You don’t have to be a famous sculptor or speech writer. You just have to strive to love.

Unconditionally.

Shabbat shalom.

Diane