The painter Raphael Soyer emigrated from the Russian Empire to the United States with his parents and siblings in 1912. He studied painting in New York and lived there for the rest of his life. He was a staunch social realist, painting scenes of immigrant and city life, as well as portraits of family, friends, and fellow artists. In addition to working in a representational style, he defended it in print against the rising fashion of abstractionism. His brothers Moses and Isaac were also painters.
This “imaginary wall” in Raphael Soyer’s studio features (clockwise, from top left) a self-portrait; portraits of the artists Nicolai Cikovsky, Moses Soyer, and Chaim Gross. In the center is the…
This synagogue, located in Carpentras, in Provence, was built in 1367 but went through serious repairs and was remodeled between 1741 and 1744 by a local civil engineer Antoine D’Allemand, in the…
Kabbalists prayed using the basic Jewish prayers, but added certain elements according to their own tradition. The prayers are often presented with kavanot (special devotional forms, meanings, and…