Bound to stumble and fall
but my strength comes not from man at all.
Matisyahu

Wisdom resides in the soul of nature—of humanity. Most of us learn from an early age that some people are more soulful, what I call ‘touched by G-d,’ and we feel blessed to have them in our lives. But what does it mean for a work of art—a poem, photograph, painting, sculpture—to have soul? Our reference point, of course, is nature. The ‘wisdom of trees’ has almost become a cliché—but for a reason. A tree’s resilience stems from its strong roots and mighty core; its beautiful branches and leaves are the rewards of that labor. A soulful painting or building often feels as though it’s speaking directly to our own souls, because there’s nothing superficial, frivolous—fake—preventing that dialogue.

Being surrounded by soulful, transcendent art + design nourishes our own souls. In an age of social media, Instaporn, and filtered selfies, it’s needed now more than ever.

Karen Lehrman Bloch

“Beit Hanan,” Josef Anah
“Masada,” Pavel Bernshtam
“Galil,” Amit Geron

“Beauty is God’s handwriting.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Morning,” Luis Curiel
“Double Tulip,” Don Freeman
“Mountain,” Anish Kapoor
“Safra Square,” Assaf Pinchuk

“The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone.”

Goethe
“Tel Aviv Museum of Art,” Pedro Kok
“Efendi Hotel,” Amit Geron
“Factory Jaffa House,”  Amit Geron
“Repetition and Dream II,” Simon Lewty

“God wants, man dreams, the work is born.”

Fernando Pessoa
“Underground Prisoners Museum,” Assaf Pinchuk
Hurva Synagogue (unbuilt), Louis Kahn
“L’abbaye du Thornet,” Provence, David Heald
Tinmel Mosque, Morocco
Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, Hiroshi Sugimoto

“Every recognition of beauty is a form of prayer.”

Rabbi David Wolpe
“Ethiopian Worshippers,” Dor Kedmi
“Jerusalem,” Elad Matityahu