Virtual Conversation: 'Living Jewish Art'- The Life and Work of Itshak Holtz

Join the Museum at Eldridge Street and explore diverse aspects of artist Itshak Holtz’s life and work with those who knew him, accompanied by a slideshow of some of his finest work.

Richard McBee, noted expert on Jewish art and author of Living Jewish Art: The Work of Itshak Holtz (Abbeville Press, 2024) will discuss the artist’s career in conversation with Sylvia Herskowitz, Director Emerita of Yeshiva University Museum, and artist-photographer Dr. Aliza Holtz, daughter of Itshak Holtz.

Born in Warsaw, Itshak Holtz (1925–2018) lived and worked among the Orthodox Jewish communities of New York and Jerusalem, and in his paintings, he portrays various facets of the lives of the people in his community: their houses of worship, neighborhoods, work, families, and celebrations. His subjects were not idealized memories of the imagined past, but the real people around him, depicted with the warmth and insight of a community member.

Holtz continued his artistic training after moving to New York, studying at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design in the early 1950s. Author Richard McBee interviewed Holtz in his Manhattan studio for The Jewish Press in 2003, where he was still painting some 50 years into his career. As McBee describes "One glance around the studio, filled with paintings in progress, sketches, prints, and neatly arranged cans of brushes and tubes of oil paint, made it clear to me that Holtz was an authentic working artist, entirely dedicated to his craft and passion."

The panelists will discuss:

- How Sylvia Herskowitz, then Director of Yeshiva University Museum, discovered the art of Holtz and later gave him his first exhibition, 1992-93
- The consequences of the groundbreaking Yeshiva University Museum exhibition
- What the experience of growing up with an artist father was like for Aliza Holtz, and how this influenced her own art
- Insights into the world of Hasidic Jewry depicted in Holtz’s paintings
- Personal anecdotes about their interactions with the artist and impressions of his work

All registrants will be sent an exclusive discount code to purchase the book on Abbeville.com.

Registration for this Zoom program is pay-what-you-wish. The following are suggested amounts for each ticket type:
Adults $12
Seniors $10
Students $8

REGISTER HERE

Please see the Zoom link in your order confirmation email. This program is entirely virtual.