Art, Prayer and Jewish Tradition Meet at Birobidzhan Festival

A distinctive encounter between art and Jewish tradition took place during the International Festival of Jewish Culture and Arts in Birobidzhan, where Rabbi Ovadia Isakov, Chief Rabbi of Derbent and an accomplished artist, presented his work and met with local art students.

A personal exhibition of Rabbi Isakov’s paintings was displayed at Birobidzhan’s Rodina Cinema as part of the festival program. The exhibition was also visited by the regional governor, who viewed the rabbi’s works during the festival. Rabbi Isakov later joined students and teachers at the Birobidzhan College of Culture and Creative Industries for a special program titled “Workshop of the Soul,” together with artist Albert Rafiev and exhibition curator Valery Khanukaev.

During the master class, an ordinary part of Rabbi Isakov’s day became an unexpected lesson in Jewish life. Realizing that he needed to pray, Rabbi Isakov suggested that the students use the opportunity to portray a Jew at prayer. He put on his tallit and tefillin and began his prayers, while the young artists observed and incorporated the scene into their work.

For many of the students, the moment offered an opportunity to encounter a living Jewish tradition not in a museum display or textbook, but through the personal practice of an artist standing before them.

The meeting reflected one of the festival’s central themes: allowing Jewish heritage to be encountered through music, art, conversation and personal experience. Rabbi Isakov’s paintings remained on display as part of a broader festival program that brought Jewish visual art and culture to audiences across Birobidzhan.