People of the Jewish faith base their belief on the written word of the Torah. Presented in this paper are fine artists that produce work within these laws. The Torah sets guidelines for life and morality. The belief system within this domain is that visual images have an impact on the viewers, and artists are accountable for what they produce. This is in opposition with art education, where freedom of expression takes precedence over morality. The results of this study will form the basis for a curriculum for the community college. The researcher's area of inquiry is directed to painting and sculpture made by artists of the Jewish faith who follow the Torah, meaning those who are observant of their faith and practices. Their skills and perceptions will be presented to educate the viewer about their visions. The research questions were posed to rabbinical authorities and artists in order to establish a clear and defined statement of what the Jewish law is regarding the fine arts. The evidence presented was obtained by questionnaires, personal interviews, articles, and opinions from Jewish scholars. Four rabbis were selected based on their erudition on Torah law, and their strong leadership positions in Jewish educational institutions. The ten artists were selected based on recommendations from art historians, and art and gallery directors. The artists and the rabbis were mailed questionnaires, which was followed by an interview. The conclusion from this study is that fine artists are encouraged to use their talents, this is supported by the Torah text, and rabbinic explanation. The restriction for the Jewish artist is in making a replication of a realistic full-scale figure, making a visual rendition of G-d, a nude, or violent image. Art is made by the observant Jew with the intention of enhancing the world with visions inspired by their belief in the Torah. A crucial belief in Judaism is that there is but one G-d, and all man-made images should reflect the majesty of G-d's creations.

This study concerns the multicultural influences which shaped the architectural form and artistic decoration of the Synagogue at Dura-Europos, an ancient city located on the west bank of the upper Euphrates in Syria (244/5 C. E.) Preserving the Jewish tradition after the destruction of the Second Temple, in a location remote from Palestine, was essential in order to maintain a strong identity in the small Jewish community of Dura, engulfed by pagan and multitheistic societies. Biblical narratives were used by the Jewish community to assert their history. In chapter 1, there appears a discussion of what scholars have said about the cultural development of Dura, how the Synagogue paintings reflect it, and how these represent a Jewish identity. In chapter 2, two scenes from the frescoes will be discussed, highlighting the various cultural influences, both foreign and local. On the other hand Rabbinic literature, including the Midrash, the Mishnah and the Mekhilta de R. Ishmael, compiled by the third century C. E., gives a textual explanation for the scenes, emphasizing the strong association that the Jews of Dura had with their roots and heritage.

Cette thèse établit l'inventaire exhaustif des synagogues de Casablanca en service, celles qui sont fermées ou encore celles disparues et dont on n'a plus de traces, ainsi que celui des objets rituels qu'elles renferment. L'implantation de ces lieux de culte constitue également une source d'informations sur la communauté juive Casablancaise et sur la mobilité de sa population entre 1911 et 2013. Casablanca, musée à ciel ouvert, a été influencée par des courants artistiques importés par l'Occident, tels que le Bauhaus, le style Art Nouveau, l'Art déco, des éléments gothiques ... associés à l'influence locale, aux courants internes au Maroc et à l'architecture coloniale. Adoptés par les familles juives de Casablanca, ces courants architecturaux vont finalement être appliqués à l'archtecture des synagogues, à leur mobilier et aux objets de culte. / This thesis is an exhaustive inventory of Casablanca synagogues (based on, closed or missing) and ritual objects they contain. The etablishment of these places of worship provide also information on the jewish community of this city as well as the mobility of its population between 1911 and 2013. Casablanca, open-air museum, was influenced by artistic currents imported by colonization, such as the bauhaus, Art nouveau style, Art Déco, gothics elements ... mixed with local influence and architecture imported from the other cities of Morocco, as well as colonial architecture. Those architectural movements will penetrate private houses including jewish families of Casablanca to finally get into the synagogues and influence their architecture, furniture and liturgical objects.

This master thesis is focused on problematics of biblical themes in works of the Jewish artists on the territory of The Russian Empire at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. The introduction of the work deals with socio-political and cultural conditions of the Jewish community, which lived in the pre-revolutionary Imperial Russia. The following part, on the basis of archive materials, remained daily press, periodic press and memoirs, presents two important cultural centres: Jewish Societies for the Encouragement of Arts in Saint-Petersburg and in Moscow, notably their significant support for development of the Jewish arts in Russian culture of that time. The main, third part of the research presents the creative activity of the most prominent representatives of the Jewish art scene and analysis key trends in choosing biblical themes for their art production. Keywords Jews, Jewish culture, Jewish art, Jewish Societies for the Encouragement of Arts, The Russian Empire, Bible, biblical themes, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vitebsk

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