The Denver Jewish news., 1922-09-20


lures better than Bible students OF
even mature age who live in the
Diaspora. Leaving out of coasidera'
tion the circumstances that the school.
boy possesses the advantage of grasp
Of the geography and physiography OF
Bible scenes. as well as climate, plant
life, etc. Of the country as whole, he
is privileged to he in contact with
types Of persons very much akin and
similar to the actors in Bible stories.
In the hoary Bedouin, tall and prince
", with his piercing glance and lordly
mien. his allenveloping Ahaye 1.-THE de-
scendant Of the Talith) in such a one
he sees the patrlarchal Abraham.
From the insight into the lives of tho
BetlOuin and the Arab his comprehen-
sion OF the lives of Abraham. Isaac
and jacob gathers fullness and fruth.
To the schOolboy in the Jewish school
in Palestine David. Is not the crown
ed and enthronetl Assyrian-hearded
monarch who dwells in glory and
splendOr. His minds eye sees only the
son Of Jesse rather as the ragged,
bare-legged and parchment skinned
shepherd hoy whose flocks follow the
sounds that flow from his reed whistle
He sees the army OF King David not ms
an immense body of soldiers marching
in step and in f0urs. Instead 1t is n
wild, disorgnnixetl yelping. singing
rnbble something Hike the Egyptian
labor corps. The setting down of this
new Interpretation and comprehension
of Jewish history on paper or canvas
is the first, because comparatively it Is
the easiest step in thfe development of
a Jewish art in Palestine
That part of Palestinian Jewish art
Is decidedly realistic. But 1t is not
The desire for the truthful
and natural overriles the disposition
towards the sensational and arresting.
The Bezalel Art School in Jerusalem
has contributed most towards the de-
velopme1t Of Jewish native art in Pal
estine. Unfortunately. however, per-
sons outside of Palestine have been
shown the Industrial art products Of
this institution instead of the artis-
tic productions OF higher rank. We
know the olive wood penhOlders and
the flagree work, the steel vases and
the good Mogen Dovds, but the outside
world has Only In rare cases had the
opportunity OF seeing what are in
deed the beginnings yet also the prom
lse of a native art that will some day
go forth from Jerusalem. One such
IL vouchsafed by the visit
from Nahum Gutman. Bezalel stud
ent. to Europe. He has merely Iuod.
est little album. a few plaques and
sketches to attest his talent. and
critics agree that these are sufficient
for the purpose. Herman Struck re-
CARDS him as one of the most promis-
ing II not the most promising. Pnles-
tinian artist of today. He believes
Gutman the possessor Of marked AID
yet unfathomed ability. Probably the
hest of Gutmnn's works is one show
ing the suffering of Job. 1t brcathes
with psychological understanding.
Job is seen lying full length and face
on the ground. He seems to
he growing into the earth from the
dust of which he was created. 1t fs
NJ II his pain hr5 brought him with
In a step of the end. An immense
hand. speaking volumes, is the sole
Indicator OF the anguish Of its master.
Jobs friends and comforters sit near
his prostrate body. One does not and
cannot understand. He Is a Jew from
the East or Bokhara and stands ap-
palled before the acts Of the Almighty.
The big-bOned Sephartli who fills the
center of the group is the fatalist who
accepts the treatment meted out to
Job AID dares not question Gods ways.
The Yemenite on the rother hand Is
the philosopher. That the righteous
Job has been made to suffer while the
sinners go free had cast shadow up
on his faith and he is seen in painful
This artist has been successful in let