The rabbi, the priest and the imam receive a message from God. He’s had enough of mankind’s sins, and intends to punish them with a flood, more lethal than Noah’s. The priest goes to his people, reports the message, and asks them to repent, confiding in Jesus for their admission to heaven. The imam goes to his people, reports the message and tells them to accept the will of Allah. The rabbi goes to his people and says, “Jews, we have a few days to learn how to live under water.”
This joke is about how Jews respond to crisis, adversities, even catastrophe: they become creative – and try to have a laugh on top of it. The Ghetto of Venice epitomizes this condition: forced to endure very harsh restrictions, Venetian Jews responded by forging a vibrant community out of many; nourishing a proud cultural life blending Jewish and Italian elements; becoming a focal point for Jewish communities in Europe and disseminating Jewish texts and ideas far and wide. In the new millennium, in a different world, the inspiration and legacy continue.
Living Under Water – A Jewish Exploration of Climate Change is a multi-media exhibition, artistic-collective. In 2019 Andi Arnovitz led a group of four other international artists to Venice for a one month immersive residency, studying climate change, Jewish sources and what Judaism has to say about repairing and restoring the earth. The resulting collaboration was a large-scale exhibition which was featured at the 2019 Jerusalem Biennale. Accompanying works were snow globes, a 62 page zine, etchings, a video, handmade artistic journals, ceramic pieces, sculptures and other works of art. Participating artists were Ken Goldman, Lynne Avadenka, Liora Wise, Meydad Eliyahu and Lucia Veronesi. The exhibition is available for travel.
In partnership with Hazon.
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