This Chanukah, Yitzchok Moully, the conceptual artist (the Pop Art Rabbi) got a little ambitious.
Two days after the tragic massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the 11 Jewish souls lost that day were memorialized by Moully in a beautiful, deep-meaning conceptualized “Tree of Life” painting, which was purchased by the WZO and is to be donated to the Tree of Life synagogue. The painting carries the message “#LightOverDarkness.”
Still, Moully was looking for ways to get this message more public. He then realized, what better time than Chanukah to spread the message of light over darkness. So, in a 30-foot RV, wrapped with 25-foot murals of menorahs on a black background on each side and a copy of the Tree of Life painting on the back, Moully literally drove the message home by stopping at multiple schools around the tri-state area, including JEC, over the eight days of Chanukah. Each night, as the Chanukah candles were being kindled, Moully painted the night’s new light onto the menorahs on the canvas. During the event, passersby were given the chance to interact with the piece by pledging an action they will take towards vanquishing darkness, and writing it onto the mural in metallic colors. “These pledges not only physically illuminate the black canvas, they also ultimately add real, spiritual light into the world,” Moully Said. “It was certainly an experience that if I had to do it all over again, I would do it the same, with the RV breaking down and all.”
In conjunction with a menorah lighting, #LightOverDarkness is a project that fuses the joy of an experience with the inspiration of a spiritual gathering, promoting community building among people from all walks of the Jewish world, and galvanizing participants to actively outshine the darkness, each with their own acts of light.
Search #LightOverDarkness to see the mural as it took shape throughout Chanukah.
The complete mural is currently looking for an appropriate home to continue the message of #LightOverDarkness. For more information, please contact Moully at MoullyArt.com or [email protected].
