This is the story of a unique family held together by love, art and a deep devotion to the tenets and traditions of Judaism. One woman’s commitment to honor and preserve her heritage has been passed down to her daughter and granddaughter, who not only create works of Judaic art for the same purpose but have donated their work to raise money for Israel in its time of need.
Inspired by the vision of family matriarch Belle Rosenbaum, z”l Jewish-themed paintings by her daughter, Simmi Brodie, of Monsey and granddaughter, Dara Goldschmidt of Jerusalem, are currently being utilized as cover art for the Shabbat Shalom/Chag Sameach all occasion cards sold by American Communities Helping Israel (ACHI), a nonprofit advocacy organization. Each card funds the cost of a Shabbat/chag meal donated to those impacted by the Gaza war.
Mitzvah of the Mezuzah
But back to our story, which begins in 1940. That was the year Belle and her husband, Cantor Jacob Rosenbaum, began collecting 19th and 20th century mezuzot, inspired by a love of art and Belle’s memories of her father lifting her up as a child to kiss the mezuzah on the doorpost of their home. For the next 50 years, the Rosembaums collected more than 2,000 mezuzot from all over the globe. Today, they are on display in The Great Synagogue of Jerusalem as one of the world’s largest collections. In 1995, Belle and her husband published “Upon Thy Doorposts,” a book showcasing more than 700 color reproductions of mezuzot in her collection created by over 300 artists from 45 countries.
Belle went on to graduate from what is now the New York School of Interior Design in 1944 with the goal of creating a Jewish atmosphere in the homes of her Jewish clients — encouraging them to proudly display their ritual objects, such as candlesticks or menorahs, instead of hiding them away. She and her husband were actively involved in countless Jewish service organizations and founding members of Migdal Ohr (Tower of Light), which provides education and social guidance to underprivileged children in northern Israel.
Although she is best known for her remarkable mezuzah collection, Belle was also a patron of the arts, supporting Jewish artists by buying and commissioning their work. The Rosenbaum family art collection was well-known in Monsey, where she and her husband spent much of their marriage, and included a “Torah sculpture garden” in their yard: artistic renderings of scenes from Torah stories. But perhaps most importantly, Belle instilled her love of art and Torah in her children.
Peace and Torah Through Art
Simmi Brodie remembers her mother, Belle, helping her draw with crayons and pencils when she was just a toddler. She began formal art lessons at age 4 and has been painting ever since.
“I still go to an art class,” says Simmi, now 82, “and I’ve been teaching art for years. It’s part of the fabric of my life.”
Simmi’s semi-abstract style of painting illuminates the spiritual, mystical nature of Jewish practice, turning Friday night candle lighting or the recitation of Hamotzi into a transcendent ritual. She attributes her style to lifelong Torah study and a love of learning. “Learning helps keep you young,” she said. “It’s good for the brain.”
Her inspiration comes from multiple sources. Not only does she continue to attend Torah class, but she also listens to Jewish radio or computer generated stories in her studio while she paints or before bed. “When I run out of excitement, I go to sleep,” she laughed.
It is important to Simmi that her art carries a universal message. “My theme is ‘Peace and Torah through Art,’” she said. “I was raised in an Orthodox home, but I was also taught by my father that there’s one Torah and it’s for all of us. I feel like I’m giving back [to all Jews] when I dedicate my paintings to Torah.”
Like her mother before her, Simmi raised her children with Torah values and a love of art. “My daughter (Dara Goldschmidt) was always drawing and writing poetry,” she remembered. Even before Dara attended seminary in Israel, she knew that she wanted to live there one day. “She wouldn’t go out with anyone who wasn’t ready to move to Israel,” Simmi said.
Wandering Jew
Dara’s dream came true — and then some! Not long after she married Talmud scholar Pinchas Goldschmidt in 1985, they made aliyah to Jerusalem, where he received rabbinical ordination. In 1989, their shared desire to bring Torah to those who had been deprived of a Jewish education brought them to Moscow with their two young children.
“Our mission was to spread knowledge of Judaism and Torah,” Dara explained. “We decided to teach there for a year and see what happens. It turned into 33 years.”
Dara and her husband helped reconfirm Jews who had hidden their Jewish identity during Soviet times and contributed to building Jewish educational institutions and rabbinical schools. She started a kindergarten for her own children, which soon morphed into the Moscow Etz Chaim school, supported by the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation. Rabbi Goldschmidt became the chief rabbi of Moscow, founding the Russian Rabbinical Court and serving as president of the Conference of European Rabbis.
It wasn’t until she was 39 that Dara became serious about creating art. “I was directing the Jewish school in Moscow, and I needed an outlet,” she recalled. “I met an artist in my apartment building and eventually began taking lessons from him.
“Sometimes you start painting and at first it’s peripheral, but then it becomes the main thing,” Dara added. “Art is now one of my main things. It seems to be nurtured in families, much like music. [If your family members are artists] it increases the chance of you doing it.”
Dara feels that her mother, Simmi, has been a big influence on her artistic style, which she describes as “veering on abstract.” “My major themes are flowers and Judaica,” she said. “I do a lot of thinking about that.”
Dara’s paintings have been exhibited and sold in Russia and Israel. She is a featured artist at IsraelFineArt Gallery (www.israelfineart.com), which praises her work as “a harmonious blend of cultural influences, inviting viewers into a world where each colorful brushstroke tells a poignant tale of the vibrancy of life transcending geographical boundaries.”
Today, Dara and her husband live in Jerusalem once again. After Goldschmidt refused to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he and his family no longer felt safe. They fled Moscow in March 2022. He is still president of the Conference of European Rabbis and makes a monthly trip to Dusseldorf, Germany, where he serves as a congregational rabbi.
Now a mother and grandmother many times over, Dara still teaches at her Moscow school via Zoom, attends four Torah classes and continues to paint and show her work. Simmi couldn’t be prouder! And there is no doubt that Belle is looking down on both of them and kvelling!
Both Simmi Brodie and Dara Goldschmidt display their art on Instagram. Dara’s paintings are also at shi-photo.com/disk/darart-goldschmidt-j0dqrd or israelfineart.com/pages/dara-goldschmidt.
A longtime advocate for Israel, ACHI hosts more than 300 Israeli merchants in an online marketplace where people can find everything from art and jewelry to food and wine, to home goods and children’s toys. ACHI makes no money from marketplace transactions; its website is merely a conduit to the websites of its merchants, reflecting ACHI’s mission of Support Israel – Buy Israeli! Access the ACHI Market at www.achi613.org/achi-market.
ACHI has partnered with Lema’an Achai, an Israeli nonprofit, to use all proceeds from its card sales for providing Shabbat/chag meals to families of soldiers and evacuees and to bereaved families of soldiers and others who lost their lives on Oct. 7. So far this year, ACHI has provided more than 1,000 meals to needy Israelis. Buy ACHI all occasion cards at www.achi613.org/shop.
ACHI is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary with a new slogan: 2024 – The Year We Do More! Please help us support Israel. Check out ACHI’s website at www.achi613.org or contact them at [email protected].
Barbara Greenwald is a retired writer/editor who currently lives in Baltimore. She joined ACHI after Oct. 7.
