Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur of the tribe of Judah did
all that God commanded Moses. With him
was Oholiav ben Ahisamakh of the tribe of Dan, a carver, weaver, and
embroiderer using sky-blue, purple and crimson wool, and fine linen.
(Exodus 38:22, 23)
The book of Exodus began with the miracle of freeing the Israelites from slavery and draws to an end with the completion of the Tabernacle.
The Tabernacle was a major collaborative art project under the aesthetic direction of 2 master artists from the tribes of Judah and Dan.
This great biblical miracle pales in comparison to the
Zionist miracle in our time that we too often fail to see.
The Exodus story tells of liberating one nation of thousands
from enslavement in the one country of Egypt after hundreds of years of exile.
We are living the liberation of millions of Jews from scores
of countries after thousands of years of exile, bringing them home to
Israel.
Being an integral part of this Zionist miracle,
unprecedented in world history, offers enthralling creative opportunities for
an artist.
Mel has the amazing privilege as Head of Emunah College
School of the Arts in Jerusalem to teach descendants of both Bezalel and
Oholiav.
Creative young women from the tribes of Judah and Dan work
together there in degree programs in art, graphic design and theater.
His students from the tribe of Dan were flown out of
Ethiopia to join their brethren from the tribe of Judah as fellow artists.
In the 16th century, David Zimra, Chief Rabbi of Egypt,
declared that "those who come from Ethiopia are without a doubt the tribe
of Dan."
In 1973, Ovadia Yosef, Israel's Chief Rabbi, confirmed the
Jewish identity of the Beta Israel Ethiopian community as being the tribe of
Dan.
