Art of Revelation by Yoram Raanan

“Few artists in the Jewish world capture the beauty of holiness, and avodah [worship]…than Yoram Raanan.”

~ Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Raanan’s paintings add a dimension of renewal, revival and hope. His paintings create a bridge between past and future, the individual and community and between physical and spiritual.

~ Nurit Siris Bank –  Curator, Researcher, Lecturer

Art of REVELATION – A Visual Encounter with the Jewish Bible

Paintings by Yoram Raanan \ Commentary and Explorations by Meira Raanan

Review by Keren Hannah 

Yoram Raanan and his wife Meira live on  moshav Beit Meir, a type of communal village, in the Judean hills outside Jerusalem. I remember well the horror of the wave of arson attacks by PLO terrorists during November of 2016. I experienced deep shock and sadness on hearing that the Raanans’ moshav was one of those targeted and part of the destruction suffered was the burning of Yoram’s art studio. Forty years of his life’s work, about 2000 works of art, were consumed in the flames of the enemy’s hatred.
His collection included canvases being saved for their children and grandchildren’s inheritance as well as many intended for a worldwide exhibition and for inclusion in a museum of Jewish Art.

Yoram recalls how, as he and his wife were escaping their still burning village, he had a revelation: “I realized that this was surely the work of G-d, and only good would come of it.”  He understood that what the enemy meant for evil, G-d could turn around for good and for blessing. This book, indeed, as a vessel for sharing much of his art with the world, is a major source of goodness and blessing.

He and Meira had for many years been capturing the inner depths of the weekly Torah portions. Yoram depicted the parasha in a painting and Meira researched and wrote about the biblical understanding and the artistic nuances that these visual representations of the parshiot conveyed. Baruch HaShem – thank G-d, their work was recorded digitally and can now be shared and kept alive in the pages of this book.

Meira describes the spiritual essence of Yoram’s art beautifully when she says:

The Lubavitcher Rebbe once said: “Real art does not reproduce the visible, but rather reveals the invisible.” Raanan’s art strives to make… the transcendent moments in Torah visible – to reveal the inner dimension and essence of the events, the people, the laws, and stories of the biblical narrative. …We experience vibrations of light and color, and an energy that affects our hearts and emotions.

~ The Seventh Day of Creation

~ The Banquet of Joseph and his Brothers

~ The Lion of Judah

My personal encounter with Art of REVELATION was like entering the Holy Place of the Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple). As I perused the pages, I was aware of many key recent Bible studies and spiritual points of focus somehow converging together in unity. It was as if, suddenly, in the words and pictures before me, layers of meaning were surfacing and blending together in a burst of revelation, beauty and color. Threads of previous inspiration and understanding of G-d’s Word were being pulled together in a glowing tapestry.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacke well expressed in his Introduction: 

Art is supremely the language of the spirit. God wants us to see beauty and create beauty.

This unique book, dear readers, will be an investment for your own continual enjoyment, as well as an opportunity to share its wonder with family and friends.

~ The Peace Offering

~ The Cherubim above the Ark

Available at Pomeranz Bookstore in Jerusalem – www.pomeranzbooks.com  – 011-972-6235559 / 1-800-SFORIM / pomeranz@netmedia.net.il

Or via the Raanan Art website. www.YoramRaanan.com/new-release