September 11, 2025 Hidden Portals: The Sefirot Series by Harel Kedem  

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FALL ART EXHIBIT

September 11-December 19, 2025

This fall, Hebrew College is excited to present “Hidden Portals: The Sefirot Series by Harel Kedem,” a collection of paintings that explores how feeling and intellect intersect in language and art. Across more than two dozen paintings, Harel Kedem, an Israeli-born, New England-based artist whose career spans five decades, beckons viewers to consider the layers of Jewish mysticism and tradition. The exhibit features 29 pieces, 24″x24″, acrylic on canvas.

The “Sefirot Series,” which Kedem has been painting over the past several years, draws inspiration from the Kabbalistic representation of the tree of life. This symbol contains and depicts the sefirot, ten qualities which express and emanate from the divine.

Read more about Kedem and his art.

Exhibit Opening Event & Conversation with the Artist

Please join us for the exhibit opening reception on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 5 pm in Hebrew College’s Mark E. Atkins and Family Atrium, 1860 Washington St., Newton, MA 02466. The event will feature a conversation with Harel Kedem and Boston-area artist and “The Path LAByrinth” creator Shirah Rubin.

The gallery is handicapped-accessible. RSVPs required for this free opening event.

This exhibit is sponsored by the Hebrew College Arts Initiative.

Tamid of Hebrew College: Adult Learning Opportunity

To complement the exhibit and enrich your learning, Hebrew College will be offering adult learning course “Mapping the Cosmos, Mapping the Soul: An Introduction to Jewish Mystical Symbolism” this December.

Date and Time: Three Thursday, 7:30-9 PM ET, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18
Location: Online via Zoom
Instructor: Rabbi Or Rose, Director of Hebrew College’s Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership

During the medieval period, our Jewish mystical (Kabbalistic) forebears developed a complex and highly original symbol system known as the 10 Sefirot (numbers, orbs, traits) as a way of mapping reality. Building on an array of earlier sources, they sought to help seekers orient themselves in the cosmos, developing a heightened consciousness of the unity and interconnection of all life. The Kabbalists viewed this mapping as a guide to theology, ethics, text study and more. Join us as we explore this rich symbol system, asking how this medieval innovation might be meaningful to us in our contemporary journey.

>> Learn more & register