Kabbalah in Art and Architecture

He will discuss the book and sign copies on Tuesday, February 4 in Highland Park as part of “Spertus in the Suburbs.” 

(Highland Park, IL) Last week the Jewish Book Council announced its new slate of National Jewish Book Award winners. Alexander Gorlin’s Kabbalah in Art and Architecture was selected as the best book of 2013 in the Visual Arts category.

On Tuesday, February 4 at 7 pm, Gorlin, a noted architect and design critic, will discuss the book and share some of its remarkable illustrations and photography. The program takes place at Lakeside Congregation for Reform Judaism, 1221 County Line Road in Highland Park. It is presented by Chicago’s Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership as part of its “Spertus in the Suburbs” programming.

Gorlin will be joined by scholar David Shyovitz for a discussion likely to span from ancient Jewish texts to the use of light and geometry in design. Following the program, Gorlin will sign books, which will be for sale onsite. The program is free and open to the public. Advance reservations are requested at spertus.edu/kallah.

In this stunning publication, Gorlin draws on a wide array of historical materials along with wide-ranging examples from contemporary painting, sculpture, and architecture to illustrate how Kabbalah has left an unmistakable mark on our civilization. In the book, Gorlin features works by artists including Anselm Kiefer, Sigmar Polke, and Anish Kapoor, and architects including Louis Kahn, Norman Foster, and Daniel Libeskind.

Alexander Gorlin is an architect, critic, author, and scholar. Among the specialties of his internationally recognized firm — Alexander Gorlin Architects — is the design of religious institutions. He has taught at the Yale School of Architecture and was a Rome Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Rome.

David Shyovitz is an Assistant Professor of History at Northwestern University, with a joint appointment at the Crown Center for Jewish and Israel Studies.

This program is part of Kallah, a series of free Jewish adult education courses available on the Northshore in February. Spertus Institute is proud to again partner with the North Shore Chavurah of Rabbis as a Kallah co-sponsor.

Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership offers dynamic learning opportunities, rooted in Jewish wisdom and culture and open to all. Graduate programs and workshops train future leaders and engage individuals in exploration of Jewish life. Public programs — including films, speakers, seminars, and concerts — take place at the Institute's Michigan Avenue facility, in the Chicago suburbs, and online. For more information, please visit spertus.edu.

Spertus Institute is a partner in serving the community, supported by the JUF/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.