Date of Award

Spring 6-6-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Jewelry and Metalsmithing

First Advisor

Tracy Steepy

Second Advisor

Lauren Fensterstock

Third Advisor

Rabbi Moshe Plotkin

Abstract

A heated argument is taking place, and has been for thousands of years. We deliberate to voice our own opinions, to prove what others have declared, and to validate the past. Judaism – a culture bound by millenia of traditions – follows countless rigorous customs and laws. These traditions are strictly adhered to, and observant members of the faith go through great lengths to show their devotion to their beliefs. Although these laws and customs generally remain uninterrupted over the generations, they can occasionally be challenged by new ideas, new concepts, or new technology. Debates form around these novelties, and generate new interpretations of old conclusions. Institutions such as historical religions – which rely heavily on past events to sustain and progress their existence – cannot casually alter their practices. Doing so would discredit the believers of the past and undermine the observant followers in the present. Yet debate persists and permeates Jewish culture, and even lays the framework for modern concepts and ideas.

Comments

View exhibition online: Talya Kantro, A Hypothetical debate

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