Hillel Smith

Simchat Torah Mural

I spray painted this mural titled "Simchat Torah" or "the joy of Torah" at the Westwood Kehilla synagogue in Los Angeles. Comprised of both Ashkenazi and Sephardi/Mizrachi congregants, this mural was to illustrate the inclusiveness of the community and their joyful spirit as they celebrate Judaism. The figure on the left is holding a Sephardi torah, while the figure in the middle holds an Ashkenazi torah.

Below is the original study for the mural. I drafted it on an 16"x20" sheet of blue paper to work out issues of geometry and color placement. After this test, I spaced out the figures differently to better fill the wall.

Jewish mural Simchat Torah mural Westwood Kehilla mural Simchat Torah mural study