Dwelling with God

Nina Gordon and Sonia Gordon Walinsky
Achat Sha’alti Pillow Covers (2016)
Fabric (calligraphy in pen and ink, printed on silk) 

From Rosh Hodesh Elul, this shabbat, until the end of the holiday season, Psalm 27 is recited in the daily morning and evening services. It reflects a yearning for closeness with God fitting for the time of year when we seek to make teshuvah—literally, returning to God.

Incorporating the words of Psalm 27 below, these pillow covers were created by Sonia Gordon Walinsky, an artist, calligrapher, educator, soferet (ritual scribe), and graduate of List College, together with her mother, artist and art teacher Nina Gordon, as part of JTS’s Artist-in-Residence program. They are on display at JTS as part of the Corridors exhibition, and incorporate a traditional quilt pattern known as log cabin.

Sonia writes:

The log cabin design conveys the emotion of the prayer for us—an inward spiraling toward intimacy with Hashem.