The Jewish Roots of Jesus on Display in Lecce

The Jewish Museum of Lecce (Apulia) is hosting a solo exhibition titled The Jewish Roots of Jesus in the Gospels by Israeli artist Adi Kichelmacher. The project explores the Jewish origins of Jesus and the intersection of Judaism and Christianity. In the catalogue, Kichelmacher explains her inspiration: “I aspired to create paintings in an iconographic style depicting ten moments in Jesus’s life. I added his Jewish identity and restored his roots to history.” The paintings depict the following moments in Jesus’s life: Birth, Circumcision, Childhood, The Massacre of the Innocents, Jesus Discusses with the Temple Authorities, The Mikveh, Love Thy Neighbor, Jesus at the Temple, The Last Supper, and The Tree of Life.
Kichelmacher hopes that art will help “overcome historical barriers, promote mutual understanding, and stimulate profound reflection on the spiritual unity that can emerge from respecting differences.”