Jacob Epstein, noted Jewish sculptor, has collaborated with Moysheh Oveyd (Moses the Servant) in a new book which is to be Israel’s new message to the world.
Moysheh Oveyd is a dealer in antiques in the West End of London. Behind his shop counter he dreams of the past and the future of the Jewish people and wonders about the portent of the long suffering and exile of the Jews.
The result of his dreams is contained in the new work, “The Book of Affinity”, described as “an inspired and vital message on love.”
Epstein, struck by the lofty teaching and prophetic spirit of the Oveyd’s work, has contributed to the book seven drawings done in color. The drawings, like the book, are said to be remarkable for their mystery and allegory.
Only 525 copies of the book are being printed. None of Epstein’s drawings illustrating it has yet been exhibited.
“To become a really great people” said Oveyd in an interview, “Israel must deliver to the world a new teaching and a new message and that is that only through the perfectly harmonious union of man and woman can the ills of the universe be cured.
“I plead for a new development of mankind through harmony and beauty in human relationships toward the goal of world peace.
THIRD PHASE OF HISTORY
“We are now at the third phase of the history of the Jewish people.
“The first phase, during the first exile, was to teach the doctrine of freedom from oppression and the destruction of the oppressor. The second was the exercise of mercy and forgiveness, even for the persecutor.
“Neither could be completely fulfilled, because they lacked the essential teaching of human love.
“Those who claim that Jewry has brought no salvation to the world are like spectators who have witnessed only two acts of a drama without waiting for the third.
“This new message of Israel is the antithesis of the whole philosophy of Hitlerism. Not through the glorification of man and the state will mankind achieve its destiny, but only through love, beauty and harmony”, the writer declared.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
