Hebrew Lettering and the Jewish Artist
by Dina Pinsky, Ph.D.
March 2025
Watercolor painting by Dina Pinsky
Hebrew is considered the Lashon Kodesh, the “holy tongue” of the Jewish people, uniting Jews across the world with a shared language for praying, and throughout history as the language of Jewish texts. Documentation of the Hebrew language dates back 3000 years, making it one of the oldest living languages, although the exact details of its origins are unknown. Even during the centuries when it was not the spoken language of the Jewish people, it remained alive in literature and liturgy.
My own journey with the Hebrew language began when I was a young child. Like many American Jews, I first heard Hebrew in the music of blessings recited around the Shabbat and seder tables, and in prayers at synagogue. In Jewish day school, I learned to read and write in Hebrew around the same time I learned to read English. I cannot speak Hebrew fluently, but I am a lifelong Hebrew learner and I feel a deep connection to the language.
I have been asking myself why Hebrew words so frequently make their way into my art. I’ve been pondering my emotional associations with the language. My early childhood learning of music, when I learned to sing Hebrew songs and Hebrew prayers, created a strong relationship for me between Hebrew words and feelings of joy, community, and celebration. As an adult, I resonate with some, but by no means all, of the poetry and wisdom in Jewish prayer and text, and I enjoy bringing beloved quotes into my paintings. In my abstract artwork, I favor curvy lines over marks with sharp edges, making Hebrew a more aesthetically pleasing language to me.
While Hebrew writing is more visually consistent with my artistic style, this is not the only reason I enjoy incorporating Hebrew into my work. Hebrew is my spiritual language and art is a spiritual practice for me. Hebrew is central to the celebration of Jewish life and identity. It is the universal language of Jews around the world. Even Yiddish, another of my ancestral languages, is written in Hebrew letters. Creativity and Jewish practice are intertwined for me. It’s just natural that Hebrew letters are part of my creative practice.
Dina Judaica matzah cover, designed by Dina Pinsky
Historical and Spiritual Significance of Hebrew
The Hebrew language has been imbued with mystical power since the beginning of Judaism. According to the Talmud, the letters of the Torah were written in black fire upon white fire. The white fire in the empty spaces between letters can be understood to symbolize the vast tradition of Jewish textual interpretation. In the Jewish mystical tradition, the Hebrew letters are so much more than writing and reading tools. They are seen as foundational to the creation of the universe itself.
According to kabbalah the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are thought to be imbued with divine energy, with each having its own unique spiritual potency and connection to creation. The Jewish mystical text, Sefer Yetzira sees Hebrew letters as manifestations of the cosmos, the natural world, and human experience (Rabbi Jill Hammer, Return to the Place). Hebrew letters also represent numbers. Gematria, or Hebrew numerology, is a kabbalistic system for assigning numerical value to each letter and adding layers of meaning to Hebrew words that aid in interpreting Jewish text.
Hebrew in Jewish Art History
Reverence for the Hebrew language is also made evident in Jewish history by looking at ancient manuscripts, such as illuminated haggadot (Passover seder text), bibles, and prayerbooks. Hebrew illuminated manuscripts were prevalent from the tenth through eighteenth centuries, when Jewish texts were decorated with intricate, colorful designs and illustrations, highlighting the beauty of Hebrew writing. Below is an example from the splendid collection housed at The British Library:
Detail of a page of the, 'Lisbon Bible', 1483. From the British Library.
Illuminated manuscripts integrate Hebrew letters into artistic compositions. The Hebrew language becomes a mechanism for conveying meaning within the text, and also a way to embellish and elevate the narrative content of the text through intricate decorations. Despite stylistic differences, this mirrors how contemporary Judaica artists, such as myself, incorporate Hebrew into our art.
Scriptural Art and Hebrew Calligraphy
My last example for illustrating the sanctity of Hebrew in Jewish practice is the long tradition of Hebrew calligraphy and the role of the scribe (“sofer”). Torah scrolls and other Jewish sacred texts must be written in a highly proscribed way by “sofrim” (scribes) who receive specialized training in this meticulous process. The integrity of letter formation in Torah scrolls (and other sacred texts, such as scrolls placed in mezuzot) must be intact in order for a Torah to be used in a synagogue. If just one of the lines is broken in any letter, the entire scroll is considered unkosher and must be repaired before it can be read from during services.
My approach to Hebrew writing is very different from a sofer or a calligrapher. It is much looser, more playful, and intentionally whimsical. My love of artistic abstraction and intuitive art-making applies to how I approach the formation of Hebrew letters in my artwork. Not all of the art I create is Jewish. But what makes some of my art Jewish, in my eyes, is the inclusion of Hebrew writing. Whether it’s adding the word Ahava, Hebrew for love, or Shalom, Hebrew for peace, or an entire prayer verse from Jewish text, Hebrew keeps making its way into my art, sometimes intentionally, but often not.
Framed giclee art print, watercolor painting by Dina Pinsky