Patriarch with A Challah

Patriarch with a Challah
Oil on Canvas, 36x36, painted 2022
Original Photograph taken – 1972
 
Jewish rituals and prayers are often expressions of gratitude to our Creator for the blessings in our lives.  And so it is no accident that before a meal begins, (particularly at a Jewish festival, Sabbath dinner or milestone celebration) even the most non-religiously observant Jews recite the “Hamotzi” blessing over a challah bread. To elevate this ritual and honor a revered member of the family, the ‘patriarch’ (usually) is invited to stand before everyone in a hushed party room, and handle this responsibility.  There are two universal ‘truths’ associated with this practice:

1. There are probably hundreds of thousands of images just like this one in photo albums and shoeboxes in Jewish homes around the world.
2. Know this: On the day you are asked to say the Hamotzi blessing at a wedding or bar/bat mitzvah celebration, you are officially considered an “A.K.” (alte-kaker in Yiddish) …an ‘old person’.