Samantha Goldman

From the Hills of Leopards

This work is part of a series in which I use digital drawing and cutting processes to emulate the tradition of Jewish Papercutting, a disappearing art form dating back hundreds of years. The content is drawn from Song of Songs, a biblical love poem estimated to be composed from around the 10th-2nd century BCE. Having recognized many of the motifs in Jewish symbolism and Folk art from my Jewish upbringing having its roots in this poem, my work acts to reinvigorate the historical, motifs and embedding them with modern re-interpretations. The act of my reinterpretation of these symbols is in keeping with the structure of Jewish Scholarly discourse: a non-binary way of thinking that has historically valued multiple perspectives, inviting and documenting an ongoing conversation which acts to determine the practices, meanings and values within the religion. This series will be installed in an ongoing exhibit at the Baycrest home for Geriatric Care until December 2022.

“This artwork includes the Hebrew version of a quote from Song of Songs, which translated, reads; “Come down from the top of Amanah, from the top of Senir and Hermon from the lairs of lions and the hills of leopards” (Song of Songs 4:8)The original commentary from Kravitz and Olitzky’s A Modern Commentary on Song of Songs says that the people who live in the hills among leopards are strong because they had to conquer actual leopards in order to live there. The leopards also could also “historically represent the Babylonians, the former oppressors who enslaved the people of Israel.” (Kravitz 50). In my eyes, these symbols could instead represent strength, overcoming oppression, and discrimination. The leopard could instead symbolize resilience, bravery, and opposing defamation towards minorities. ”