Passover and William Kurelek

 

                                     Doctor's Family Celebrating Passover in Halifax -- William Kurelek

When we visited the Art Gallery of Ontario back in BC (before COVID) for special exhibits we would usually take a few minutes in the excellent Canadian collection as well. I enjoy the paintings of prairie life by William Kurelek. Kurelek was the oldest child of Ukrainian immigrants, grew up in the Orthodox faith, was an atheist for a time, then converted to Roman Catholicism, He died young, at the age of 50, but he was a prolific painter, and created hundreds of religious images. I used his Canadian Nativity paintings in Christmas Eve services a number of times. 

                                        Jewish family celebrating the Sabbath in Edmonton - William Kurelek 

Yesterday, as Jewish Passover or Pesach began I was surprised to see a picture of a Kurelek Seder painting. Why did the devout RC create an image of a Jewish religious subject? In turns out that as he explored both his ethnicity and his faith roots he became interested in the backgrounds of others. In 1973 the shy Kurelek met an outgoing Jew named Abe Arnold and they collaborated on a book called Jewish Life in Canada. The paintings Kurelek created for the book are both down to earth, and reverent, as with so many of his works, including those on Christian themes. 

 Happy Pesach to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world  I pray that you be able to live your faith without fear from those is deal in mistrust and hatred.