Reference Letters

Recently we had the opportunity to share our programming with a number of prominent Jewish Rabbis and educators.  A number of them wrote very special letters relating to our efforts.We thought you might like to see a few of these as a way of understanding why we are so passionate about what we are doing.

Click on name to view full letter:

Lori Serbin Lasday - Jewish Educator - "What Light of the Nations has can change your world. It is what everyone is looking for and can positively impact Jewish education and the way students of all ages learn today, nurturing skills for how they will look at and interact with Judaism and the world at large for the rest of their lives.”

Rabbi Laurie Matzkin - "Bruce has been working over the last several years to adapt his profoundly beautiful and symbolic Jewish artwork into a youth curriculum around Jewish values and identity. As a creatively minded Jewish educator, I do believe that there is potential for transformative impact on student audiences with his materials."

Shelley Dean - Jewish Educator - "The response from both the parents and the children was fantastic.  They looked forward to each week to see what the new pictures would be."

Rabbi Ron Klotz - Hillel Rabbi who oversaw our Indiana Hillel program - 

What an inspirational and uplifting Shabbat... it was an amazing experience.  It was a completely creative, artistic, musical prayer experience.  Each prayer and song was accentuated by a large screen projection video of Bruce’s art, where the hidden symbolisms in the designs were highlighted as part of the animation that accompanied that sharing. This added so much depth to the service. 

In thinking about the evening I guess I could best describe it by saying, “WOW.”  It was an outstanding experience. 

Rabbi Brian Besser - Has attended programs by Light of the Nations and included thier music at his synagogue

"It is my pleasure to recommend Bruce David’s multimedia program, “Light of the Nations.”

Bruce is a gifted artist and composer. Once you see his artwork, you will never forget it: the combination of brightly colored figures, shapes and letters is unmistakable. His musical compositions are relaxing, meditative, almost hypnotic, and just right for Shabbat! Over the past decade, Bruce has perfected a unique style that blends art, music and narrative into short sequences; these form the core of his programming. Recently, he enlisted a very talented young collaborator, Orin Reynolds. I envision their joint product as a suitable companion for a wide range of audiences and settings: children and adults, religious services and camp gatherings, educational and environmental workshops, the possibilities are practically endless!"

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Lori Serbin Lasday, a woman who has been involved with Jewish education for decades,  was so impressed that she contacted a number of main Jewish educators to introduce them to our work.

"I recently took the opportunity to review the educational program put together by Jewish artist and educator Bruce David.

What Light of the Nations has can change your world. It is what everyone is looking for and can positively impact Jewish education and the way students of all ages learn today, nurturing skills for how they will look at and interact with Judaism and the world at large for the rest of their lives.

In addition to his art, he has added inspiring music and an interactive program for students of all ages. I believe that this multi media presentation will offer Jewish educators, especially in the congregational schools, another engaging approach to "madlik" (light the flame) the passion for a Jewish connection within their students.

Used correctly, Light of the Nations, should nurture each student's ability to begin to look at the entire world with Jewish eyes. In addition, it should spark the creativity within each individual to find a way to depict the importance of Jewish words, symbols and concepts." 

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“I am writing to introduce you to Bruce David.  Bruce is an insanely talented visual artist who has evolved himself into a passionate Jewish educator, and has always been a thoughtful and caring mensch.   He has been working over the last several years to adapt his profoundly beautiful and symbolic Jewish artwork into a youth curriculum around Jewish values and identity. It essentially takes his paintings and turns them into multimedia presentations, with the different secret Jewish symbols and concepts emerging with guided narrative.

Although it is difficult to "explain," I highly encourage you to look seriously at Bruce's work. As a creatively minded Jewish educator, I do believe that there is potential for transformative impact on student audiences with his materials.

I hope you consider hearing from Bruce and checking out this interesting work.”

Warmly,

Rabbi Laurie Matzkin  (Kol Emeth – Palo Alto, CA)

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This one comes from an educator in St. Louis:

August 20, 2015

Dear Bruce,                                                                                     

This past summer, we used seven of your lithographs as part of our Rhythm ‘n’ Ruach © curriculum.  The response from both the parents and the children (ages 4 months – 9 years old) was fantastic.  We used the artwork as a visual aid in the beginning of each class, and used the theme of the piece to set the tone for the music that week and for the concepts for the week.

We had the children spend time looking at the artwork to see what they could identify.  Anything from colors, to instruments, to animals, to people…they looked forward to each week to see what the new pictures would be.

We were able to cover so many different themes with your art:

Beginnings (New Beginnings); Colors ( Blessing of the Rainbow); Music and Instruments (Miriam’s Song); Concept of LIGHT (Light of Nations); …and more!

I will look forward to using more of your artwork with the families and with Rhythm ‘n’ Ruach.

I was so grateful to be able to expose the families to your creative and beautiful creations.  

Thank you so very much!!

Yours so very truly,

Shelley Dean,

Rhythm ‘n’ Ruach

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Reference letter from the Hillel Rabbi who oversaw our Indiana Hillel program

What an inspirational and uplifting Shabbat we had a few weeks back here at the Indiana University Hillel.  Our Friday evening worship services are usually led by students, but we invited a local Jewish artist, with an international reputation, Bruce David, to lead us that Shabbat, and it was an amazing experience.  Bruce, who is a personal friend of mine, is a Jewish artist, but not just an artist who happens to be Jewish.  His art work is Judaica and it is extraordinary.  Years back Pete Seeger recorded an album of folk songs he called “Story Songs.”  I think of Bruce’s art as story paintings.  Each one shares aspects of our biblical heritage and includes themes relating to such things as Jerusalem, peace, and Jewish prayer.  In addition, his artwork is extremely unusual.  Each painting contains hidden images, and it seems like every time I look at one of Bruce’s paintings I see something I’d never seen before.  Remarkable.

Bruce heads up a Jewish educational outreach organization, Light of the Nations, which uses artistic expression to share the modern day benefits of Judaism. Bruce, along with his associate Orin Reynolds, led us in a completely creative, artistic, musical prayer experience.  Orin led most of the service with guitar in hand.  He is an accomplished musician and singer, former Goldman Union Camp camper, song leader and staff member.  The music was new and creative and emotional, all written by Bruce and Orin.  Each prayer and song was accentuated by a large screen projection video of Bruce’s art, where the hidden symbolisms in the designs were highlighted as part of the animation that accompanied that sharing. This added so much depth to the service. 

Another unusual part of the evening was that we opened the service up to the general Bloomington community (anyone can come to any of our services, but for this one we let the community know that something special was about to happen).  Several congregants from our local synagogue, Beth Shalom, including the Rabbi, and other adults from the community who were just interested, came to join our IU students.  So the congregation was a great mix of adults and students.  There was an air of spirit in the room and all joined Orin in singing. If you can imagine, we all viewed the videos of Bruce’s intriguing artwork while listening to songs and readings encouraging us to make the world a better place, pursue justice, practice ecology and conservation, and be agents of light in this ever darkening world of ours.  And we sang songs of Shabbat Shalom and Shabbat blessings.  In thinking about the evening I guess I could best describe it by saying, “WOW.”  It was an outstanding experience. 

Thank you Bruce and Orin for the gift of that Shabbat service.

Rabbi Ron Klotz

Indiana University Hillel

Reference letter from a Rabbi who has attended programs by Light of the Nations and included thier music at his synagogue

                                                                                                               May 26, 2016

To whom it may concern:

It is my pleasure to recommend Bruce David’s multimedia program, “Light of the Nations.”

As his Rabbi for four years, I know Bruce well. Rarely have I met an individual so single-mindedly and idealistically devoted to an overriding sense of purpose. Bruce’s mission in life is, quite simply, to be “a light of the nations.” Bruce understands that all the commandments of Judaism can be summed up in God’s first charge to Abraham: “you shall be a blessing.”

Bruce is a gifted artist and composer. Once you see his artwork, you will never forget it: the combination of brightly colored figures, shapes and letters is unmistakable. His musical compositions are relaxing, meditative, almost hypnotic, and just right for Shabbat! Over the past decade, Bruce has perfected a unique style that electronically blends art, music and narrative into short sequences (maybe five to ten minutes long); these form the core of his programming. Recently, he enlisted a very talented young collaborator, Orin Reynolds. I envision their joint product as a suitable companion for a wide range of audiences and settings: children and adults, religious services and camp gatherings, educational and environmental workshops, the possibilities are practically endless!

I would like to focus on one particularly fun—and at the same time, telling—aspect of Bruce’s visual art: his mosaics, stained glass, and so on. The more you look, the more you see. Bruce loves to embed hidden figures and messages, sometimes several layers deep beneath the surface: the personage of Jonah that mysteriously emerges from the tail of the whale, for example, or the word “shalom” that suddenly reveals itself from among the seemingly haphazard shapes and forms, but only if you look at them just right!

Bruce’s artistic signature reflects his personal theology. He believes in God as a hidden force of good, which is not always apparent on the surface but which reveals itself to us when we take the time and effort to seek it out through contemplation and meditation. This divine energy pervades the entire universe and the human spirit. Our only goal as human beings is to tap into it and further the world’s evolution toward greater and greater self-actualization.

Bruce is an eternal optimist. Despite the obvious degradations and evils that rage throughout the world today, he believes in the redeeming power of love. He tries to live his life accordingly, and his highest desire is to inspire others to join him. Young people—children, teenagers, and college students—are Bruce’s most important target audience, because the future of the planet rests with them.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Brian Besser

Congregation Beth Shalom