I work with the stories and traditions primarily of the Jewish people, though other peoples and cultures enter into my papercuts as well. These are filtered through the twin lenses of the traditional art form of papercutting and contemporary pop culture storytelling techniques.

My work is visual biblical commentary; I call it “paper midrash.” I always begin with text — often bible and other traditional sources, but also the words of poets and musicians. My work is influenced by elements of the natural world and how tradition understands its connection to the Divine: for example the burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea, the revelation at Sinai.

I layer cut-up comic books into my work, drawing parallels between comic book mythologies and religious traditions to delve into the stories that make us human. Comic superheroes exist outside of the “natural” world, be they visitors from other planets or people whose powers stem from strange scientific accidents; they have weaknesses and flaws, and their struggles are often a metaphor for the human experience. I bring these different types of stories together in the layers of my papercuts, searching for new meanings in these combinations.

For Sukkot—a holiday of abundance and fragility—I’ve crafted fruits, branches, and shelters, as well as portraits of biblical and modern heroes in the custom of welcoming sacred guests (ushpizin and ushpizot). The Hanukkah work shines with images of eternal lights inspired by synagogues I’ve visited across the country, alongside imagery of Israel that connects ancient resistance to our modern homeland. The Paper Mishnah series continues my exploration of Jewish text, here focused on post-biblical Jewish “oral law.”

Here, superheroes and sacred stories meet to illuminate identity, resilience and home. Welcome.

Meir: Fight, 2019, giclée print, 11″ x 14″

Golda Meir, the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Israel. The “Iron Lady” of Israeli politics; a woman of strong will and straight talk, side-by-side with her image as a Jewish grandmother. Made with female comic book heroes whose strengths echo Meir’s, including Kitty Pryde, an explicitly Jewish super hero introduced as a new member of the X-Men 1980, whose heroism is informed by her Judaism; and Sabra, an Israeli super hero whose secret identity is as a Mossad agent.

Deborah
2025, mixed media, 26″ x 40″

Deborah is known for sitting under a palm tree, providing wisdom and guidance to the Israelites. Here she sits under a Redwood instead, thoughtful in repose and contemplation. The comics in this papercut feature female super heroes known for their intelligence, and moments of connection between female characters, as well as the words “I hear you” in a fragment with a speech bubble.

The Ner Tamid series is inspired by the eternal lights I’ve seen in congregations around the world with my wife in our Paper Midrash residencies: PaperMidrash.com. Each of the papercuts is an abstracted form which also suggests moments from Jewish history, and each is made with a particular Jewish comic book superhero: Ben Grimm (The Thing) from the Fantastic Four; Kitty Pryde of the X-Men; Levi Cohen, aka the Holy Roller; and Rory Reagan (formerly Reganiewicz), who fights for justice as Ragman.

The Ner Tamid series is inspired by the eternal lights I’ve seen in congregations around the world with my wife in our Paper Midrash residencies: PaperMidrash.com. Each of the papercuts is an abstracted form which also suggests moments from Jewish history, and each is made with a particular Jewish comic book superhero: Ben Grimm (The Thing) from the Fantastic Four; Kitty Pryde of the X-Men; Levi Cohen, aka the Holy Roller; and Rory Reagan (formerly Reganiewicz), who fights for justice as Ragman.