How Do We Love Our Fellow (In Times of Trump)

24 X 36, acrylic on canvas

When fellow Orthodox Jewish neighbors and leaders started cheering on Trump and his divisive words in 2016, I was hit with feelings of betrayal and shock.

I struggled to find my place within the Orthodox community as it embraced the white nationalism in Trump’s words, and ultimately had to fight against it and leave.

But the struggle in my heart remained; how do we fulfill the commandment to love our fellows while in the midst of being utterly let down by them? How do we remain part of a Tribe when we feel abandoned by it? How do we return to and find comfort in the Torah when it was used as a springboard for hate?

This image was based on a White House meeting with Orthodox Jews in 2017 who were gleefully surrounding Trump in support and adulation. Painting it allowed me to grapple with finding compassion for my fellow Jews despite the pain of their actions, to rediscover the love I had for my religion despite its corruption.