Letter to Israel
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
The 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet will be getting a lot of attention this year. The samech, which represents the number 60, has taken form in California as an 8-feet tall, 400-pound sculpture. Created by the artist Kingsley, the piece — an interactive musical work of art— was commissioned to commemorate Israel’s 60th anniversary.
Made of wood, aluminum and steel, and covered with hand-painted canvases, the Kingsley Samech features 60 steel strings, tuned to harmonious chords. It is being shown as part of the Let My People Sing festival, a weeklong series of cultural events in Los Angeles, produced by musician Craig Taubman.
“Ninety percent of my work is interactive. It’s something that people absolutely love,” Kingsley told The Shmooze. “This is something that everyone can be an accomplished musician with. It really draws people in.”
A digital recording device and an amplifier are built into the interior of the sculpture so that the sounds created by the strumming and plucking of participants will not be lost in the moment.
“The viewer really becomes part of the art,” Kingsley said.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
