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Moshe Braun

Moshe Braun
Foundation and Technique
Moshe is often asked: “How did you make the transformation from Industrial Designer to Sofer and Judaic Artist?” He answers, “It was a natural outcome of a deep internal search, resulting in dedication to Torah study and Jewish growth, fusing this together with my artistic training and expression.” Moshe adds, “One must be aware of his or her  G-d given talents and skills and make sure to use them to infuse goodness into the world”.

Dedicating himself to revealing the beauty and meaningfulness of Judaism and the Land of Israel through his art training and techniques, Moshe creates unique works such as Ketubot (Jewish Marriage Documents), Family Trees, Illuminated Brachot (Blessings), Tefillot (Prayers) and Manuscripts of personal significance, and most recently, a special commission highlighting the Seven Species of the Land of Israel. Receiving wide appeal, his commissioned original works afford the opportunity to work together with a client to create a unique and time-treasured piece. Moshe enjoys the creative process, communicating effectively with clients both within Israel and the rest of the world. Pieces are crafted in media such as watercolor, gouache, pastel, charcoal, papercutting, calligraphy, paper and parchment. Ideas are often tempered with classical and contemporary representations of architecture and landscapes of the Holy Land. Moshe’s training and practice in the Melechet Shamayim of Sofrut (Jewish ritual scribal arts) has influenced his work as well.

In addition to his original works, Moshe has collaborated with two outstanding Jerusalem-based workshops to carefully reproduce many of his pieces in the form of signed and numbered limited editions. Both the state-of-the-art Giclee printing and lasercut processes are used in the production. In addition, each piece is detailed, assembled and finished by hand.

Qualifications and Background
Moshe grew up in a vibrant Traditional Jewish home where from a very young age his parents encouraged his involvement in art. After completing the Honors Art Track in high school, he went on to study fine art at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, earning a BFA with a concentration in Industrial Design. While in art school, Moshe came to the conclusion that just as he was striving for excellence in his study of art and design, he needed to also strive for excellence in his Torah study as well.

After working as an Industrial Designer in a promising new start-up venture, Moshe left the company in order to further his Jewish studies on a full-time basis, first at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and then at Yeshivat Darche Noam/Shapell’s in Jerusalem. It was at that point that Moshe decided to become a Sofer, a ritual scribe, and continued his professional training in Jerusalem, achieving ordination as a Sofer STaM.  The International Society for the Integrity of Torah Scrolls, Tefillin and Mezzuzot, otherwise know as Va’ad Mishmeret STaM of Jerusalem, awarded the certification.

Moshe has exhibited his work both in Israel and the United States. His clients include individual patrons as well as organizations. Moshe’s works are in collections in Jerusalem, London, Manchester, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Toronto, New York, Silver Spring, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee and Los Angeles. Moshe lectures about his art and Sofrut to schools and groups in North America and Israel, and has even traveled to Warsaw, Poland to teach in the Jewish community.

Moshe, his wife Marla and their children live in the welcoming community of Ramat Beit Shemesh nestled in the foothills of theJerusalem Mountains.