“City of Love” is a painting that grew out of my longing to capture what Jerusalem feels like at her most alive — a place filled with movement, holiness, and the deep love of a nation traveling upward toward Hashem. I imagined the ancient days of aliyah l’regel, when entire families would journey together to the Beis HaMikdash, each step an act of devotion, each street filled with purpose and song.

The city is painted in warm golds, soft pinks, and glowing light, with 24k gold leaf woven into the walls to reflect the holiness that radiates from Jerusalem herself. The Bais HaMikdash stands faintly in the background, not fully rendered but unmistakably present — just as it lives in our hearts today, a memory and a promise.

Throughout the painting, I hid symbols of mitzvos: a menorah, a Torah, small reminders of the ways we serve Hashem in our everyday lives. These touches are subtle, because our service often happens quietly — through actions that no one sees but Hashem. I wanted viewers to discover them slowly, the way we uncover layers of meaning each time we return to Jerusalem.

The center of the painting becomes more abstract, because this is where emotion overtakes form. The street feels like water and rain — flowing, reflective, and alive. That fluidity symbolizes tefillah, movement, renewal. And the laundry lines above the street represent teshuva for me — the courage to wash away the old, cleanse the heart, and begin again.

The scale of this piece, 48x72 inches, was intentional. I wanted it to feel immersive, as though you could step into the city, feel the warmth of the sunlit stones, and walk among the figures heading upward with love and devotion. It’s a painting about a nation drawn toward holiness — not just in ancient times, but today, in every way we choose connection, unity, and purpose.

City of Love is my tribute to the beauty of our avodah, the power of our journey, and the everlasting love between Am Yisrael and Yerushalayim.