Tikkun V'or (תיקון אור) - Healing Light
A collaborative Jewish liberation mural exploring themes of healing, justice, and spiritual resistance. Created in partnership with Jewish spiritual leader Michael Margolin and the Tikkun V'or community to reclaim Jewish identity through values of liberation and solidarity.
Sacred Creation Journey
How a community reclaimed Jewish values through art, spiritual resistance, and liberation theology
Sacred Partnership Begins
Meeting with Michael Margolin, Jewish spiritual leader and Bar Mitzvah teacher at Tikkun V'or Synagogue, alongside Caleb Thomas, founder of Ithaca Murals.
Liberation Theology Deep Dive
Intensive study of Jewish liberation theology, tikkun olam principles, and anti-colonial Jewish thought.
Youth Vision Session
Meeting with Michael's Bar Mitzvah students to gather their ideas for lead artist Maya Murry to sketch out a mural design for the synagogue shed wall.
Liberation as Collective Process
Challenging the children to understand liberation not as individual freedom, but as a collective process that frees all people together.
Sephardic Woman & Sacred Text Study
Learning proper Hebrew calligraphy techniques and selecting liberation-focused Jewish texts.
Community Fundraising Campaign
Grassroots fundraising within Ithaca's Jewish community and allied solidarity networks.
Foundation & Color Sacred Preparation
Laying foundational layers with intentional color choices reflecting Jewish spiritual traditions.
Sacred Hebrew Text Implementation
Carefully painting the Hebrew phrase "צדק צדק תרדוף" (Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof) - "Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue".
Unity Through Ancient Symbols
Adding the 8-pointed Star of Ishtar, representing the shared Semitic roots before Judaism and Islam diverged.
Lost Cat Safe Space Marker
The Lost Cat artist of Ithaca had previously visited the synagogue and left a painted license plate as a safe space marker.
Palestinian Sunbirds - Symbols of Resistance
The children chose to add sunbirds throughout the mural - black birds with aqua feathers representing resistance.
Artist Signature in Arabic
The mural is completed with Māyā's Palestinian last name signed in Arabic at the bottom: مايا مرعي (Maya Mir'ie).
Featured in "Love as Revolution"
The mural is featured in the documentary "Love as Revolution" by Maya Murry, where Michael Margolin is interviewed about creating Jewish justice murals with children.
Jewish Liberation Impact
"Tikkun V'or - Healing Light" represents a profound reclaiming of Jewish identity through values of justice, solidarity, and resistance to all forms of oppression. This mural demonstrates how Jewish liberation theology can be authentically expressed through visual art that honors spiritual tradition while challenging harmful appropriations of Jewish culture.
Created in sacred partnership with Michael Margolin and the Tikkun V'or community, this work embodies the principle that authentic Jewish values align with Palestinian liberation and anti-colonial resistance. The mural serves as a beacon for Jews seeking to practice their faith and culture in ways that promote justice, healing, and collective liberation rather than nationalism or oppression.