Open Archways: by the light of the same moon

The waxing and waning of the moon has welcomed Ramadans and Yom Kippurs, Mawlids and Passover Seders. Its cycle has determined which day we gather in the synagogue for Rosh Hashanah, and which nights we fill the mosque for Taraweeh.  For over a thousand years, Muslims and Jews have followed the lunar calendar. 

The exhibit Open Archways presents this shared cultural tapestry: the intersections between Muslim and Jewish culture that begin with the use of the moon as our clock. 

The Bowery Art Collective lends its space to demonstrate these connections through imagery and form, voice and sound. The show, curated by Aakef Khan and Hannah Finkelshteyn, artists of Muslim and Jewish background, will create an open space for Muslim and Jewish art to thrive.

Our artists will reach across the gaps of national identities, religions and beliefs. We will build an artistic bridge between communities, beginning with the lunar calendar that we have always shared.