The fifty original paintings published in this book are milestones in a quest begun ten years ago. It was at that point that the artist, a passionate student of Kabbalah, began to express in images her apprehension of a knowledge in which faith meets poetry and philosophy allies with prophecy. Rothenberg not only meets the challenge of relating to an esoteric religions doctrine, "made for men and by men," but brilliantly succeeds in imparting an inspired artistic contribution.
The leitmotif of Rothenberg's work is the unique spirituality of Jerusalem, and its hallmark, an ecstatic atmosphere of glory and splendor, sorrow and hope, yearning and achievement, awe and Joy. Her images are accompanied by related quotes from biblical, Aggadic, and talmudic texts. However, Rothenberg's paintings are neither illustrations nor explanations of the accompanying texts. Moreover, the body of work is not the depiction of the mystical quest: it is the mystical quest. In a flamboyant, polychromatic style, marshalling a multi-evocative set of religious symbols, Rothenberg's paintings convey a durable message of love for God and faith in human destiny.
