By Sharon Wisch-Ray
sharonw@texasjewishpost.com

With the Maccabi Games draining most of my time this week, I’m grateful to Hollace Weiner for submitting the item below about Marvin Beleck’s amazing artwork which will be on display through October at Beth-El. Stay tuned to next week’s column to hear how the Tarrant County kids did at the games.

Judaic mosaics by Marvin Beleck on display at Beth-El

Marvin Beleck expresses Judaism through mosaics — the ancient art of crafting images by arranging shards of materials into a decorative tableau. In Marvin’s mosaics, colorful fragments of vinyl tile turn into Torahs, menorahs, Stars of David, and the ancient Jerusalem skyline.
An exhibit of Beleck’s work — Judaic Bits and Pieces — will be on display at Beth-El Congregation from August through October. A meet-the-artist reception is planned for 8:15 p.m., Friday, Aug. 7, during the Oneg Shabbat following services.
Mosaics are a sideline for Beleck, a full-time mattress salesman and a past president of Congregation Ahavath Sholom. He traces his interest in Judaic mosaics to an eighth-grade art class in Tyler.
“I was the only Jewish child in the class. My instructor said, ‘Why don’t you do something religious as an art project?’”
Beleck paid a visit to Herschel Sobel, owner of Sobel’s Floor Covering.
“He gave me a bunch of vinyl-flooring tiles in all kinds of colors.”
With scissors and razor blades, Beleck cut the tiles into tiny slivers and shards. Then he reassembled them into the image of a Torah, launching his own, unique art genre. More mosaics followed, with prizes awarded in national art contests sponsored by BBYO and United Synagogue Youth.
Last year Beleck joined the Texas Jewish Arts Association and was among the artists selected this past spring for a juried show at the Aaron Family Dallas Jewish Community Center. In recent years, Fort Worth’s Jewish Education Agency used one of Beleck’s images to illustrate thank-you notes. To view more of Beleck’s mosaics, check out his website at www.judaicbitsandpieces.com.

Next Daytimers get-together Wednesday, Aug. 13

The Next Daytimers gathering is set for noon, Wednesday, Aug. 13 in the Grand Hall at Congregation Beth-El.
Larry Steckler will present a slideshow. He writes, “I went through more than 150 sets of photographs, selected the ones I liked the best, did a little research to bring you more information about each location, and put them together to form a slide show that I hope you will never forget.
“There are many amazing places on this planet we call earth. Many of us have already traveled far and wide and perhaps have already seen some of the 25 places we will visit this afternoon. You may want to add one or more of these to your future travel plans.”
The menu for the day is Chinese and include specially prepared vegetarian egg rolls. Larry must have your lunch reservation no later than Friday, Aug. 7.
If you are coming for the program and are skipping the lunch and schmooze session, please RSVP. Coordinators still need to know that you are coming so they can make sure there is enough seating set up for all.