Alex Abli
Theme: Religious Tolerance
In partnership with Skirball Cultural Center, Abrahamic Religions is a public art installation that seeks to illuminate the harmony between religions, specifically Judaism and Islam. Alex Ahmad Abli emphasizes that religions universally preach love and acceptance, a realization he gained after moving to the U.S. where he observed different cultures living in harmony. The piece presents symbolic elements from both religions, revealing common goals of peace and love.
During a time of global division and turmoil, the pairing of religious iconography on Abli's box exploring religious tolerance is an opportunity to embody the biblical imperative to love thy neighbor as thyself. The artist's haunting imagery was created in the Summer of 2023, reminding the viewer that religion is often used as a tool or game to manipulate followers' preaching messages of exceptionalism. Yet, Abli's daft illustrations are weighted towards love. The artist points out how the Abrahamic faiths are similar. The primary image of a playing card begs the viewer to hold em' and play their cards in the game of life from a space of radical empathy.
The Skirball Cultural Center is a place of meeting guided by the Jewish tradition of welcoming the stranger and inspired by the American democratic ideals of freedom and equality. They welcome people of all communities and generations to participate in cultural experiences that celebrate discovery and hope, foster human connections, and call upon us to help build a more just society.
For our Orange County version of Be the Change, JCFOC Weissman Arts has paired Alex Abli's Abrahamic Religions box with Pacifica Institute as the host site and the Jewish Collaborative of Orange County (JCoOC) as our regional ambassador. Both organizations often collaborate on programs to help build bridges within our community and embody the values of Abli and Skirball's original exchange.
The Jewish Collaborative of Orange County (JCoOC) partners with community and national organizations and leaders to initiate and support grassroots programming core to their mission: Jewish artistic expression, spiritual exploration, concierge education, distinctive worship, community service and healing. Accessible daily, weekly, monthly, and annual programs are offered both virtually and in-person, available without financial barrier, meeting both community-wide and individual needs that help people engage culturally, intellectually, and emotionally with Jewish values and practice.
Since its founding in 2016, the JCoOC has been deeply committed to interfaith work throughout the county, working hand in hand with interfaith volunteers and leaders from multiple religions on critical issues facing our community like homeless solutions, refugee relief, hunger and more. In 2017, JCoOC partnered with UCI's Center for Citizen Peace Building and St. Mark Presbyterian Church to co-found the Orange County Alliance for Just Change, a non-profit organization that supports social justice education, advocacy and action within faith communities.
Pacifica Institute is an Arab center with several locations in different states similar to the JCC movement in North America. They align with the ideas of the transnational social movement called Hizmet, which means “service” in Turkish. The movement finds its meaning in the principle that service to humanity – regardless of one’s faith, tradition, gender, or ethnicity. The Hizmet Movement is active in almost all the countries around the world and works diligently in the areas of education, and interfaith dialogue, and aid organization. Hizmet’s core values mirror many central Jewish middot (values) including avodah (service), b'tzelem Elohim seeing all humanity as sacred, tzedekah or the obligation to help all who are vulnerable, and limmud (learning).
Pacifica Institute has been a long-time generous partner of JCoOC from within the local Muslim community, and they value opportunities to work together in service of others. In concert with their artist Alex Ahmad Abli, they understand that the essence of every person's humanity can be accessed through radical love and acceptance expressed through selfless actions on behalf of those in need. Together they are honored to be paired with the tzedakah box titled Abrahamic Religions as a powerful expression of brotherhood and equality.
