Special October 7th Essay by the President of The Rogatchi Foundation

President of the Rogatchi Foundation Inna Rogatchi has authored a special essay on the way and role of an artistic tributes for the October 7th commemorative events world-wide, Psalms & Songs for October 7th: Artistic Tribute in the Time of Moral Erosion

The essay was published first in The Times of Israel in October 2024, on the eve of the international October 7th commemorative events.

Excerpts from the essay: 

  • For a year since October 7th, 2023 we are going through the attack on the Jews in their own country, their own state, their own territory, the attack which has been planned, prepared, carried on, and as astonishing as it is, which was and still be lauded world-wide, despite all the evidence which were available immediately and to everyone, in a real-time mode. 
Michael Rogatchi (C). Psalm 69. 1992. Psalms Country.
  • Because of the freshness of the tragedy and because the tragedy is still unfolding for our people, because of the depth of the shock that we all went through as the result of October 7th, because the horror is so fresh, any reflection on October 7th and post-October 7th many open wounds is highly personal in any and every case of anyone who does it. 
Inna Rogatchi (C). Song of Our Souls IV. 2022-2024. Songs of Our Souls.

–        For the series of  various commemorations of the date marking the new post- October 7th reality, my husband artist Michael Rogatchi and I have selected a special collection of works as our joint artistic tribute. 

The collection consists of seven artistic interpretations of the  Psalms  by Michael and eight works from my Songs of Our Souls series on Jewish memory.

  • The wider the remembrance about all the victims of the most recent tragedy in Jewish history would be maintained and understood as it is world-wide, the stronger hope for dignified humanity we all will have.
Michael Rogatchi (C). Psalm 22. 1993. Psalms Country.

–      Any humanistic effort in the time of dangerous moral erosion, which is now, matters. It will bear fruit of decency, so the youth and children of today would know and would understand what is right and what is wrong, what should be lauded and what should be resisted, what is humanity and what is barbarity. And what is human life, the highest value of Judaism and humanity, is about.

Inna Rogatchi (C). Root Memory diptych. 2024. Songs of Our Souls.

The entire Psalms & Songs for October 7th collection or artworks by Michael and Inna Rogatchi can be seen here.

The full text of the essay can be read here.