September 1, 2020

Until now, Judaica artist Jeanette Kuvin Oren had never brought politics into her art. For more than 30 years — after graduating from Princeton and Yale universities and earning a master’s degree in public health and most of her doctorate in epidemiology — Kuvin Oren created glass, mosaic, metal, fiber art, calligraphy, papercutting and painting installations. She’s made everything from Torah covers and ark curtains to ketubot and personalized pieces for more than 400 houses of worship and Jewish organizations around the world, including in California.

Then COVID-19 hit and she was quarantined in her Connecticut home, unable to think about anything but the pandemic and the upcoming presidential election. 

When she learned former Vice President Joe Biden had picked Sen. Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate on the Democratic ticket, Kuvin Oren said she breathed a sigh of relief and thought “Baruch HaShem” (Praise God) and “B’ezrat HaShem” (With God’s help.) It was then she noticed the letter pattern of B”H. So she opened up Adobe Illustrator and within the hour introduced a new, Jewish Biden-Harris logo. 

The Journal spoke with Kuvin Oren by phone to learn more about the logo, her art and why she believes Jews should vote for the Biden-Harris ticket on Nov. 3.  

Jewish Journal: What moves you about Judaica specifically?

Jeanette Kuvin Oren: I’ve always loved being Jewish. I love everything about it. I grew up in Palm Beach, Fla., when there were no Jews there. There was a lot of anti-Semitism. Until I got to college. I met people who had gone to Jewish camp and Jewish high school and kept kosher, and I learned so much by being around my friends. I was passionate about it. I just wanted to share it with them. I love when I meet committees from other synagogues. It’s exciting to meet and connect over Judaism.

JJ: You don’t just make art — you connect it with ritual. After commissioning so many pieces, what is something you’ve learned about the Jewish Diaspora?

JKO: I’ve learned that every single synagogue is the same. Their stresses, the personalities, the joy — it is across all denominations. The same questions get raised and the same things come up in a synagogue in Jerusalem as they do in Texas.

JJ: You’ve mastered so many techniques. Which is your favorite and which was the hardest to master?

JKO: I honestly like the variety. I never get bored because sometimes I’ll be designing a mosaic, sometimes I’ll be designing glass and actually making the Torah covers, or I’ll be dying fabric. I love learning new techniques and trying out new things.

JJ: Your job requires you to visit actual locations. How has business been for you during the pandemic?

JKO: When this started, I had commissions for Rosh Hashanah, which I just shipped, so I knew I’d be busy. But my daughters, who are in their 30s, they said, “You know, Mommy, you should teach a class on Zoom.” At the time, I didn’t know about Zoom. Starting in April, I taught about 600 different people paper cutting online. I taught through MyJewishLearning.com. It opened up my mind to being more creative because when you’re an artist, you get in a rut, but COVID has given me time to think about other creative ideas. While I don’t want this to continue much longer, it has helped spark some creativity. 

JJ: Is that what sparked the Biden-Harris B”H logo?

JKO: COVID has given me too much time to think about how we can fix things in our country. I’ve been designing masks that say “Vote” for months. When Biden announced Kamala Harris [as his vice presidential pick], first of all, I was so happy because I thought she was great, but second, the idea just popped into my head. I thought with the help of God, this will come to be. I literally ran downstairs to my computer, made the design and posted it to share with my friends to say, “Isn’t this cool that the acronym works out?” I had tons of responses from friends. I didn’t expect so many. It happened really fast. A friend of a friend on Facebook messaged me saying they [were] a merchandise company in Park City, Utah, that feels as passionate about this project and asked to help get the Jewish community out to vote. I talked to her. I never met her in person and we teamed up. Within five days, they got the website up and running. Within 24 hours, I had 800 orders. Nobody is getting rich off this because we are donating all the money to the campaign. It is touching people in a way that gives them hope. I feel good about it.

JJ: Your art isn’t very political, so why did you feel compelled to start now? 

JKO: I believe we are at an existential moment. I feel so strongly about this juncture we’re at in November. I am very bothered by Jews who will ignore what I consider the second part of Hillel’s admonition. The first is, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” That’s fine. We have to stand up for ourselves. But the second part is, “If I am only for myself, what am I?” And I think this is one of the moments when we cannot ignore what’s going on with everybody in America and the world. I cannot stand idly by and let this election happen without doing everything I can. As Rabbi Hillel said, “If not now, when?”

JJ: What is it about Biden and Harris’ campaign that resonates with you?

JKO: There is nothing [Biden] has ever said or done about Israel that should give us pause. He has only supported Israel. With Kamala, she stayed in Jerusalem with her husband and they had Shabbat with friends of mine, and she also has never done anything that the Jewish community can’t be proud of. The fact that they have Jews in their family is less important to me than the fact that both Biden and Harris have always been supportive of the Jewish community and Israel. It’s about who they are and what they stand for. With Kamala and Joe, I feel, at their core, they are moral people, and their morals align with the Jewish values. 

Buy merchandise with the B”H logo at here and here. All proceeds go to Joe Biden’s campaign.