As part of CESJDS’ 50th anniversary celebration, David Moss, a famous Jewish calligraphy artist, led art programs with students and faculty alike the week of March 28.

JDS invited Moss to the school as a way for students to learn from his experiences, skills and perception of art as a professional artist. Art and Design Instructor Benjamin Tellie thought that students could really learn from Moss’ artwork and teachings.

“We wanted to incorporate his ideas and his skills and his unique input on art and the art world into the school,” Tellie said. “We wanted him to work with all the students at JDS at the Lower School and the Upper School and expose our students to a professional Israeli artist.”

Part of Moss’ visit was dedicated to working with a small group of 14 high school students who called themselves the ‘‘art army.” The art army was challenged to find a problem that teenagers today face in their lives and to come up with a solution for that problem through artwork. The art army spent countless hours working on the project, and they were even excused from certain classes throughout the week.

Among the 14 members of the group was sophomore Ben Shrock, who has been interested in art from a young age. Shrock said that Moss’ life is an inspiration to him and to other Jewish teenagers as well.

“He has been a successful artist and that is a good goal to set and it shows that Jews like me can accomplish it,” Shrock said.

The elected leader of the art army, freshman Beyla Bass, said that working with Moss was a unique experience and that it was interesting learning his art-making process.

“He didn’t really take that much charge in the actual doing the art but in planning the thing he very much guided us through our fantasy and through planning out what was our problem,” Bass said. “He dictated that but it was still all our ideas.”

The first step of the project was choosing a problem. The group decided on the issue concerning how teenagers find their own path to adulthood. The next step of the project was to paint the inside of the box with solutions to this problem. Inside the box were three walls and a ceiling with a mirror. On one of the side walls was a winding dirt path going off into the distance, on the opposite wall was a bookcase and on the back wall was a staircase with different questions written by teachers on each step.

In addition to that art project, Moss also visited classrooms, gave a lecture on Wed. March 30 for students and their families about his current artwork and presented at assemblies. Moss spent some time working with the art minyan as well on special projects.

“He did a special project with the Shema prayer and had everyone say a special word with what the Shema prayer meant to them,” Tellie said.

Throughout his visit, Moss shared some of his current and favorite artwork. Moss typically does calligraphy in a haggadah, the text used during the Seder on Passover, or a ketubah, the marriage contract in a Jewish wedding. His ultimate goal is to convert Jewish thought and symbols into art.

Although Moss was not formally trained in art, his exposure to art from a young age led him to become an artist. He credits his father, who was interested in creative problem solving, for everything he knows today. The administration thought that students could learn from some of Moss’ methods and integrate them into their everyday lives.

“I think he wanted students to see that they have potential and they have the power inside themselves to create,” Tellie said.

To learn more about David Moss and his work, see his website: davidmoss.com