Posted by Tami Lehman-Wilzig on 9/10/2025 to
Meet a Kar-Ben Author
My father always said: “Life is ruled by the unexpected,” and indeed everyone loves the twists and turns of happy surprises. Twenty years ago, when I first visited Rembrandt’s Amsterdam house, I had one of those unanticipated moments. Climbing the steps, roaming the halls, I suddenly found myself standing in a room solely devoted to the Master’s sketches and paintings of Jews.* It was so unexpected that I burst out with a loud “Whaaat?” A docent saw my shock, came over and explained: “These men, women, boys and girls were Rembrandt’s neighbors.”
Those words and the artwork I saw planted the seed of a picture book that took a long time to grow; partly because I was working on other projects, partly because of all the research I indulged in. In the end I discovered that not only was I surprised by who Rembrandt’s neighbors were, so was Rembrandt. In fact, happily surprised because he was a religious Christian who loved the Bible, who was a stickler for authenticity, and was now surrounded by The People of the Book! Rembrandt formed several friendships with his new neighbors, among them Rabbi Menashe Ben Israel, a leading Jewish cleric who shared another interest of Rembrandt’s: printing.
I also discovered that Rembrandt collected props and costumes for the scenes he created on canvas. Like every author, I let my imagination roam and in my mind’s eye began to see young boys and girls knocking on his door, asking if they could play dress-up. “Yes!” I said to myself. “These children are going to lead the way to the friendship formed with the rabbi.” And so the rabbi’s fictional nephew Jakob and his friends were born…on paper.
It was Rabbi Menashe Ben Israel who guided Rembrandt on the true meaning of the Bible’s Hebrew words. One of the many examples of this tutorship and staying true to the text was Rembrandt painting Moses with glowing cheeks instead of horns. But I asked myself, “Does this have the makings of a children’s book?” Clearly, the answer was “no.”
I looked through Rembrandt’s biblical paintings, seeking a scene that kids could relate to. Yes, he painted Queen Esther, but she just didn’t click with me. I wanted a painting that related to a constant in Jewish life. And then I had my “aha” moment. One of Judaism’s most beautiful customs is the blessing parents give their children every Friday night at the Shabbat table. The origin of these wishes is the blessing Jacob gave Joseph’s sons Efraim and Menashe. Rembrandt painted that scene. If done right, this could be a story for reading all year round.
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And so, a book about accepting and befriending someone who is not like you took shape. Rembrandt’s Blessing is a book about friendship and its lasting impact; a book about a warm and loving Jewish tradition; a book about one of the great masters in art history. A book that can bless your home every Friday night.
*A visit last year to Rembrandt’s house showed that it had undergone a refurbishing and that room no longer exists. Now only some of his paintings and sketches of Jews are scattered in different rooms.
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