New Books Network Tami Lehman-Wilzig, "Rembrandt's Blessing" (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2025)
Oct 26, 2025
Tami Lehman-Wilzig, an award-winning author of Jewish children's literature, discusses her upcoming book, Rembrandt's Blessing, inspired by the unique friendship between Rembrandt and Rabbi Menashe Ben Israel. She shares fascinating insights about the connections between art and cultural identity, exploring how Rembrandt depicted biblical scenes influenced by his Jewish neighbors. Tami reflects on her journey from advertising to writing, the importance of preserving Jewish stories, and gives advice for aspiring authors, along with teasers for her future projects.
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Yemenite Airlift Origin Story
- On the Wings of Eagles grew from Tami's research into the Yemenite Aliyah airlift and interviews with a woman who lived it.
- The book narrates the experience of Yemenite families seeing planes for the first time and flying to Israel.
Rembrandt's Neighborly Inspiration
- Tami discovered Rembrandt's Jewish-model paintings during visits to his Amsterdam house and museum.
- Seeing a room filled with Jewish portraits sparked her idea for a children's picture book about Rembrandt and Rabbi Menashe ben Israel.
Real Neighbors Matched Imagination
- Rembrandt painted Biblical figures long before meeting real Jewish neighbors who matched his mental images.
- Having Sephardic neighbors gave him actual models for the Bible scenes he loved to paint.
