On Sunday, August 25, the Merage JCC in Irvine was host to a full day event featuring speakers, art activities, and live mural painting in celebration of the 2025 Jewish Street Art Festival. We were joined by artists from all years of the Festival and other special guests.
“House of Prayer” by Hillel Smith at Congregation B’nai Israel (CBI) in Tustin is the largest mural ever produced for the Jewish Street Art Festival. The text reads: “a house of prayer for all people,” a paraphrase of Isaiah 56:7 that speaks to the value of inclusivity
“Shir Ha-Ma’alot” by Alexander Golob at Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot in Irvine gives new form to its namesake prayer through a textured woven wooden mural.
“Koach” by Mike Wirth at Hillel at UC Irvine captures strength through vibrant imagery. The Hebrew word koach means strength. Mike teamed up with OC Hillel director Tamy Cohen to bring this vision to life. Together, they spoke with students about the meaning of strength.
Eureka by Louis Barak in Downtown Santa Ana pays tribute to Orange County’s long Jewish history. Nathan Fainbarg established a shoe store called Eureka at 315 E. 4th Street in Santa Ana during the 1920s. The mural features Nathan and his wife Rose, and overlooks the stretch of E. 4th St. that their family helped build.
Standing at the very edge of the historic Downtown Santa Ana district, this vibrant mural greets all comers to the neighborhood with a greeting of peace and welcoming. Hillel uses his distinctive experimental lettering to spell out the word Shalom in Hebrew in bright colors that stand out among the many captivating murals in this artsy area.
Potential Revealed by Yitzchok Moully at Chabad of Newport Beach features the silhouette of a child surrounded by a vibrant burst of color and Hebrew letters. Designed as an interactive piece, it invites viewers to stand in front holding a mitzvah object—transforming the mural into a visual expression of spiritual energy unleashed through doing a Mitzvah.
Learning Comes Alive by Yitzchok Moully at Chabad of Irvine features a vibrant open sefer with colorful Hebrew letters exploding outward. The mural captures the spiritual energy unleashed through Torah study and prayer.
Together at Sinai is a collaborative mural painted by artists Yitzchok Moully and Shaina Yarmush together with the students of Hebrew Academy Community Day School of Orange County. The mural depicts the revelation at Mount Sinai, where the Jewish people stood united to receive the Torah.
CURATOR | Hillel Smith is an artist and designer focused re-imagining the potential of Judaica by utilizing contemporary media to create new manifestations of traditional forms. Seeing Hebrew as the visual glue that binds Jews together across time and space, he explores Jewish typographic history, using print as a lens for Jewish life and culture.