PJCC Art Gallery
Welcome to the PJCC Art Gallery, the Bay Area’s premier home for Jewish artists and Jewish-themed exhibitions. Here, we celebrate creativity, culture, and community through diverse and thought-provoking shows.
Current Exhibition
July 15 – September 29, 2026
What’s Old is New Again
By Hillel Smith
Exhibition and Artist Statement
“Our Jewish texts and traditions are thousands of years old. Engaging with those texts and traditions enables us to connect to our heritage and our ancestors and keep this continuity alive. However, as Jews in the world today, we have different needs than Jews of the past, different perspectives and different tastes. So how do we keep these texts and traditions exciting and relevant?
For the last decade and a half, I have tried to answer this question by making art that is deeply rooted in Jewish texts, holidays, and rituals, but uses contemporary materials like spray paint and digital illustration and takes inspiration from modern aesthetics. The work shown here reflects my own understanding of ancient verses, blessings, commemorations, and practices, infused with my style and sensibilities.
I encourage all viewers to go home and make your own spin on your tradition and keep Judaism engaging for the next generation. In the words of the Torah, sung every time the Torah scrolls are returned to the ark, ‘Make our days new as they were in the past.’”
About the Artist
Hillel Smith is a graphic designer, marketing consultant, illustrator, and artist based in Los Angeles.
“My parents tell me that when the other kids in kindergarten finished their art projects and went to play, I stayed at the art table, lost to the world. I design, I draw, I paint, I build. I create bold, exciting work with a wide range of partners, providing strategy and insight alongside eye-catching visuals. I strive to infuse a deep reverence for tradition with cutting-edge aesthetics. And when it’s warm enough, you can find me outside with a spray paint can in hand painting murals or a new art piece for a gallery somewhere. Best of all, I teach art and Jewish art history to learners of all ages, giving them the tools to appreciate their heritage and bring a little more color into their world”. – Hillel Smith
Related Programs
PJCC Art Gallery: “What’s Old is New Again”
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 – Tuesday, September 29, 2026
PJCC Art Gallery
Recent Exhibitions
When You Have Gathered: Israel in Papercuts
April 10 – June 30, 2026
“When You Have Gathered,” an exhibition of new papercuts by Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik, explores our enduring connection to the land of Israel: its scenery, its heroes, and its celebrations.
Jewish tradition and storytelling find new life in Brynjegard-Bialik’s unique medium: papercuts made from his childhood comic book collection. Layering superheroes and sacred texts, he creates what he calls “paper midrash”—visual commentary that bridges heritage and pop culture.
THE LOST PRINCESS
January 15 – March 24, 2026
When a princess vanishes, a faithful Viceroy begins a long search to bring her home. The Lost Princess, a Hasidic folktale first told by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, is a spiritual allegory of exile, yearning, and return.
Artist Jessica Tamar Deutsch brings this mystical narrative into the present, illuminating its themes of grief, resilience, and the pursuit of justice. Deutsch’s work invites us to journey through the landscapes of loss, hope, and healing.
She’erit: What Remains Shall Speak the Truth
September 26 – December 30, 2025
She’erit, שְׁאֵרִית, is the Hebrew word for “remnant.” It evokes what survives erasure, what endures exile, what persists across generations despite the forces of assimilation and antisemitism. This exhibition travels through Morocco, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates to gather pieces of memory, identity, and culture, sewing them together to tell a story of Jewish persistence.
Chama Mechtaly is a Moroccan-born artist, founder, cultural strategist, and peacebuilder whose work exists at the intersection of art, identity, and policy. With Amazigh, Jewish, and Muslim backgrounds, her practice navigates the complexities of belonging in spaces that often demand indigenous erasure.
2025 PJCC Community Art Show
July 9 – September 16, 2025
Inspired by our guiding principle of “Welcoming All,” the Peninsula Jewish Community Center presented our second Juried Community Art Show. After a competitive selection process, we were pleased to feature 89 works of art—available for purchase—created by 75 Bay Area artists.
The PJCC Community Art Show was made possible by the many talented artists who have shared their work and the generous support of the Eva Chernov Lokey Endowment for Programs.
Artists on Antisemitism III
January 9 – March 25, 2025
In collaboration with the Jewish Art Salon and 81 Leonard Gallery, this exhibition presents a survey of Jewish artists’ responses to the global surge in antisemitism. The showcased works reflect diverse perspectives, balancing reflections on traumatic histories with expressions of courage and optimism. This is the third iteration of the exhibition, following its initial presentations in New York in 2024.
Curated by Kimberly Gordon, Hannah Rothbard, Nancy Pantirer, Yona Verwer, and Judith Joseph. Presented in partnership with the Osher Marin JCC and JCCSF
ONE NATION
October 2024 – January 2025
This powerful exhibition offered a provocative exploration of America through the lens of contemporary artists, prompting essential dialogue about our nation’s past, present, and future. It invited viewers to reflect on the state of our nation and our hopes for a just future.
The PJCC is immensely grateful to our visionary donors.
The PJCC is proud to be a part of the Koret Initiative on Jewish Peoplehood. We are honored to present this program through the Taube Center for Jewish Peoplehood at the PJCC. Programs at the PJCC are made possible in part through generous support from our donors. To learn more or make a contribution, visit pjcc.org/donate.
Upcoming Programs
PJCC Art Gallery: “What’s Old is New Again”
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 – Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Mahjong Made Easy! Tuesdays (10:30 AM)
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 ● 10:30am – 12:30pm
Mahjong Made Easy! Tuesdays (1:00 PM)
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 ● 1:00pm – 3:00pm