Join us for a conversation with Siona Benjamin, an Indian-American Jewish artist, originally from Mumbai but now residing in the United States, about her compelling art, which crosses multiple cultural boundaries, and a film about her art and the Mumbai Jewish community, Blue Like Me: The Art of Siona Benjamin, available on Amazon Prime Video. Benjamin’s transcultural Indian-Jewish art received praise in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Financial Times, The Boston Globe, Art in America, Art New England, Art and Antiques, ArtNews, Moment Magazine, The Times of India, Mumbai Mirror, Marg Magazine, and other publications.

Siona Benjamin belongs to the Bene Israel community of India. She grew up in a city that was predominantly Hindu and Muslim, and to a lesser extent, Catholic and Zoroastrian. She has two Masters of Fine Arts, one in painting and one in theater set design. Furthermore, she has exhibited in the US, Canada, Europe, India, and Asia. In 2010 she received a Fulbright Fellowship for an art project entitled ‘Faces: Weaving Indian Jewish Narratives’. She was later awarded a second Fulbright Fellowship in 2016 for a project entitled ‘Motherland to Fatherland: Indian Transcultural Jews in Israel’. The documentary “Blue Like Me” follows her journey as she conducted research for this project. Her unique perspective as a Jewish woman raised in India is a central theme to her artworks.

There is no fee, but please RSVP for planning purposes. This event is held virtually on Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event. For more information, contact Program Director Ilene Tatro at itatro@cbisd.org.

CSP Partners: Beth Israel (San Diego, CA), Brotherhood Synagogue (Gramercy Park, NYC), Congregation Beth Shalom (Seattle, WA), Congregation B’nai Tzedek (Fountain Valley, CA), Congregation B’nai Israel (Tustin, CA), Jewish Collaborative of Orange County, CA, Shomrei Torah Synagogue (San Fernando Valley, CA), Temple Bat Yahm (Newport Beach, CA), Temple Beth El of South Orange County (Aliso Viejo, CA), Temple Beth Emet (Anaheim, CA), Temple Beth Ohr (La Mirada, CA), Temple Beth Tikvah (Fullerton, CA), Temple Beth Shalom (Needham, MA), Temple Beth Sholom (Santa Ana, CA), Temple Emanuel (Newton, MA), Town & Village Synagogue (NYC, NY), University Synagogue (Irvine, CA), Valley Beth Shalom (Encino, CA) & Walnut Street Synagogue (Chelsea, MA)