Jewish traditions weaved into ‘Dreams of Unknown Islands’ exhibit

Visual artist and filmmaker Sasha Wortzel weaves in Jewish traditions for the art exhibition “Dreams of Unknown Islands,” on display at Oolite Arts in Miami Beach through April 4.

Wortzel’s intentions for the exhibition, curated by Kristan Kennedy, are to help the public process the COVID-19 pandemic and the past year, while also aiding people in moving from grief to healing.

When the pandemic emerged last spring, Wortzel, who lives in Miami Beach, began to stream the sunset live on Instagram as a way to process the collective loss. After her beach walks, she at times participated in an online reading of the Kaddish, the Jewish mourning prayer, at a virtual gathering.