Esther at the Western Wall, Jerusalem, 2022, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. / 45.72 x 60.96 cm.

Esther at the Western Wall, Jerusalem, Emma Laskin, 2022, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. / 45.72 x 60.96 cm.

My eldest daughter voluntarily served in the Israel Defense Forces in a combat unit (orange beret and shield patch). This painting depicts her praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem next to a younger girl. Tucked into the stone crevices of the wall are white scraps of paper with messages to God.