Teen Photo Contest: Time and Tradition
Congratulations to Tata Leonidze and Jonah Ben Zeev Salopek, Spring 2024 winners!
The Jewish Museum offers middle and high school students the opportunity to submit creative work to various art contests. This spring, members of the Museum’s Teen Intern Program invited their peers to submit photographs inspired by the theme “Time and Tradition.” Inspired by the Jewish Museum’s permanent collection — a unique collection of nearly 30,000 works of art and objects spanning 4,000 years of history — students were asked to explore connections between history and contemporary life, and to consider how traditions connect generations. Read the artists’ statements to learn more about the winning photographs.
High school winner: Tata Leonidze, age 15, grade 10
“Traditions have a beautiful way of connecting generations by passing down values, customs, and experiences. They create a sense of continuity and belonging, bridging the gap between different age groups. In photography, this connection can be represented by capturing moments of shared traditions, such as family gatherings, holiday celebrations, or cultural ceremonies. These photographs serve as visual reminders of the bonds that tie generations together, preserving memories and allowing future generations to feel connected to their roots. In this photo, you can see my brother and father on a road trip and in this photo I wanted to show how important it is for us to create memories with family because there is nothing more powerful, more appreciable, and more important than our family and bond.”
Middle school winner: Jonah Ben Zeev Salopek, age 13, grade 8
“Traditions entail rituals and ritual artifacts. My grandfather loved photography and it is something that he and I spoke about and bonded over. When I take a picture with his film camera, I see things through his eyes and heart. When I look through the magnificent viewfinder, I see the many memories stored within the camera; entire photo albums of my mom as a little girl, photoshoots, and fun moments. The camera becomes a ritual artifact like the Kiddush cup passed down from my great-great-grandfather, one of the 12 founders of Rishon LeZion in 1882 to my mom. Every time these sentimental objects are used, whether I look through the viewfinder or drink through the Kiddush cup, I experience decades of moments in an instant. This image represents the generational connection through the merging of pictures of my mother and twin brother taken on the film which was passed down to me in his camera, the one that he saw the world through, and stayed in it for a generation as a part of my bat mitzvah gift last year, just before he passed.”
To learn more about Teen Programs at the Jewish Museum, visit TheJewishMuseum.org/Teens.
