Sea of Lights

Yaakov Eliyhu Binder had been through a frightening experience in the past, mirroring the terror and pain which existed in his life. He repeatedly told his unforgettable memory to his young children, but for his son, Avremele, the tale served as inspiration. Sea of Lights is the story of Avraham Binder, a perceptive boy who came of age in a time of strife and social chaos, but thanks to his sensitivity to beauty, noticed the loveliness of his universe and the goodness of man. Sea of Lights author, Yael Remen, takes you to the Jewish ghetto in Vilnius, Lithuania, in the opening years of the twentieth century. Avremeles devout mother expected him to be a rabbi, and his father hoped he would become a bookbinder, like him, but the boy was attracted to art. Pursuing his dream, he enrolled in art school. When his passion for art merged with Zionist fervor, he migrated to Palestine, under the British Mandate, becoming a member of the vibrant bohemian circle of Tel Aviv. While creating art in tempestuous years of war, political strife, and economic hardship, Avraham nurtured relationships with three pivotal womenhis mother, his sister, and his wife, each one inspiring and stimulating him in a different way. Looking at the world, Avremele saw a sea of lights, and in response, created light-splashed images of his environment. Innately a pacifist, moved by love and tolerance, his art reflected his outlook on life, providing a haven of peace and harmony for his viewers.