News & trends

Getting criticized for charity

Here’s a curious case. At .ART, we have various charity initiatives. One of them is an ongoing support for and partnership with Shalva, a Jerusalem-based center dedicated to the provision of transformative care for individuals with disabilities. Together with .ART, Shalva’s children help make dreams reality: you can leave a note of prayer or request in the Western Wall, even if you’re miles away and have no chance of visiting.

After sending out an e-mail to our subscribers reminding them of this opportunity, we were, to out utter surprise, showered in criticism. There were enquiries as to why .ART is “supporting religion”, shaming, and even accusations of “supporting an apartheid government”.

.ART has never made any statements related to religion or politics in Israel, or anywhere else. Shalva is a project that supports children with disabilities, just like similar centers in other countries. The opportunity to leave a note in the Western Wall is a spiritual one, carried out by hundreds of tourists of different faith (or no faith) every day. Moreover, The Old City of Jerusalem and its walls have long been recognized as a UNESCO site, making them world heritage, which is exactly what .ART strives to preserve. By supporting Shalva we promote the art of kindness, the art of tolerance, the art of help – universal qualities above religion and politics which can unite us as a human race.

If one sent a medical mission to North Korea in order to help its cancer patients, would it mean they are promoting a repressive regime? If one supported the preservation of Palmyra, would it mean support for the Syrian government? And if one is donating money for the restoration of the Notre-Dame, does it mean they agree with French politics? We think that support for children, medical help and art-preservation missions are above politics, religion or country borders. What do you think?

 

 


Also published on Medium.

Tamara M

Recent Posts

Sofia Art Fair 2025: Turning Bulgaria’s Capital into a Hub for Global Cultural Dialogue

From 2–5 October, Sofia is hosting the second edition of Sofia Art Fair (SAF) —…

2 days ago

Celebrating the Ordinary. An Interview with Anna Voda

For Anna Voda (annavoda.art), art has never been just a profession—it has always been a…

1 week ago

Meet the Finalists of the Digital Innovation in Arts & Culture Award 2025

The future of culture is being written today — by innovators who are pushing the…

2 weeks ago

Too Young to Pretend—Interview with Katie Butler

Canadian painter Katie Butler (katiebutler.art) is part of a new generation of artists unafraid to…

2 weeks ago

art&: Croatia’s First Art Therapy Initiative

Above: Dora Derado Giljanović, PhD — art historian, curator, and founder of art&, Croatia’s first…

3 weeks ago

TIME TO ART: Medina Kasimova and .ART Transform Berlin During Art Week 2025

Berlin Art Week 2025 isn’t just happening inside galleries—this year, the city itself becomes the…

3 weeks ago