Biography

Debra Band’s work in Hebrew illuminated manuscripts draws upon her love of both the manuscript arts and biblical studies.  She holds a BA Honours in History from Concordia University in Montreal and an MS in Political Science from MIT and turned full attention to Hebrew manuscript arts in 1987. Descended from an eminent rabbinic family, her extensive studies of Jewish texts and research into medieval European and middle Eastern painting and manuscripts inform her work. Her work, celebrated for its intellectual and spiritual depth as well as visual beauty, includes illuminated and papercut books and ketubot, other manuscript pieces and papercuts, in exhibits, private collections, community institutions and galleries across the English-speaking world. Debra is the artist and author of The Song of Songs: the Honeybee in the Garden (Jewish Publication Society) 2005, I Will Wake the Dawn: Illuminated Psalms (Jewish Publication Society 2007), and Arise! Arise! Deborah, Ruth and Hannah (Honeybee in the Garden, 2012). Kabbalat Shabbat: the Grand Unification(Honeybee in the Garden, 2016), and her first illuminated book for children, All the World Praises You! an illuminated Aleph-Bet book,(Honeybee in the Garden, 2018), an adaptation of the classic medieval work. She is presently collaborating with philosopher Menachem Fisch on an illuminated book and commentary on Qohelet, and with scholar of Jewish mysticism, Arthur Green and astrophysicist Howard Smith on an illuminated book and commentary of a 16th century Kabbalistic work about Creation.  Her work tours museums and galleries across the United States, and is featured on the book-covers of many Jewish and Christian scholarly works. Debra has worked with Jewish women’s groups across the United States, and lectures frequently on her work across the United States, in locations as varied as synagogues, Christian seminaries and the Library of Congress. In addition to her artwork, Debra participated for many years in medical ethics review activities at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.  Debra has lived throughout the United States and Canada and presently resides with her husband, psychiatrist Michael Diamond, MD and menagerie, and wonderfully close to her children and grandchildren in the Washington, DC area.

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