17th Annual Rice University Lecture Series: Anat Ronen – Paving Her Own Path

Hebrew Culture Responding to Violence: Before and After October 7

Jewish and Hebrew culture has always reflected and responded to the turbulent and often violent history of the Jewish people, from ancient persecutions to modern conflicts. In recent years, violence has once again profoundly shaped Jewish life and identity, particularly following the events of October 7 and the ongoing aftermath. This lecture series examines how Hebrew culture has grappled with violence across different eras and contexts, from the lived experiences of contemporary artists to the collective memory embedded in literature and history. By exploring these diverse perspectives, we will consider the varied ways Hebrew culture has and continues to process, memorialize and respond to violence in its many forms.

Paving Her Own Path: A Story of an American Israeli Public Artist

In this presentation, Anat Ronen will speak about her career, before and after October 7. She will reflect on how her being Israeli has stirred up her career, how she has coped with the October 7 horrors, how she is coping today with the ongoing harassment, isolation and discrimination and how her personal experience reflects the story of all of us.

Anat Ronen is a mural artist who has been living in Houston since 2007. Her artistic career is intertwined with her immigration story. Anat is a secular Israeli who never thought too much of her Judaism or Israeli origin. Her art is not Israeli or Jewish. After Anat’s career received some attention, her background was used by some to incite campaigns against her, circulate lies and even organize protests against her and the studio complex where she co-rents a tiny unit.

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