Stained glass, mixed media, 2019
After being invited to participate in the Tree of Life mosaic project, Kobylus visited the synagogue’s website and was moved by a brief blog post by Rabbi Jeffrey Myers reflecting on the upcoming holiday of Chanukah. He wrote of being inspired by the song “Light One Candle.”
Don’t let the light go out, it’s lasted for so many years. Don’t let the light go out, let it shine through our Jove and our tears.
As she read those lyrics, it had not been very long since she had attended a vigil for the Tree of Life victims. The image of people holding candles and sheltering them from the wind was fresh in her mind. She hopes her mosaic, Light One Candle, is a reminder of how we all can bring light to darkness and protect and nourish that light.
Karen Kobylus is a mostly self-taught mosaic artist who has been making mosaics for over twenty years. Her work has been exhibited in Central Texas, and she has participated in other mosaic collaborations throughout the United States. She is part of the Jewish community in San Marcos, Texas.