The Art & Letters of Repentance— Illuminating the Machzor: The Avot in Medieval Art Dr. Chaya Sima Koenigsberg, Straus Center Resident Scholar Jewish illuminated manuscripts are among the most treasured artifacts that have survived the trials of Jewish history and whose imagery provides a window into the Torah worldview of the Jews who commissioned them hundreds of years ago. What messages do machzor illuminations of biblical and midrashic scenes hold for the modern Jew? Why do images of the Binding of Isaac, among others, depict Abraham as a medieval Ashkenazic Jew? Did the Jews who commissioned these images believe Abraham wore the same hat as they, or is there a deeper message regarding the ''merit of our forefathers'' being conveyed? Worms Machzor photo courtesy of https://www.facsimiles.com/facsimiles/worms-mahzor. Watch more videos at https://www.yu.edu/straus/machzor. Learn more at https://www.yu.edu/straus.