REBBE NACHMAN’S THE LOST PRINCESS

ON VIEW AUGUST 2025 – JAN 2026

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

The Lost Princess is a Hasidic folktale first told by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. It is an allegory of spiritual exile, searching, and the return of what has been lost. When a princess vanishes, a faithful Viceroy sets out on a long and uncertain journey to bring her home. Rebbe Nachman’s tale speaks across generations to the human experience of longing, disconnection, and the hope of return.

In her adaptation, artist Jessica Tamar Deutsch brings this mystical narrative into the present, illuminating its themes of grief, resilience and the pursuit of justice. This exhibition features 41 framed pages from Deutsch’s acclaimed book alongside six original large-scale canvases. Through expressive illustrations and layered meaning, she invites us to travel with the story’s seeker, moving through emotional and spiritual landscapes shaped by loss, repair and the deep desire for wholeness.

Deutsch’s work opens a portal between sacred text and contemporary imagination, asking what it means to be lost and what it takes to find our way back. “The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the main thing is not to be afraid,” writes Rebbe Nachman. In Jewish tradition, exile, whether personal or collective, is never the end of the story. Through imagination, persistence, and faith, we can return to what was lost and begin again. Step into that sacred practice of return, teshuvah (הבושת), through beauty, myth and the enduring hope of transformation.

ARTIST STATEMENT
This is a tale told by the Chassidic master Rebbe Nachman, where a princess is banished from the palace, and we learn about the journey of the king’s assistant to find her.

While this story is intended to serve as a metaphor for a relationship of constant seeking of the Divine, it was hard for me to get past the use of the decision to include a female character who we don’t hear much from. The lack of the Princess’s voice in her story inspired me to make paintings that integrate her essence into the landscapes that the king’s assistant shared in the story. I hope to create more bodies of work to revive and bring honor to women from my tradition who don’t have their full story shared, or who’s stories feel like they are lacking healing.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jessica Tamar Deutsch is a New York-based illustrator, educator and community artist who weaves Jewish mysticism into contemporary visual language. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, she is also the creator of The Illustrated Pirkei Avot, a collection of short teachings from early rabbinic sages, and The Torah of My Kishkes: Diary of a Twenty-Something Jewess.

Through colorful, joyful fine-lined drawings and layered symbolism, Deutsch opens pathways into sacred text and tradition, drawing connections with the pulse of ancient tradition and contemporary culture. Her practice includes collaborative projects that center Jewish learning, creativity and collective imagination.

NEW ENGLISH TO YIDDISH TRANSLATION BU ARUN “ARELE” SCHAECHTER VISWANATH

Rebbe Nachman first told The Lost Princess in Yiddish in the 18th century. Jessica Tamar Deutsch reimagined the tale through a modern English translation and now, in a full-circle moment, her version returns to Yiddish. For this exhibition, we partnered with translator Arun “Arele” Schaechter Viswanath to craft new Yiddish wall texts. Arele, who grew up in a Yiddish- and Tamil-speaking home in Teaneck, New Jersey, is known for bringing contemporary young adult literature into Yiddish and bridging generations through language.

MORE ON RABBI NACHMAN – HASIDIC MYSTIC & STORYTELLER

Rebbe Nachman (1772 – 1810) was a revolutionary religious figure who we remember for He blending deep Torah scholarship with a radical emphasis on personal spiritual experience prioritizing joy, struggle, longing, and direct connection to the Divine over rigid ritual or tradition. The founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, his teachings focused on joy in the face of despair and personal connection to God, through a personal meditation practice called hitbodedut (personal prayer). He is also widely known for his many magical stories to wake up the heart.

Bring home the magic with your own copy of  The Lost Princess! Visit our friends at Ayin Press to purchase your own copy of Jessica Tamar Deutsch’s retelling.

Thank you to our community partners
Ayin Press

Jewish Community Library

Peninsula JCC

Osher Marin JCC

Yiddish Book Center