A Sedrah Painting is a hand painted watercolor created by Drew Kopf, in which he endeavors to capture the essence of a particular Parsha or Sedrah (portion of the Five Books of Moses read in an annual cycle each Sabbath during the morning service) and the essence of the Haftara, which is a segment of one of the books of the Writings or the Prophets that accompanies that particular Sedrah.

The painting is professionally framed and has a special pouch adhered to the back of the framed piece into which is placed a multi-paginal Biblical commentary written by Mr. Kopf, who is a graduate of both Yeshiva University High School and of Yeshiva College. Drew has been creating these Sedrah Paintings since the year 2000 and, to date, has completed fifteen of them. The more recent ones have been digitally scanned with high density equipment, which allows very accurate copies to be produced on watercolor paper similar to the paper used to make the original work and in a variety of sizes.

Those bidding on an Original Sedrah Painting would be bidding on a painting that has yet to be created; i.e. that Drew would create for the winning bidder to own in perpetuity. The winning bidder would receive the original painting, framed and delivered, along with an 8"x10" Giclee copy of the painting matted and framed for each set of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah's grandparents or for whomsoever they wish to give them along with printed copies of the Biblical commentary to be written by Drew to accompany the original painting and each Giclee copy. It must be noted that Drew retains the copyright to his various works, both the paintings and the commentaries, so the winning bidder would still be restricted by the laws of copyright with regard to both the painting and the written commentary.

The sizes of Drew’s Sedrah Paintings have varied and can not be predicted other than to say that typical sizes have been:

30”x22” nominal unframed

19-1/2" x 13-1/2" unframed

26-1/2" x 18-1/2" unframed

20" x 28" nominal unframed

The Biblical commentary written by Mr. Kopf is sixty-five pages in length and provides the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the overarching message of the Sedrah in a way that is, hopefully, interesting to both those familiar with the study of Torah and those who might be new to it. The painting took two and one half months to complete. The written commentary was an entire year in the writing. This particular Sedrah was unusual in that respect since most Sedrah Paintings in the past took two to three months for the painting and the writing inclusive. One of Drew’s acquaintances put it this way to Drew when summarizing why he looks forward to receiving e-mails announcing a new Sedrah Painting and the accompanying Biblical commentary: “When you write it, I get it.”

It should also be noted that there are those in each community who make themselves available to chant “their” Haftara for the congregation when, per chance, there is no Bar or Bat Mitzvah youngster scheduled to do so when the annual cycle comes around to it. One of Drew’s Sedrah Paintings made for such a person to mark that person’s “birthday” or another similar special occasion, has been know to be received with such joy that the recipient just stands transfixed as their eyes search the painting and recognizes each of the elements and various words or phrases with which they have become so very familiar over the years. For such a person, a Sedrah Painting of “their” Sedrah can be an amazing gift.

It is also important to clarify that there is nothing in either the Sedrah Paintings that Mr. Kopf makes or in the Biblical commentaries that he writes that has anything directly or indirectly to do with those who will be receiving them. His works stand on their own merit and are solely driven, in terms of their creation and writing, by Drew’s desire to make the message of the Torah more available and more clear to more people, who will appreciate and be open to taking what might otherwise be a brief encounter with the Torah or with this particular part of the Torah to a somewhat deeper or higher level depending on one’s point of view.

The winning bidder of an Original Sedrah Painting by Drew Kopf must meet a reserve in his or her opening bid of $5,000.00 to which all related costs of framing, packaging for shipment and shipping will be added. The high density scanning costs will be born by Mr. Kopf.