Artist shows Jesus' Jewish heritage

A series of 10 paintings emphasizing Jesus’ Jewish heritage stirred controversy when the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wis., asked the artist to remove the art from its lobby.

But The Lutheran’s readers supported these depictions of the historical Jesus (February, "Removal of artwork upsets readers").

Clara Maria Goldstein, the artist, said her intentions aren’t to offend anyone. “I’m trying to portray Jesus’ Judaism, an aspect of him many artists have left behind,” she said. She hopes this truth about him will further promote his message of love.