About Betzalel Art Gallery

Betzalel Art Gallery is a nonprofit community gallery rooted in the Jewish calendar and open to all — bringing together Jewish and secular artists, audiences, and arts organizations in Long Island's most unexpected gallery space.

Founded 2023 · Long Beach, New York · EIN: 00-1226458

Located at Temple Israel, 70 East Park Avenue, Long Beach, New York, we present three to four exhibitions per year tied to the rhythms of the Jewish calendar — creating a space where art, heritage, and community come together, season by season.

Betzalel Art, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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Our Story

Betzalel Art Gallery was founded in 2023 by Michele Huttler Silver, a documentary photographer and community arts leader who believed that Long Beach and the surrounding Jewish community deserved a dedicated space where art could deepen connection to Jewish life and tradition.

Named for Betzalel ben Uri — the craftsman chosen by God in the Torah to build the Mishkan, and the first artist named in the Hebrew Bible — the gallery carries forward that ancient understanding: that creativity is a sacred act, and that art belongs at the heart of Jewish community life.

What began as a vision has grown into an established program with 11+ exhibitions, 30+ artists, and hundreds of community members who have passed through our doors. Every show starts with an open call to artists, is hung by volunteers, and opens with a community reception — rooted in the same spirit of collective purpose that built the Mishkan itself.

What We Do

Each year, Betzalel mounts three to four exhibitions themed around the Jewish calendar — Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Shavuot, and more. Every show begins with an open call to artists, welcoming submissions from across the Long Island community. Works are juried, hung, and presented in a professional gallery setting inside Temple Israel.

We are entirely volunteer-run. Every exhibition is planned, curated, and installed by a dedicated committee of community members who give their time because they believe in what art can do for a community.

Betzalel is open to artists and visitors of all backgrounds. While rooted in the Jewish calendar and the Temple Israel community in Long Beach, our exhibitions welcome the full diversity of the Long Island arts community — and our doors are open to all.

Education & Community Programs

Betzalel has offered six community programs over three years — free or donation-based and open to the public.

Coffee & Art (2024) A weekly drop-in gathering for artists, writers, and art enthusiasts at the gallery. Open studio time combined with community conversation — a low-barrier entry point for anyone curious about art and Jewish creative life.

Tu B'Shvat Community Celebration (January 2024) Betzalel's inaugural public program — an open gallery hour inviting community members to bring nature-inspired artwork in celebration of the Biblical Arbor Day.

To Israel with Love (February 2024) A community art project in partnership with Young Israel of Long Beach. Participants created art and handwritten letters for Israeli hostages, displaced families, and IDF soldiers. Work was personally delivered by Founder Michele Huttler Silver during Presidents Week.

Am Echad B'lev Echad — One People with One Heart (October 7, 2024) A community mosaic project in partnership with the Israel Chesed Center, held on the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel. Community members came together over the course of the day to build a single collaborative mosaic — an act of collective remembrance, resilience, and creative expression.

Art & Mindfulness: Jewish Liturgy as Creative Inspiration (2025) A weekly program using Jewish prayer and liturgy as a springboard for visual art-making. Participants engaged with the texts and created original artwork in response — bridging Jewish learning and creative expression.

Tehillim & Art (2026 — ongoing) A weekly class taught by Founder Michele Huttler Silver, open to all. Participants engage with Psalms and the artistic and spiritual traditions they have inspired.

The People Behind the Gallery

Founder, Curator & Program Director

Michele Huttler Silver

Michele Huttler Silver is a documentary photographer, chaplain, and community arts leader with over 20 years of experience in visual storytelling and arts education. As the founder of Betzalel, she curates exhibitions and develops programs that connect art, spirituality, and Jewish heritage — advocating for artists and bringing the community together through creative expression. A trained chaplain, Michele brings a deep commitment to spiritual inclusivity and interfaith dialogue to everything she creates and curates, ensuring that Betzalel's programming speaks to — and welcomes — people of all backgrounds and beliefs. She also operates Michele Silver Photography, specializing in documentary work, life-cycle photography, and long-form interfaith narrative projects.

Vice President, Community Engagement & Education

Kathleen Regan

Kathleen Regan is the co-founder of Betzalel Art Gallery and the founder of West End Arts, a secular visual artists guild on Long Island — making her a rare bridge between the Jewish cultural arts world and the broader Long Island arts community. An interfaith minister, Dean of All Faiths, and senior arts educator with decades of experience, Kathleen brings a deeply pluralistic vision to Betzalel's programming: that art rooted in Jewish tradition has the power to speak to — and connect with — audiences of all backgrounds and beliefs. She holds a PhD in Comparative Religions and four additional graduate degrees, and has spent her career building cultural bridges through the visual arts.

Grants & Development

Abigail Karni

Abigail Karni is a mission-driven grant writer and nonprofit developer who played a pivotal role in establishing Betzalel Art as a functioning 501(c)(3) organization, securing its registration on federal, state, and local grant portals within weeks. With a background in program design, donor stewardship, and fundraising, she brings both the strategic vision and hands-on experience needed to grow Betzalel's reach and sustainability. She is based in Long Beach, NY, and has raised funding for community programs across the New York area.

Our Home

Betzalel Art Gallery is housed within Temple Israel of Long Beach, located at 70 East Park Avenue, Long Beach, NY 11561.

The Betzalel Art Gallery occupies a sun-filled corridor at the heart of Temple Israel, connecting the building's main entrance to the sanctuary and social hall. Spanning approximately 500–1,000 square feet of wall space, the gallery displays 40 to 60 works per exhibition — paintings, photography, mixed media, and more — hung salon-style along walls that thousands of community members walk past each year on their way to Shabbat services, lifecycle events, and community gatherings.

It is, by design, a gallery without a barrier to entry. You don't have to decide to visit an art exhibition — the art simply meets you where you already are.

Temple Israel has been a cornerstone of the Long Beach Jewish community for generations. We are grateful for their partnership in bringing art and culture to the heart of the community.

Learn more about Temple Israel.

Grant & Press Information

Betzalel Art, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 00-1226458 Established: 2023 Location: Long Beach, New York

For grant inquiries, press materials, or organizational documentation, contact us at betzalelartlbny@gmail.com.

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