Yehudit Feinstein Mentesh
Yehudit Feinstein Mentesh
How do we embrace the stories of our past to feel fully alive in the present? How do we grapple with pain and joy, loss and longing to truly inhabit our bodies, hearts, and minds? What do we need to feel rooted in belonging within an ever-changing world?
Yehudit Feinstein Mentesh was born from stories of the Holocaust, wars, and survival. Artifacts that trace Yehudit’s family’s history — old maps, stained letters, dresses, and linens — evoke powerful memories and inspire her creative process. Yehudit’s art reflects all facets of her identity — the Israeli, the Slovakian, the European, the Argentinean — and explores the complexity of inherited trauma and immigrant dreams. Through painting, drawing, and mixed media, she strives to depict her own family’s intergenerational journey, while inviting others to consider their lives in relationship to lands, cultures, and time.
The Second World War destroyed branches of Yehudit’s family tree, and all that remains are fragments of stories and the power of imagination. As an artist, she is both a creator and a detective, collecting evidence — every stain, every flower — to build bridges between a past full of loss and a future reaching toward hope. At its core, Yehudit’s art explores the unique tension between what is, what was, and what will be. In each painting or drawing, she experience a sense of rebirth and renewal. Every line, every symbol, and every shape offers a meditation on existence and an opportunity to ask, ‘Who am I, really? Where did I come from? Where am I going?’ As she uncovers new narratives about belonging and loneliness, resilience and survival, Yehudit hopes her art will inspire others to examine the questions and curiosities that live inside their hearts.
Yehudit Feinstein-Mentesh is an artist, writer, and facilitator. With extensive education and experience in psychoanalysis and happiness studies, she believes creative expression is a vehicle for healing, growth, and change. Yehudit began her career as a teacher and a facilitator for adults and teens. She then spent 15 years in the not-for-profit sector, leading small gatherings and large-scale functions for regional, national, and global organizations. Now an independent practitioner, Yehudit offers workshops that explore the intersection of art and identity to help people fully inhabit their lives. Rooted in compassion, curiosity, and spiritual engagement, Yehudit’s workshops are designed for both groups and individuals. She is especially focused on supporting the journeys of women and girls as they navigate personal challenges.
Yehudit grew up in Israel and has lived in Brooklyn since 2000, where she resides with her husband and three sons.
