What Mark Rothko Was Really Painting (It’s Not What You Think) | 10@9 | 2026.04.12

I was asked a simple question: Why are there three Rothko prints behind me? That question opens into something much deeper. Mark Rothko was born Jewish, and many have tried to read his work through that lens—seeing in it echoes of the Holocaust, the Temple, or even Kabbalah. But I’m not convinced. In this video, I briefly trace Rothko’s life and then set those interpretations aside—not because they’re impossible, but because they may be missing something more essential. Instead, I turn to what Rothko actually said and wrote… to how he constructed his paintings… and to what decades of living with his work have taught me. This is a personal attempt to answer a different question: Not what Rothko meant—but what his paintings do. And why they continue to hold me. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.