I learned that the song Shalom Aleichem is all about welcoming the Shabbat angels, and clearly angels are celebrated in Judaism. However I've noticed that images of angels are not very widespread in Judaism (at least compared to my impressions of their scope in Christianity). Can someone explain why?
Answer
Your father is an outlier. Angels are undisputedly an integral part of Jewish theology.
By way of proof, see Genesis 32:4, in which Jacob sends angels to his brother Esau. Lest you think that "mal'achim" (מלאכים) there means "messengers", Rash"i (the pre-eminent commentary on the 5 Books of Moses) there states clearly, "מלאכים ממש" - real angels. The Torah is replete with other interactions between men and angels, e.g. Abraham (Genesis 18), Lot (Genesis 19), Bil'am (Numbers 22). The list is practically endless.
That answers your first 2 questions. As to the third, there is a specific commandment not to make images of angels in the 10 commandments: "You shall not make yourselves a carved image or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above..." (Exodus 20:4). A "carved image" (פסל) is a 3-dimensional sculpture; a "likeness" (תמונה) is any other representation, including drawings or paintings. That is why you don't find angels represented in Jewish art.
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