During the week of Succot, sukkahs are seen all over the place. Nearly every religious family has a sukkah in their backyard, and many restaurants have a sukkah attachment for religious diners. Many Israelis enjoy a week of vacation during the week of Succot-- Jerusalem, Eilat (on the Red Sea), the Dead Sea and the Galilee are popular destinations.
Fortunate for me, I was invited to an Orthodox colleague's house for a Succot dinner. Abby is a veteran social studies teacher at the school, specializing in Middle Eastern and European history. She also teaches the class called Senior Project, which is AIS's high school version of a senior thesis. I am the teaching assistant for this class, which is how I've gotten to know her so well. Abby grew up in Manhattan, was educated in Boston, and moved to Israel when she was about 25. Her husband, a Harvard Law grad, enjoyed a successful career as an independent consult in international business, before retiring to open an art gallery in Tel Aviv featuring naive art (naive is NOT a typo-- see comments for explanation). Abby is amazing-- she has a vast knowledge base and such an interesting life story-- I love working with her.
Succot dinner was interesting and, of course, delicious. Hellen, Neil and I were hosted by Abby and her husband, Abby's brother, Abby's second son, his wife and her parents, and her son's 2.5-year-old son. The dinner was prefaced with singing and a round of sweet wine, which is meant to make the sweeten the upcoming year. Dinner was a milk meal-- we had vegetable soup, grilled salmon, potatoes, and steamed vegetables, followed by multiple dessert options. After dinner, Abby and her family sang the post-dinner prayers while Hellen, Neil and I tried to follow along in the prayer books. I was encouraged because I could pick out about every 75th word or so. After we cleared the dishes from dinner, Abby gave us a tour of her family's extensive art collection. They have naive art pieces covering every wall surface in their spacious house. Her husband's passion for art was very clear. All in all, a very enjoyable holiday.
Abby and I inside the sukkah after dinner.
Sukkah decorations.
Sukkah roof.
3 comments:
"Abby grew up in Manhattan, was educated in Boston, and moved to Israel when she was about 25. Her husband, a Harvard Law grad, enjoyed a successful career as an independent consult in international business, before retiring to open an art gallery in Tel Aviv featuring naive art." u sure the art work is as you say "naive" or did u mean to say native? =). good job, dookie!
In response to Sam: it IS naive art. Not native.
Naive art is defined as "[A] fresh, childlike style of painting, employing bright colours and strong, rhythmic designs. It is usually the work of self-taught artists with no formal training, and is less technical in approach. (Tiscali Reference)"
It is also categorized as "the work done by an artist who was not trained in an academy or other traditional manner of art education. It is characterized by an unusual approach to the formal qualities of painting and awkward drawing skills, resulting in an almost childish image. Other qualities of naïve art include pattern, unrefined color and simplicity. (World Wide Art Resources)"
You P.O.S.
you are seriously the envy of ebberybody
looks awesome
and ah.. naive art haha
Post a Comment