«Libuvim» meeting on 06.11.05

«Libuvim»
meeting on 06.11.05

Meeting on June 18, 2005

The families participated in the session: the Navon family - Moshe, Miriam and theirs kids Tuvia, Eyal, Daniel & Eli; the Rave family - Yoni, Inbar & theirs kids: Micka & Ido; the Melamed family - Ania and her son Joshua, her nephews Daniel & Gabi ; the Kerner family - Barukh , Cathy & theirs son Ben. Mira Shafran, Alla Mittelman – Child Psychologist and the guest from Russia, Michael Polsky – Head of Naive Art studio "Korchak" in Jerusalem .

Window depicting the Story of Noah, made by Cathy Kerner.

November of 2005. The rainy season in Israel had just begun. Rain brings life, but rain can also take life away. We can read about the destructive aspect of rain in this week's Torah portion of "Noah ", which describes the Global Flood.
The topic of this gathering this week was COLLECTING MEMORIES. The adults in the group brought their childhood memories, those precious moments of connections with family and ideas. At the same time we wanted to provide precious moments for our children, the next generation. Especially at this Shabbat, when we read about Noah and the Flood, we felt that good memories help to strengthen people against the inevitable Floods of Life.

Miriam shows the group the first candidate to be rescued by the Noah's Ark - this is the bunny made from a root, a Jerusalem artichoke. Roots tell us that a Flood is temporary and a new life will begin from those roots.
We regard our own childhood memories as the roots of our adult personality. When the waves of the ocean of our life flood our consciousness from time to time, we want to withdraw. The olive branch – the remains of our childhood – are the new hope. We feel that when we create together with our children we provide them with a new olive branch, a direction for their future.

While we are philosophizing Alla is preparing food for the future passengers of the Noah's Ark …

Daniel & Eyal are helping Joshua to make up his role.

Gabriel & Daniel are looking for other candidates to perform as Noah. Maybe it will be Michael Polsky, hiding from the camera.

It seems that Eyal, Joshua, Eli and Daniel came to a genius conclusion – every one of us is Noah! After Polsky words – every human being is akin the Noah's ark, saving the beauty of World from the Flood of non-entity.

Indeed, Captain Noah was found at once – now Eyal and Daniel are inviting us aboard. Ely , Mira & Daniel ( riding the bicycle ) are seeking for every kid, got lost on broad urban streets or thin desert paths …

Daniel, Gabi, Joshua & Mira already got into the pre-creating mood. We can sense the childs' spirit soaring above the roots, before they are turned into passengers in Noah's Ark – inhabitants of a new world.
Something similar we, the adults, learned during our own childhood when we studied about the Flood and the soaring spirit.
“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters”. (Genesis 1:2).

Ido & Micka are making connective parts for the roots.

Miriam shows us how to make a scorpion or a butterfly from the root. – Everyone has to make up his mind about what he wants to see in a new world after the Flood.

Those dads – Yoni and Moshe are always trying to reach a conclusion from an eternal question: Are they taking an umbrella with them or not to?

What does this root look like?

Mira is thinking: "Could I make a mom and dad from those roots?"

Daniel, Gabi, Joshua and Alla are paying attention to Miriam's ideas.

Michael Polsky now becomes visible – he puts Noah's Ark in the very middle of a rainbow.

Alla just finished the bird who would bring us the Olive branch.

All the participants used their imagination and we all related to the Flood. The very moment of creativity holds together the entire human history.

We as adults feel that our life often resembles the Flood: we are overwhelmed by our daily worries and troubles. However the moment of encountering our children's essence and creativity saves us from drowning, just like Noah's Ark saved him from being obliterated.

Yoni with his daughter Micka … and the roots of common life.

Ben and the hands of his mom Cathy … and the roots of common reminiscences.

Inbar, Miriam & Tuvia seated by the window background:
"And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light". (Genesis 1:3)

Joshua & his mom Anna … and common roots of love.

Alla and Tuvia change the roots, which grow underground, into soaring birds in the sky.

Ido is packing his friends toys before the Flood

Moshe & Miriam are taking cousin Lynne's drawings with them to Noah's Ark – These drawings are Lynne's childhood memories about her family . Even though Lynne was born in the USA and her cousin Miriam in the USSR, they both always knew about each other and stayed in touch, regardless of the differences between them.

Lynne Feldman “Seder” –

From Lynne's drawings, send from the USA to the USSR during the 1960's and 1970's Miriam could identify her own family overseas. This made a strong common bond, during childhood as well as during their first meeting in real life in 2005.

Lynne Feldman “Blessing” -

Lynne's silkscreen depiction of Shabbat is becoming an anchor for family identity, not only for the adults of Lynne's and Miriam's generation, but also for Miriam's children in Israel.

Miriam, Lynne and Tony in Israel: We regard our own childhood memories as the roots of our adult personality.

Daniel: music should survive the Flood.

Mira and Alla - … common roots of the reminiscences.

"How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!" (Numbers 24:5)

Kiddush

The Flood has begun, but the crew of Noah's Ark is feeling comfortable …

...because our Ark has sailed away.

Josef & Micka: only childhood could save us from the torrents of time.
Family – this amazing invention of human kind – the real Noah's Ark for our souls.
Adult people grow and develop their identity through raising their kids …