King David kids learn about their Jewish heritage

GABY COHEN

PHOTOGRAPH BY GABY COHEN 

Pictured: Twins Sera and Levi Marks proudly displaying their beautiful artwork

This initiative is a journey that connects learners to their personal stories, their family stories, and to their story within the greater tale of the Jewish People. 

My Family Story is the flagship project of Beit Hatfutsot, the Museum of the Jewish People in Israel.  The culminating event of this project is an international competition of family roots artworks which will be sent into the museum from around the world. 

This is the first year that King David Schools have participated and each learner was encouraged to become a family “anthropologist”. With the help of relatives and friends, the aim was to uncover the story of their family’s origins. 

On Wednesday March 30, an art exhibition was held at King David Linksfield to showcase the children’s artworks. Nicci Raz, national director of the SAZF, and Aviad Sela, director of the Israel Centre SA, had a very difficult task judging the artworks.  The projects were not only beautiful and creative, but also educational in that the children learned about where they came from and about their Jewish roots. 

Yaakov Asefovitz, one of the winning entrants said: “I loved doing this project because one day my children can use this project to learn about their great-great-great-grandfather.”

He told how close he felt to his grandfather, a tailor in Lithuania, about whom he did the project.  

Jessica Hirschowitz, another winner said: “I love being Jewish and learning that my Jewish heritage is very important to me. My great-grandfather who was a chazzen at the Garden’s Shul in Cape Town, would be very proud of me.”