Madcap DIY Suzelle’s Jewish connection

SUZANNE BELLING

What few fans know about either Suzelle or Julia is that their long-time boyfriend and betrothed is Jewish and, because of that, she is more than familiar with all things Jewish.

Partners in every sense of the word, Julia and Ari Kruger attend Rabbi Greg Alexander’s Temple Israel and are due to be married in the near future. Being a DIY fundi – she is adept at making “just about anything” – Julia has designed and is making her own wedding gown.

“We are going to be married at Leeuwenhof, the residence of the Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille.

“This came about when we were doing a shoot there on water conservation. We were looking for a place to be married in central Cape Town. I asked Helen Zille and she said ‘yes’!”

Suzelle made her debut into Jewish communal life when she was commissioned to explain challah-making – savoury and sweet – for The Shabbos Project.

She wasn’t that au fait with challah-making initially, but now she is an expert and attended The Shabbos Project challah bake.

Kids run after her, calling out “Suzelle”, particularly when she wears her hair in an up-style, but Julia is grounded and manages her two lives with ease – with the help of her partner and director, Ari, who also takes most of her photographs.

Suzelle was created about three years ago, as Julia and Ari wanted to start a project aside from their commercial work. Julia is an artist, illustrator and her murals can be seen around Cape Town. She was commissioned to design a mural for display in The Book Lounge – a trendy bookshop – in the children’s book section and has illustrated books.

Born in Johannesburg, Julia was educated at  St Mary’s School in Waverley. She moved to Cape Town, where she obtained a BA in theatre and performance, majoring in acting, from the University of Cape Town.

In 2004 she took part in The Blue Room at the Arena Theatre and two years later she played Ophelia in Hamlet in the Artscape Teatre.

Julia appeared in Interrupting Henry at the Artscape Arena, Done London at the Kalk Bay Theatre and played Helena in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

She was active in the design of Fugard Studio’s theatre production of Master Harold… and the Boys, and created illustrations for Tree/Boom/Umthi, a short narrative for young children. She also designed the set for Vigil for the Gramhamstown National Arts Festival in 2013.

A recipient of the Eskom Energy Efficient Lighting Design Competition, she was also awarded the title of South Africa’s “Favourite Online Celebrity”.

Coming from a highly creative family in many spheres, Julia has not let her acting ability fall by the way – evidenced by her Suzelle DIY videos.

Julia lives in an apartment in Cape Town’s City Bowl, while her alter ego Suzelle lives in Somerset West, where she braais with her neighbour, Hennie.