BRUSHES WITH CANCER March 13, 2018 Beit Andromeda Tel Aviv
Brushes with Cancer provides psychosocial support to those touched by cancer to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, their family and loved ones, through a unique art experience. 1
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Twist Out Cancer Board Jenna Benn Shersher, Board President
Brushes with Cancer Tel Aviv Host Committee
Andrew Edelston, Board Chair USA
Jenna Benn Shersher Founder and Executive Director
Dan Hadad, Board Chair Canada
Alona Metz Chair & Mentor
Alana Dugandzic
Maya Shany Producer & Mentor
Dr. David Turok
Chen Lev Ran Co-Owner at Beit Andromeda
Noreen Karadsheh Erin Green
Athena Karp Dinner Chair
Emma Peck Block Jennifer Margolis
Sarah Peguine Curator & Mentor
Eryn Bizar Deb Fox
Jacquie Zaluda Copywriter
Alyssa Judlo
Rachel Hodas Logistics
August Spree Nikki Dicks
Omri Marcus Media
Rachel Kunkel Becky Galvez
Udi Krauss Entertainment
Charles Shaw Joelle Bilow
Esther Benishai Mentor
Joshua Taustein Stephanie Held
Nir Segal Music Curator
Jacqueline Carmody
Michal Segal Production
Bowen Kline Twist Out Cancer Canada
Twist Out Cancer Staff
Jenna Benn Shersher Board President
Jenna Benn Shersher Founder and Executive Director
Dan Hadad Board Co-Chair
Amelia Hanrahan Program Director
Sharon Marcushamer Board Co-Chair April Gibson Tim Richardson
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Brushes with Cancer Leadership.................................................................................................. 2 What is Twist Out Cancer?.............................................................................................................. 3 What is Brushes with Cancer?....................................................................................................... 5 Message from the Founder............................................................................................................ 6 Welcome to Brushes With Cancer Tel Aviv................................................................................ 7 Program................................................................................................................................................. 8 Silent Auction Rules......................................................................................................................... 9 Participating Speakers...................................................................................................................10 Emcee and Entertainment............................................................................................................13 Participating Inspirations and Artists.......................................................................................15 Sponsors.............................................................................................................................................58 In Loving Memory............................................................................................................................59
WHAT IS TWIST OUT CANCER? Twist Out Cancer provides psychosocial support for individuals touched by cancer through creative arts programming.
The Story When 29-year-old Jenna Benn Shersher was undergoing cancer treatment in 2010 for a rare form of lymphoma, she felt disconnected from the world. Isolated at home because of a compromised immune system, she longed to do something she hadn’t done since she was well...dance. And so she did. With Chubby Checker’s,“The Twist,” blasting in the background, she recorded herself twisting her heart out. When she posted the video on Facebook, she had one simple request, “Please join me on the dance floor!” The response was astounding. Within days, Jenna was flooded with hundreds of videos of thousands of people from across the globe, all twisting. These videos came from people she knew and perfect strangers. There were people twisting at work, at home, and even from the hospital. “As they twisted, I was able to tiptoe out of my room and join the world,” recalled Jenna. “I no longer felt alone, but instead connected to and supported by a community of twisters.” It was then that Jenna made a vow that once she had completed treatment she would give back in a meaningful way. And so, Twist Out Cancer was born.
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Twist Out Cancer
“My mom had breast cancer and throughout the process, I was the primary person helping her,” said a young woman named Emma. “Most of my friends would ask about my mom, but they didn’t think to ask about me. It was difficult because I was struggling to care for her, and I also needed support”. Twist Out Cancer creates exactly that - a place of support for everyone who needs it. What began as a light-hearted way for anyone touched by cancer to connect has turned into a global community of support and inspiration. Established in 2011 as a nonprofit organization, Twist Out Cancer (TOC) offers the platform, tools and community –both online and offline–for anyone touched by cancer to feel connected to a community and for many to take action. TOC does this through ouronline platforms, Brushes with Cancer, Twist-Shops and Health and AwarenessThird Party Events.
The App The Twist Out Cancer App connects individuals touched by cancer with our dynamic support community as well as resources. The platform allows anyone to create a profile page and a personal call to action. Through videos, photos or essays, those touched by cancer are able to share their unique “twist on cancer.” Sample posts have included everything from “I’m in the midst of chemotherapy and have lost all of my taste buds... host a dinner party, and tell me what it tastes like” to “Help me Kiss Away Cancer. Kiss a friend, a family member or a stranger on the street, and snap a quick selfie and share it on social media.” So far, TOC’s online presence has touched over 300,000 people across the world – and the numbers keep growing.
Brushes with Cancer This unique celebration of survivorship and hope pairs those touched by cancer (previvors, survivors and caregivers) with talented artists working in a variety of mediums. Those touched by cancer share their ‘twist on cancer’ – their stories, feelings and experiences – with the artist, which serves as the inspiration for the art. The program culminates with a celebratory annual event and fundraiser in which the pairs connect in person and the artwork is revealed for the first time and then auctioned to support TOC. Since its inception in 2012, hundreds of inspirations and artists have been matched, and over 15,000 people have participated in the celebratory art exhibitions and galas. In 2018 and 2019, Brushes with Cancer will debut in Tel Aviv, Philadelphia and Montreal. “Telling my story in this context and through this creative process was better than any kind of therapy,” said Amy, who lost her mother to breast cancer and who is herself both a survivor of kidney cancer and a ‘previvor’ who was diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene.
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Twist-Shops TOC workshops or, “Twist-Shops”, are educational workshops that provide individuals touched by cancer with an opportunity to share their ‘twist on cancer,’ – their unique experiences – with everyone from teens to community members. Trained TOC facilitators lead groups in meaningful discussions related to the critical importance of psychosocial support and guide exercises that foster creativity and encourage team building. To date, over 10,000 people have engaged in Twist-Shops. TOC workshop community partners include Camp Chi, the University of Illinois, Northwestern University, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, and Federation CJA in Montreal.
Health and Wellness Third Party Events TOC understands the importance of health and wellness – particularly mindfulness, strength and resilience – both during and after cancer treatment. Since 2011, over 30,000 people have participated in health and wellness programs run by TOC in partnership with a variety of other health focused organizations. Twist has partnered with Whole Foods and Kitchfix to provide nourishing and healthy cooking classes to help inform participants of how to make healthy choices throughout survivorship.
The Need “This organization empowers you,” said Alana Dugandzic, a two-time cancer survivor. “It gives you a way out and helps you make your situation the best it can be. It allows you to focus on the positive as opposed to being victimized.” What makes TOC unique is its multi-tiered approach that gives anyone touched by cancer the support and community they need to no longer feel alone and the tools they crave to take action. TOC provides anyone, anywhere in the world, with the platform to create, support and inspire. As such, our reach is limitless, targeting everyone from the person who finds out that a dear friend has just been diagnosed with cancer and doesn’t know what to do, to those like Jenna, who feel that because of cancer, they have to sit out the dance. A labor of love, TOC has a network of over 200 active volunteers serving as ambassadors in Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Tel Aviv, Toronto and Montreal. Committed Executive and Advisory Boards further serve to support through their volunteerism.
GET INVOLVED Twist Out Cancer is a community that celebrates creativity, encourages engagement, and believes in the importance of giving back. TOC volunteers donate their time, expertise, and passion to help create a network of support and hope. It is thanks to their commitment and hard work that the TOC community continues to grow and thrive. For more information on volunteering, please visit the volunteer section of our website. We hope you will join us. 5 brushes with cancer Tel Aviv Program Book-with Hebrew periods.indd 5
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A MESSAGE FROM JENNA BENN SHERSHER, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TWIST OUT CANCER Gratitude It has been quite a journey. A journey measured in moments, markers and finish lines. A journey artistically preserved in hypercolor. A journey that may have started with the three words, “you have cancer,” but has continued with, “No Evidence of Disease.” I may not be able to choose the cards that I am dealt but my response, my narrative, my journey, is my choice. Over the last few years, with the help of countless people, we have transformed my story into a larger movement. Twist Out Cancer’s foundation is built on hope, is stabilized by support, and is secured by the belief that when you share, the world opens up. Twist Out Cancer emerged out of desperation, blossomed out of loneliness and grew from despair. Today this movement continues to grow because of you. To the countless friends, family and strangers that lifted me out of the shadows and into the sunlight, I thank you. And to the legions of tiny twisters who believe in Twist Out Cancer, we would not be here without you. We hope you will continue to...
Share. Connect. Heal.
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WELCOME BRUSHES WITH CANCER TLV 2018 אנו בבית אנדרומדה ,נרגשים מאוד מהזכות שנפלה בחלקנו ,להיות חלק מאירוע הגאלה של פרויקט , Brushes with Cancerאשר יתקיים בפעם הראשונה בישראל ,ב 13-במרץ .2018 אנחנו מודים על הרגע בו הזדמן לנו להכיר את ג‘נה בן ,שלפני כמעט חמש שנים נוסף לה גם שם המשפחה שרשר ,כאשר היא הגיעה לארץ לחגוג את חתונתה. מה שהתחיל כקשר רגיל ,בין צוות אולם אירועים לכלה המתעניינת לקיים את חתונתה אצלנו ,מהר מאוד הפך לקשר חברי שרק הלך והעמיק עם הזמן. מהרגע הראשון שפגשנו את ג‘נה ,זו כבר הייתה אהבה גדולה והיה לנו ברור ,שהקשר יימשך גם לאחר סיום האירוע וחזרתה לביתה בארה“ב. במשך השנים שמרנו על קשר רציף ,תוך שאנו עוקבים באדיקות אחרי הפעילות המרתקת והכה מעוררת השראה של ג‘נה . עם הזמן והשיחות בינינו ,התבהר לנו יותר ויותר ,שאנו רוצים להיות חלק מהפרויקט ולעזור בכל אשר אנו יכולים ,על מנת שהפרויקט אכן יתקיים בארץ. לאחר מאמצים רבים ,תיאומים אינסופיים וחיבור בין הרבה מאוד אנשים מרגשים ...זה קורה! ואין גאים מאתנו ,על כך שזה קורה אצלנו ,בבית אנדרומדה. אנו מבקשים לברך את כל מי שלוקח חלק בפרויקט :האמנים ,המתנדבים הרבים ,היזמים ,הספקים ובראש ובראשונה ,את מעוררי ההשראה. אנו מזמינים את כולכם להרגיש ”בבית“ בביתנו ,ליהנות מהאוויר שמגיע מהים ,לשאוב את האנרגיות שמפזרים כולם ,לשתות ולאכול בלי חשבון ,להכיר אנשים חדשים ,לרקוד ולהרגיש שאתם עטופים בעננים. ברוכים הבאים לבית אנדרומדה .לפה ,אתם תמיד מוזמנים. באהבה גדולה, צוות בית אנדרומדה.
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BRUSHES WITH CANCER Brushes with Cancer is celebration of survivorship and hope through art, music and storytelling. This event is brought to you by Twist Out Cancer with the generous support of the sponsors featured throughout this program.
TONIGHT ART: Twist Out Cancer paired 25 artists with 25 survivors, previvors, and caregivers, and challenged the artists to create original works of art influenced by their inspirations unique “twists” on cancer. Over the last six months, our pairs have been working closely together. These unexpected relationships developed into systems of support and a place for healing. The artwork honors the inspirations’ experiences with cancer but it also celebrates the new relationship that has since developed. Tonight we honor their journeys and celebrate the importance of storytelling and utlizing the arts as a mechanism for healing. All proceeds from ticket sales and the art auction will go towards growing Brushes with Cancer within Israel. MUSIC: Provided by Shira Modan, Totemo, Electric Desert, Nir Segal and DJ Pipe. DANCE: Performed by Vital Zinger and The Batsheva Dance Company. STORYTELLING: Jenna Benn Shersher and select inspirations and artists will share their twists on cancer and the importance of giving back.
PROGRAM 6:30- 8:00 VIP Reception Performance by Shira Modan Welcome by Chen Lev-Ran, Co-Owner of Beit Andromeda Performance by Vital Zinger and Sean Ziv Welcome by Jenna Benn Shersher & Alona Metz 8:00-8:45 Cocktail Hour & Music Music provided by Nir Segal 9:00-9:25
Opening Remarks by Yuna Leibzon Emcee
Why Twist? Remarks by Jenna Benn Shersher
The Impact of Brushes with Cancer Featuring Collin Reiff and Maya Shany
9:25-10:00 Totemo Performance 10:00 Silent Auction Closes 10:00 - 10:30
Electric Desert Performs
10:30-Midnight
DJ Pipe Spins 8
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RULES OF THE SILENT AUCTION •
To sign up to bid in the silent auction, please complete the bid sheet in its entirety.
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A bid is construed as a legal agreement to purchase the listed item(s) at the amount indicated.
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All bidders must be 18 years of age or above.
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All winning bids must be settled before the end of the event by cash, check or credit card.
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The auction will close at 10:00 PM, at which time the highest bid on each bid sheet will be declared the winner
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Twist Out Cancer is acting as a consignee of the art for the purposes of this auction. All sales are final, as is, and are between the artist and the buyer.
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If conflict arises over identifying the last valid bid for an item(s) or in the event there is any confusion over any of the rules or procedures of this auction, Twist Out Cancer reserves the right to determine the winner or to impose an alternate method of closing the item for interested parties, including, but not limited to, cancelling the sale or requiring a sealed final bid. All Twist Out Cancer decisions are final and binding on all participants.
Brusheswith withCancer Cancer Brushes נהלים- כיצד לערוך מכירה פומבית שקטה . יש למלא ראשית את גיליון ההצעה במלואו,• כדי להציע הצעה במכירה הפומבית השקטה ות/ות הרשומה/ נחשבת כהסכם משפטי לרכישת היצירה,• הצעת רכישה הניתנת על גבי גיליון ההצעה .על הגיליון במחיר המוצע . ומעלה18 • השתתפות במכירה הפומבית מותרת לבני , ניתן לשלם במזומן. טרם סיום האירוע,• על הזוכים המכירה הפומבית לסיים ולהסדיר את הרכישה .המחאה או בכרטיס אשראי שתצוין בכל אחד, ההצעה הגבוהה ביותר, בשעה זו.22:00 • המכירה הפומבית תסתיים בשעה .מגיליוני ההצעות – היא זו שתוכתר כזוכה ברכישת אותה יצירת אומנות כל. הינו נציג יצירות האומנות עבור מטרת המכירה הפומביתTwist Out Cancer • פרויקט . הינן סופיות ומוחלטות כנקבע והינן בין האומן לקונה,המכירות שיתקיימו במהלך האירוע / עבור רכישת יצירה,• במידה ומתעורר קונפליקט לגבי זיהוי וקביעת הצעת הרכישה התקינה האחרונה או שבמהלך האירוע מתגלה חוסר הבנה לגבי אילו מנהלי או תהליכי,ות/ות מסוימת
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PARTICIPATING SPEAKERS Jenna Benn Shersher, Founder and Executive Director of Twist Out Cancer Jenna Benn Shersher is a 36 year old cancer survivor, civil rights advocate, world traveler and tiny twister who dreams big. In December 2010, Jenna was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Grey Zone Lymphoma that at the time affected fewer than 200 people. Instead of surrendering to cancer, she was determined to find meaning in her suffering. In the course of her fight, Jenna figured out creative ways to leverage social media to process her experience, and in turn create a community that became invested in her fight. In the course of a year, Jenna battled cancer and founded the nonprofit Twist Out Cancer. Jenna’s story was selected as a top ten best read by Mashable. She is a blogger for the Huffington Post and has made television appearances on all major media outlets, including CNN, NBC5, CBS, ABC7, WGN and Fox News. She has also been featured in the New York Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times. Jenna is a mentor angel with Imerman Angels, and was an Honored Hero and advocate for Team in Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She is an ROI fellow with the Schusterman Foundation and serves on the board of the Anti-Defamation League. Jenna received her Bachelor’s degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada and her Masters in Social Enterprise and Administration from Columbia University. She resides in Philadelphia with her husband Dr. David Shersher and their daughter Noa Pearl who is a miracle.
Totemo Producer and singer Totemo has been active in the Tel-Aviv music scenesince her early teens. During this time she’s been combining between newelectronics to singer-songwriter craftsmanship. She has released her debut EP Heavy As My Dreams last year, which was produced by Roey Avital of Garden City Movement and received critical acclaims. The New EP, Desire Path, offers a warm combination of spacey futuristic beats with detailed , precise and intelligent sound. The songs on this short album were written during Totemo’s struggle with cancer and offer a melancholy yet strong insight into the year that she’s had.
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Alona Metz, Founder and Executive Director of Thrivacious Alona is a 34 year-old idealist and cancer “thriver” who is passionate about creating meaningful change in the world. A Los Angeles native, she started her career as a litigator at an AM100 law firm. During this time, she served on the boards of several local organizations such as the Hemophilia Foundation of California and the Jewish Graduate Student Initiative, and fell in love with the non-profit world. Just as she was considering a career change, Alona was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 28. While she was in treatment, she started a blog with over 10,000 viewers, spoke at numerous events, and began fundraising for cancer support organizations. She then decided to take an “apres-cancer” trip and ended up in Israel. In late 2013, she quit her job as a lawyer and moved to Tel Aviv, where she still lives to this day. Alona served as the Director of Resource Development at Israeli NGO Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center, which files lawsuits on behalf of terror victims. She then became Vice President of a social impact startup called CauseMatch, which is a digital fundraising platform for non-profits, where she spent a year and a half building the company from the ground up. This past October, she founded her own non-profit, Thrivacious, whose mission is to create a community and supportive programming for women touched by cancer in Israel. Alona now serves as Thrivacious’s full-time Executive Director, is the Chair of Brushes With Cancer Tel Aviv, and sings in an a cappella group in her spare time. Alona received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from UCLA School of Law.
Vital Zinger, Advocate and Paradance Champion Vital is a 29-year-old unstoppable woman. She was born in Nazareth Illit, Israel, and moved to Rishon LeZion at age twelve. Soon after birth Vital was diagnosed with a rare cancer which required years of chemotherapy to defeat, but left her paralyzed. Vital was determined to stay positive and joyful. She was always friendly and socially engaged, attended leadership programs, participated in the student council, and loved being influential. She fought hard for accessibility at her school and later on in the IDF, where she eventually served with distinction. Since childhood Vital has been an active sportswoman in a variety of disabled sports. After completing her army service became a competitive dancer. She joined Israel’s Para DanceSport national team and is a European Championship silver medalist and a World Championship bronze medalist. Vital is currently a lawyer and mediator, a proud member in social leadership and empowerment communities, and invests all her time and effort in sharing her knowledge and experience by consulting, mentoring, and giving motivational lectures about her life-story, positive thinking, social leadership, accessibility, and the integration of people with disabilities. 11 brushes with cancer Tel Aviv Program Book-with Hebrew periods.indd 11
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Collin Reiff, MD Collin’s paintings are dialogues between the inner and outer world, and often communicate feelings that cannot be expressed with words. Many of his paintings use symbolism to tell stories about life experiences, which include love, desire, loss, and suffering. He believes art is a timeless universal language through which humanity communicates. His work has been shown in New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Paris and Bangkok. In addition to being a painter, Collin is currently the chief resident of psychiatry at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.
Maya Shany Maya Shany grew up in CA and after finishing her BA in Business Administration, Marketing Concentration she served in the IDF in the Foreign Relations Division. She completed her MA in Hotel and Tourism Management at Ben Gurion University with honors. During her last semester she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 26. Over the past 5 years she has been living with metastatic breast cancer and has learned to navigate complex situations and hospital corridors. When she is able to work between treatments, she is passionate about teaching English to young professionals and motivates her students to overcome their personal fears. Always looking for new experiences, she has written for Travel Sages and the Jerusalem Post blog section. In addition, she volunteers for the Israel Cancer Association, speaking in front of medical students and medical professionals. The ICA has also sent her to attend a breast cancer patient organization forum conference in Milan and to take part in a committee for the Ministry of Health, helping to create a patient experience survey with health care providers (Kupot Holim). A self-described foodie, she travels whenever possible and loves to capture small moments that have meaning, including flower arrangements inspired by her current mood.
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Event Emcee Yuna Leibzon Yuna Leibzon is a 28 year old journalist. She is the Welfare and Social Affairs Correspondent at Israeli Television News Company - the most popular news program in Israel. She was born in Lithuania and made Aliya with her family in 1990 and grew up in Rosh Ha’ayin. She served at ‘Galei Tzahal’, IDF radio station where she started her career as a reporter covering the Jewish world, environment and economy. She teaches media at the Ariel University and hosts a weekly show at Channel 23 about social affairs and economics. For the past 2.5 years she has been covering the core issues of the Israeli welfare system and society. She is bringing to primetime stories about the elderly care in Israel, revealing the bureaucracy Holocaust survivors experience, and the the way insurance companies avoid paying Cancer patients. Yuna tells the stories of people who don’t have the power or ability to speak for themselves, bringing to light the injustices of our society. She is always searching for the next big story.
Entertainment Electric Desert Electric Desert offers a wide mixture of everything that is unique in Israel;a melting pot of different ethnicities with an evergrowing creativity, from the lively Tel-Avivian urban scene to the wild beats of our desert land. A groove driven rock with a Middle Eastern tonality, Electric Desert draws it’s inspiration from Eastern European gypsy music, North African beats, Middle Eastern melodies as well as progressive and hard rock. everything you heard of, but something totally different. Electric Desert features: Nir (Pop) Popliker: Guitars & Lead Vocals Udi Krauss: Drums Omer Lutzky: Bass 13 brushes with cancer Tel Aviv Program Book-with Hebrew periods.indd 13
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Entertainment Totemo
totemo
Producer and singer Totemo has been active in the Tel Aviv music scene since her early teens. During this time she’s been combining between new electronics to singer-songwriter craftsmanship. She has released her debut EP Heavy As My Dreams last year, which was produced by Roey Avital of Garden City Movement and recieved critical acclaims. The New EP Desire Path, offers a warm combination of spacey < futuristic beats with detailed, precise and intelligent sound. The songs on this short < < album were written during Totemo’s struggle with cancer and offer a melancholy yet < P strong insight into the year she has had. "Beyond Brilliant. Those beats. And those sonics that flutter like moth wings hitting a blazing bulb." - Kim Taylor Bennett, Noisey
"Totemo Just Broke All Of Pop’s Rules" - Ryan Kristobak, The Huffington Post "Unpredictably variegated electro-pop" - Megan Bradley, SPIN Magazine "playfully eerie, trance-inducing lucid dream" - Chris, Gorilla vs. Bear
roducer and singer Totemo has been active in the Tel-Aviv music scene since her early teens. During this time she's been combining between new electronics to singer-songwriter craftsmanship.
She has released her debut EP Heavy As My Dreams last year, which was produced by Roey Avital of Garden City Movement and received critical acclaims. The New EP, Desire Path, offers a warm combination of spacey futuristic beats with detailed , precise and intelligent sound. The songs on this short album were written during Totemo's struggle with cancer and offer a melancholy yet strong insight into the year that she's had.
Vital Zinger and Sean Ziv
www.imu-music.com For booking: booking@imu-music.com For more info: Info@imu-music.com
Sean Ziv, he is a competitive dancer who owns a leading dance studio in Tel Aviv for Latin & ballroom dancing.He is Vital’s standing dance partner at the Israeli national team since 2010. Together they have won the bronze medal in the World Championship, the silver medal in the European Championship, and many other medals in dozens of international competitions.
Shira Modan Shira Modan is a music and touch therapist. For the last 10 years she has played and shared her music with the world. She is currently studying music education and is constantly learning from musicians and the world around her. It is an honor to be a part of Brushes with Cancer in Israel!
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PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND INDIVIDUALS TOUCHED BY C ANCER The Matches Artists Camille Danielle Wortman Alona Praslov Idan Gamzo-Schliesser Batia Mitrani Hefziba Shuali Arlene Bonnet Daphna Markmann Summer Anderson Marloes Hakkers Judy Levin Anne Schlacter Dagan Ofer Katz Rebecca Sigala Collin Reiff Kerrin Lubash Nirit Gilad Ovadia Matan Oren Nisim Ben Aderet Irit Bahalul Neta Margalith Igal Fedida Dana Ben Nun Hana Or Chen Monica Azagury
Inspirations Yael Holman Guy Tavori Ofer Evan Noa Chortiz Zivia Brunschwig Rachel Marie Hodas Shani Shmueli Naor Rivka Farkas Ruty Chacheshwily Nir Degani Elisheva Naginsky Aliza Ainis Alona Metz Maya Shany Ofri Dadon Katz Ravit Kukui Lisa Wilcox Vital Zinger Judi Hetzroni Deb Zaluda Stav Stein Shunit Yongerman Lem Lem Abato Orit Maman Rada
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MEET THE MATCHES Yael Holman & Camille Danielle Wortman Yael Holman Netanya, Israel Caregiver Twist On Cancer: I saw my almost 4.5 year old son (high functioning autistic) through almost a full year of treatments untill he passed. He never lost his laughter and love of fun and legos. I learned to not be afraid to dare, and to not miss out on opportunities to try out new things.
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Camille Danielle Wortman Ziman, Israel “Towards a New Dawn” 120x120cm, acrylic paint on canvas 8,500 NIS Artist Statement: I started this painting the same way that I start all my paintings. At first I put colours randomly on the canvas and added water to get a lot of dripping lines in all directions. This technique usually leads me to an idea. But this time it just didn’t work! Although I had spoken many times to Yael, and knew the ordeal her family had experienced, I found myself working out my own traumatic experiences unintentionally. Eventually I decided that I had to meet Yael in person. We met in Ramat-gan, and spoke for at least two hours. I discovered a beautiful and wonderful woman who did everything she could to help her young son get better. Yael still was was going through life with determination and optimism. She never forgot her beautiful and courageous Yuval and showed me beautiful photographs of him and of Yotam. I felt her devotion, her warmth, and her generosity. She has chosen to go ahead without lamenting about their fate. After our meeting, I knew what had to be done. My painting is shared-in two sections. I typically create works of artwork in two sections because I believe in the dichotomy of man, wanting to fly but reminded that he cannot detach himself from his body. I put my camels on an oblique line-on my sand dunes. The camel is symbolic for me, as my grandad used to sing this song to me in arabic: “little red camel who didn’t know where he came from and didn’t know where he was going to.”) We are just like the camels, uncertain of what will happen next. The dunes are the landscape of my chilhood and the reflective of the ones surround my kibbutz! The camels are on a long and difficult journey, that is taking them from a very dark night to a beautiful new dawn. The second part of the painting is made of the sky, and the sea, and a beach where a family is finally enjoying a peaceful outing on the seaside. While at a distance their first born, Yuval is fishing quietly. The palm trees, are there as a sign of abundance and happiness. I have tried to create a painting that shows what the family is going through and at the same time their optimistic attitude, their gererosity and warmth. I tried to capture their hope, their faith in the future and their longing. I think of the work as a new dawn. This is what I wish for them with all my heart! I keep touch with Yael on a daily base and hope that I will get to see the whole family soon, maybe in Zikim.
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Guy Tavori & Alona Praslov Guy Tavori Kefar Vitkin, Israel Survivor Twist on Cancer: At the age of 22, I discovered that I had a cancerous tumor the size of a fist in my chest. It was something that frightened me a lot. A few weeks later I made a decision to go through cancer the best way I can. I spent the time during the treatments investigating and learning different tools and coping techniques in order to increase my quality of life. It didn’t take long until I found myself guiding, sharing and supporting other cancer patients. During cancer, I believe it is important to make room for other possibilities and choose to experience them without knowing where they might lead. I encourage you take a step forward and take a risk. Yes, you might fall, if you do, just get up and keep on walking. I decided to dedicate my life to help and support other cancer patients, and this is what I do in the past 8 years.
Alona Praslov, Tel Aviv Israel facebook.com/archmind “Uncertainty ” Digital Art Stretched 70x70 cm 2,500 NIS Artist Statement: At our meeting with Guy Tavori, we discussed the concept of “Uncertainty.” Each of us at any time in our lives is in a state of “Uncertainty.” With each of us, anything can happen, whenever and wherever. If we consider our life from the position of “Uncertainty”, then a person with cancer is no different from a healthy one.Guy tells this idea to people who have cancer with whom he works. And this is what I tried to express in my visual art.This vision of the world of the world’s existence helps people cope with the disease and appreciate every moment of their lives, no matter what.To healthy people, it would be wonderful to realize this simple and profound thought. Inspiration for the characters of art work, there were short stories that Guy wrote. One of them: “Mother’s love”, because, from this everything begins.
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אהבת אם אני הולך בדרכי .שומע קול .מה שנשמע תחילה כזעקת חיה ,מתברר כבכי תמרורים .אני פונה אנה ואנה ,מחפש את מקור הבכי ,כשלפתע אני מזהה בור באדמה .אני מתקרב לשפת הבור ורואה בתוכו אישה וילד .הם יושבים חבוקים ,האחד בזרועות האחרת. האישה היא זו שבוכה .נדמה כי כל דמעה שזולגת על לחיה גורמת לילדהּ להזיל דמעה משלו ,וכל דמעה שלו מעוררת את האם להזיל אחת משלה .הם בוכים יחד .כנראה בכו זמן רב ,משום שכעת הם יושבים בתוך שלולית דמעות שמגיעה עד מותניהם .וממשיכים לבכות. אני מבקש לעודד אותם” .אולי תצופו למעלה על גבי דמעותיכם ותגיעו אל פתח הבור?“ האם מביטה בי וממהרת לאטום את אוזני בנה .זה ממשיך לבכות ,והאם שרואה את סבלו ,שבה ופורצת בבכי מר. ”איך זה קרה ,שנפלתם יחד שניכם לתוך הבור הזה?“ אני קורא אליהם שוב מלמעלה. האם נאנחת” .בני איחר לחזור הביתה ויצאתי לחפשו .אלוהים נענה לתפילתי והדריך אותי עד שמצאתי אותו כאן ,בתוך הבור .היה לי ברור שהוא זקוק לי לצדו ,לכן קפצתי אליו מיד כדי להצילו“. חשבתי לרגע ואז שאלתי” :ובכך שקפצת אליו הצלחת להציל את בנך?“ הביטה בי האם בפליאה ואמרה” :עשיתי כל מה שיכולתי .אוהב ואכזר הוא האלוהים“. חייכתי אליה באהבה .לפני שעזבתי אותם כדי להמשיך בדרכי ,שלשלתי לעברם חבל שהיה שם. נראה כי אותו האלוהים הוא ששלח אותו אליהם מבעוד מועד. מאת גאי תבורי
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Ofer Evan & Idan Gamzo-Schliesser Ofer Evan Ramat Gan, Israel Survivor Twist On Cancer:
במקום להגיע לגיבוש לקורס, עם חלומות על עתיד מובנה וברור,18 בגיל מאובחן כעוד נער חולה, מצאתי את עצמי על שולחן הניתוחים,טייס והצטרפות, הקרנות וכימוטרפיה, בהמשך שנתיים של ניתוחים.סרטן .למשפחת הסרטן , למילה ”סרטן“ שנהגתה בדרך כלל בשקט, באותם השנים, שנה32 לפני,1985 השנה היתה . מוות,היתה משמעות אחת ויחידה היכולת להבדיל בין, האופטימיות השתפרה, עוד לפני שחליתי בסרטן,כאופטימיסט חסר תקנה . בין מה שגורם לי לחייך ומה לא,עיקר וטפל שחלחלה עמוק לתודעה של, הביאו לי פואמה אירית קצרה,מייד לאחר שחליתי In life, there are only two things to worry about— Either you are well or you are sick. If you are well, there is nothing to worry about, But if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about— Either you will get well or you will die. If you get well, there is nothing to worry about, But if you die, there are only two things to worry about— Either you will go to heaven or hell. If you go to heaven, there is nothing to worry about. And if you go to hell, you’ll be so busy shaking hands with all your friends You won’t have time to worry!
כל שנה שאני מקבל, כל שבוע, ומודה על כל בוקר, אני הרבה פחות דואג, מאז ועד היום,ולכן כדי להמשיך לחוות את מסע החיים שלי.
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עידן גמזו-שליסר קדימה,ישראל בפייסבוקcalligraphy by me : ”עופר“ טכניקה מעורבת 60x 90 NIS 2,500 היה לי הכבוד לשמוע,להכיר וליצור בהשראתו של עופר אבן. עופר התגבר על מחלתו לפני שנים רבות ועל אף השנים היא נוכחת. בחרתי לארוג את חייו של עופר ) כפי שהם היום( על גבי פורטרט שלו. ביקשתי מעופר תמונות מחייו :משפחתו,עיסוקיו ותחביבים והם ארוגים בו,בין לבין גם ארוגים רמזים על מחלתו והכל שזור וארוג לחיים היום,חיים שעופר חיי באופטימיות כמעט מדבקת.
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Noa Chortiz and Batia Mitrani
Noa Chortiz Efrat, Israel Survivor Twist on Cancer: The only way out is through. When cancer shows up at your dinner table (because it does not knock politely at your door) as an uninvited guest, your old life is gone. During cancer I saw the most wonderful sides of people. So much goodness. And when it was all done, the me that emerged on the other side of my illness sometimes feels like a mosaic. I’m now made up of the pieces of my old life that survived cancer, new fragments that I didn’t know existed, and the glue that holds all those pieces together.
מצבה שדיים
את
ים וניתן
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בחרתי שיך ברת ל יכולה
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Batia Mitrani Givat Shmuel, Israel מרתון עם השברים המתאימים אקריליק על קנבס עם קולאז׳ של עלי כסף ,עלי זהב ושברי מראה 45x55 cm 5,900 NIS Artist Statement
נעה -אישה שהיא עולם ומלואו ,אמא ,ילדה ,אחות מרפאה -חלתה בסרטן השד. בשיחות בנינו הרגשתי את כל האופנים שמרכיבים אותה ויותר. תהליך העבודה החל מיד לאחר שיחתנו הטלפונית הראשונה ,שיחה כללית ,בה נעה תארה את מצבה הבריאותי ,את הטיפולים והניתוחים שהיא עוברת ומה יהיה עליה עוד לעבור. לאחר שסיימנו את שיחת הטלפון ,נגשתי לחימר ויצרתי שישה פסלים של נשים קרחות חלקן עם שדיים וחלקן כרותות שדיים המביעות קריאה לעזרה ועצב כבד. עבודה זו מתארת את הרגשות שעברו אצלי לגבי נושא סרטן השד. לאחר מפגשים והכרות אינטימית עם נעה ,יצאה יצירת אומנות שנוצרה בלהט ,ממעמקי הבטן וזאת בעקבות משפטים שנעה חזרה עליהם מספר פעמים המתארים את תחושותיה- נעה תארה הרגשה של כלי שבור לרסיסים שלאט ,לאט היא אוספת את השברים ,חלקם מתאימים וניתן להדביק ולחבר אותם מחדש וחלקם כבר לא מתאימים כלל. כשסיימתי את עבודת הקולאז׳ -אגרטל שבור בדמותה של נעה ,התחלתי מיד יצירה חדשה אותה בחרתי להציג בתערוכה .היצירה מתארת את נעה -אישה יפה ,שמחה ,אופטימית ,צבעונית הרוצה להמשיך במירוץ קדימה ,לרוץ בשדות הישוב ,לרוץ את מרתון ירושלים הקרוב ,לרוץ את החיים .נעה מחברת את השברים המתאימים ומציגה לעולם את נעה החדשה שעברה קושי ,עצב ,כאב פיזי ונפשי אבל יכולה ורוצה להמשיך להתקדם ולכבוש ,להיות אישה חזקה ולשים את עצמה במקום הראשו
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Zivia Shavit-Brunschwig & Hefziba Shuali Zivia Shavit-Brunschwig Jerusalem, Israel Survivor Twist on Cancer: At the age of 22 I was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Back then I was in the middle of building my life in a new country, Israel. During the two years of treatment I met death twice when two women, to whom I got close to in hospital, died from Lymphoma. But I held myself strong, didn’t let myself go, didn’t let the pain, the fear interrupt my will to live as I lived before. After being cured I had six wonderful years in which I met my husband, gave birth to a child and felt more alive than ever. Then it hit me again, but in a different way. The treatments caused my knee joints to fall apart and from one day to another I found myself in a different reality. In a reality of a disabled and dependent woman, between crutches, wheelchair and the immense pain of walking a few minutes. My story is about learning to adjust long term to the challenges and new situations in life. Finding a way in this new reality of doing the things I’ve loved the most (walking, getting to peaks of mountains etc) differently and not how I would have imagined them before. But still allowing myself to grieve for what I’ve lost.
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Hefziba Shuali גבעת אולגה Artist Statement ”“Pain Matrix Life Sculpture עיקר העבודה שלי מתבססת על מפגשים בלתי אמצעיים עם אנשים .אנשים ומקום .מקום ואדם והתולדה של שניהם .לעיתים ,אני פוגשת אדם במציאות ולעיתים רק בתוך ראשי .המפגש עם ציביה היה מוחשי וקיומי .הרגשתי את הלב שלה ואת הכאב שהיא עוברת .דיסוננס בין חוץ ופנים .יכולתי לדמיין את כל התחושות .רציתי לתת להם גוף ומקום .החומרים איתם אני עובדת הינם חומרים מחיי היומיום .המציאות של החיים החומריים והשברים שלה .המחשבה שמניעה אותי היא לחשוף את השברים ולחפש דרכים חדשות לאיחוי .מה הם החיבורים האפשריים בין חומרים? חומרים מן הטבע והחוץ וחומרים מתוך הבית ,שבירים .מעניין אותי להביא לידי ביטוי מצב נפשי או פיזי, באמצעות חיבור בין שני סוגים של חומרים ,או ליצור פעולה שאינה תואמת את סוג החומר .בעבודה זו ,אני מנסה לחשוף את מה שמסתתר מבעד .מבעד ומתחת לגוף ,מבעד לדימוי ומעבר למילים עצמן .ראשית הייתה המחשבה לעבוד דרך החלל של בית אנדרומדה עצמו .באחת הפגישות שלי עם ציביה שוטטנו כאן ,בבית אנדרומדה .דימינו את הבית לאדם .שלוש קומות .הקומה המרכזית שבה -חיים ,היא מלאת חלונות ובפנים -אוכל ,שתיה ,שיחות חולין .הקומה התחתונה -יצרים, תחושות קשות ואפלה ובעליונה -מרחב ,נשימה ,עצמיות ושחרור .האם הנתיבים שלנו פתוחים לנוע בין הקומות של האישה שאני? ומה אם אני מתקשה ללכת ,לטפס במדרגות או מתה מפחד לרדת למטה? קיבלתי החלטה קשה ,שלא לעבוד מבחוץ פנימה .הדף של ההוראות איך לפעול כאילו נעלם לי ועכשיו ,אני צריכה להמציא את הכל מחדש .הכלים שהכי אהבתי נשברו .הדרכים שהיו מוכרות לי ,כעת איני יכולה ללכת בהן .ההכרה בכאב עצמו ,מולידה את ההכרח להמציא חיבור חדש.
האריג שימש ,בימי הטיפולים ,ככיסוי ראש .הכוס נשברת בשעה של חוסר תשומת לב.
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Rachel Marie Hodas & Arlene Bonnet Rachel Marie Hodas Tel Aviv, Israel Caregiver Twist On Cancer: Cancer has infected my life for over 15 years. All my immediate family has had cancer, and almost all have died from it. My mom who has been on chemo for 8 years, is still fighting. I have been a physical, long-distance, and emotional caregiver; and as an only child (of an only child) it has been a very lonely and exhausting journey. I may not have physically been ill, but cancer emotionally and mentally tears into the loved ones with equal ferocity. But as a caregiver, we become lost in the shadows. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t receive the same support and often deal with emotional abuse. Sometimes we give up our jobs, apartments, lives. We move states or countries. Our identity is changed. Our purpose changes. But when our loved one dies, that anguish and relationship with cancer does not end with their death. The Brushes experience has been a positive one for me. I formed a genuine bond with my artist, Arlene, as she listened to me share my heart-breaking experiences for hours. She gave validation and empathy to me. I became the [in] focus, instead of in the shadows.
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Arlene Bonnet Cherry Hill, New Jersey “Rachel’s Coat” Watercolor/Gouache 25 1/2 x 19 1/2 1,700 NIS Artist Statement: “Wear the world as a loose garment, which touches us in a few places there lightly.” -- St. Francis of Assisi Rachel has been a selfless caregiver for both her father, and mother. Lymphoma took her father, cancer claimed her grandparents, and her mother requires ongoing treatment today. Rachel is a lovely, vibrant woman, whose life, like the coat depicted in her painting, is rich in texture, color, movement, and deep emotion. I wanted Rachel to be visible in this piece, as those who provide care to others in need, are sometimes lost in our remembrance of difficult journeys through cancer. I wanted to capture the beauty of Rachel’s spirit through the aural colors that I saw around her as she told her story, and the wholeness she seeks as balance in her life, as represented by the spherical shapes. I have long painted (only) flowers, to remember their character, and story, as told by their strength, their appearance, damaged or not, and importance of the role of every flower in the landscape. I chose flowers on Rachel’s Coat as a metaphor for the variety, and vibrancy, of life experiences. She holds a flower to symbolize her care for her mother, and flowers that fell from her coat represent loss. The many flowers on her coat are the wishes that I have for Rachel’s future happiness. I feel blessed to have become a small part of her life, and to celebrate her.
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Shani Shmueli Naor & Daphna Markmann Zalman Shani Shmueli Naor Yakum, Israel Caregiver Twist on Cancer: The reason I decided to take part in Twist on Cancer over 6 months ago was to emphasize the importance of community support throughout the battle with cancer. As a wife of a cancer fighter and a mother of relatively young children for the first time in my life, I understood very clearly that I would not be able to be there for my husband, Eran, and my children without accepting help and support from others. It started with daily meals lovingly prepared by our community and delivered to us and continued with innumerable other gestures of kindness. Constantly asking how we were coping/feeling, how Eran was feeling, and how they could help us was one of the most touching acts of kindness we have ever experienced. These different acts of support and friendship made me feel we were not alone. It was made very clear to me that any difficulty I might encounter could be resolved with just one phone call. Our friends took turns at the hospital when I stayed home with the kids and they stayed with the kids when I was at the hospital. This gave me some peace of mind, strength and literally breathing space to focus on us while trying to overcome this life-threatening challenge to Eran and its effect on our entire family. The community support we received continued for almost a year until Eran passed away unexpectedly three months ago. Our fight for recovery had failed and our hearts are broken, but we have gained a promise of something positive , an inspiration that I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the words to describe just yet.
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Daphna Markmann Haifa, Israel markmanzd.wixsite.com/daphna-markman 9. “A family” 10. “In the desert” Water-color, 70x50 cm and 50x65 cm. 4,200 NIS Artist Statement: My acquaintance with Shani began while her husband Eran was hospitalised in intensive care. Our first meeting was in a cafe in the hospital. Our conversation was open and intimate from the first moment. I was lucky to meet Shani as my inspiration because I felt deeply connected to her in no time. Shani was full of hope and optimistim. She wanted our work to focus on the helpful community who held her “above the water” during Eran’s illness. Unfortunately, 6 days later Eran died. Our next face to face meeting was during the Shiva. We felt that our project should change direction and concentrate on mourning and perpetuation. The first painting is based on a photo of the family in the fields of Yakum, the kibutz they all were born in. The second painting is based on a photo of Eran explaining about the desert which he deeply loved and enjoyed hiking with family and friends. I was deeply touched by the meaningful process of getting to know Shani as a friend and an inspiration. I am sure we shall keep in touch as friends in the future.
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Rivka Farkas & Summer Anderson Rivka Farkas Efrat, Israel Survivor Twist On Cancer: Over the course of 10 years I had multiple biopsies, removing a persistent ‘spot’ that kept showing up on my tongue. Biopsy #5 caught me off guard. I was so used to having “that thing on my tongue” and now it had an official name. Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
7 years ago I was diagnosed with oral cancer, had surgery, and entered a new zone. Since I didn’t have chemo or radiation treatment and never looked like I had cancer, it took me years to even use the word cancer referring to me. I had this thing, it was removed, it came back, it was removed, more biopsies, tremendous pain and suffering, another surgery. Only now, after 7 years (and having my last surgery 8 months ago), I am able to say I had cancer. I can say now that not only did I enter a new journey in life, it has become me. It’s an inseparable part of who I am. I’ve embraced it, it’s made me- today’s me. I learn daily how to live with it. “That thing on my tongue” has taught me how to thrive, how to be stronger, how to overcome. It has made life more meaningful. It has made me more inspired. It has taught me to love and appreciate my family and friends more. It has taught me to enjoy things even more, and to see every detail around me. And I love it all. Summer Anderson Tel Aviv, Israel This artist’s statement was not ready in time for publication.
Brushes with Cancer
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This image was not available at the time we went to press. Look for it at the exhibition.
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Ruty Chachewshwily & Marloes Hakkers Ruty Chachewshwily Ashdod, Israel Survivor Twist on Cancer:
ואני כבר שנתיים23- חליתי לקראת יום הולדתי ה.26 אני רותי בת,היי ליהנות, המחלה עזרה לי להבין שצריך לנצל כל רגע בחיים.בריאה ולהגשים את כל החלומות
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Marloes Hakekrs Tel Aviv, Israel “RUTY” Acryllic 80x80 3,600 NIS I have been signed up with Ruty and I could not have been happier.
From the first moment I met Ruty I was blown away by her positive attitude. In all this time I never have heard her say a negative word. I think that is amazing and shows so much character. Ruty did not have an easy life. She faced many challenges in these 26 years. But she fought like a lion and is a true warrior. While getting to know Ruty it was obvious to me that the painting needed to be bright and full of color. A very important part of Ruty’s life is her dog Wolf, so of course he could not be left out. I wanted Wolf to be portrait as a protecter, to keep all harm away. I choose to paint Ruty on the beach, on a somewhat stormy day. I want people to see the clouds and the rough see for the challenges that she faced and still is facing. But also to show her positive attitude in life by looking at the cloudless part, into the light. I positioned Ruty leaning on a stone to represent the hard lessons learned. Even though Ruty is a warrior, there are things you will always carry with you and I did not want that to go unnoticed .Overall I tried to put as much Ruty as I could in one painting and therefor I could not call this painting anything other than RUTY.
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Nir Degani & Judy Levin Nir Degani Jerusalem, Israel Survivor Twist on Cancer: Cancer has forced me, and still does, to face, each time anew, my deepest, worst, darkest fears regarding life, death and myself. And in each time it does, it allows me, with all the inevitable pain involved, to see the surprising beauty and new possibilities thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on their other side. Every loss that cancer has cost me, had also granted me with a new, wider, deeper perspective on myself and on life. It allows me to be constantly closest to Essence as possible, and to be able to ask and wallow in the most challenging questions of life, death, meaning, identity, relationships, love etc. It taught me how, no matter what the circumstances are, there is always room for a rich, fulfilling, investigative, loving, graceful experience. Usually, even more so than before. It taught me that sometimes the worst, scariest experiences hold the greatest evolvement and the most profound grace. And so, more than anything, cancer taught how to give up trying to control lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unfolding, and to learn evermore to trust it, and to let go of any ideas I may have on how it should be, what I should be in it, and where to it should go. To let go of ideas of goal, purpose, ideals, successes and failures, while instead to enjoy the ride and be grateful on what it encompasses for me, be it pleasant or difficult.The more I do so, with cancerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dedicated help, the more content, happy, free and fulfilled I acknowledge myself to be.
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Judy Levin Bersheva, Israel Judylevinoriginals.com “Building a New Day” Hand painted textiles, commercial textiles 70cm X 50cm 850NIS Artist Statement: The moment I met Nir, I was I knew that I was in the presence of a unique, incredible human being. By the age of 31, Nir had gone through three bouts of cancer treatment, a double mastectomy and a rare case of cancer spreading to her skin. She had already lost her mother to breast cancer when she was 14 years old. From our first meeting I was amazed at her willingness to share her experiences and insights into her experience with cancer.Nir’s experience led her to pursue her dream of studying dance, where she discovered passion, endurance and strength gained from all her body and soul had been through. This piece is inspired by Nir’s incredible spirit and life-transforming journey. The medium of fabric and hand stitching evokes quilts—protection and warmth. Nir and I painted some of the fabric together.The gray background represents the diagnosis of cancer, which casts a pall over one’s life. The large uneven pieces evoke the destruction caused by cancer and its treatment. And finally, the small, “dancing” bricks show the building blocks of a new self-image and approach to life. Nir’s life now is colorful, joyous and serene. She embraces just being, and the love that she gives and receives from those around her. I feel truly honored to have the chance to share Nir’s story and to make a wonderful new friend. I continue to learn so much from her.
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Elisheva Naginsky & Anne Schlachter Dagan Elisheva Naginsky Giv’at Shmuel, Israel Survivor Twist on Cancer: The main lesson I learned from my encounter with cancer is to love myself and make myself a priority. As a proud mother of three charming kids and a wife of a loving partner, it was quite easy for me to put “myself” and my needs aside. Cancer reminded me of how eager I am to live ,to be happy, to experience, and to love! And so, I stopped fearing and dared trying a lot of new things. One of the most amazing things I discovered during my journey was that I somehow intuitively did all the “right” things I read about later in books written by and about cancer survivors. From the very start I took charge of my medical care. I created my own support group on Whatsapp, which contained friends and family, people who cared and wanted to help. Before the surgery I left on my computer letters for my loved ones just in case, it helped me go into surgery calm.I continued my sports routine: swimming, gym, yoga, running and even added horse riding.I started painting. Most of my life I was sure I had no talent for painting. Lately I discovered I do-thanks to cancer.I started dancing in a special dance group which is a kind of a “feeling lab” where I fly with the music. I’m sure all these things and my positive attitude contributed to my recovery. Our life motto now is “whatever makes me happy”.
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Anne Schlacter Kibbutz Parod, Israel www.anneschlachter.com “About Life” Oil on Canvas Vita 3,000 NIS Artist Statement: Life is so unpredictable. Meeting Elisheva reminded me, again, to put things in proportion.Her need of living the life, the full life, after her experience with cancer is inspirational. We had adeep connection right from our first conversation. It felt like I was talking to an old friend. We also spoke about art and discussed this painting. This portrait is of Elisheva. She is wrapping life around her, trying to meditate and find her true self in it.The observer can feel a conflict between painful and peaceful feelings. The scar, on one hand, which resulted from her surgery is dominant. On the other hand, she is embracing it with her two hands and has a peaceful look on her face.The choice of the color green symbols life, growth, peaceful and serenity. A use of one color in this painting is to communicate my perspective on the visual side of it - I am fully colour-blind and see the world in shades of gray. 34 brushes with cancer Tel Aviv Program Book-with Hebrew periods.indd 34
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Aliza Ainis & Ofer Katz Aliza Ainis Tel Aviv, Israel Caregiver Twist On Cancer: I have learned to be a stronger person, more independent, and resilient. It has also made me realize the compassion I have for other. It has strengthened my relationships with my family and friends. Having my family and friends by my side throughout this time in my life was really important to me and showed me how much of a support system I have.
Ofer Katz Tel Aviv, Israel Things I wanted to tell you - Mark and Aliza Ainis at The Dead Sea” 100/70 cm Medium Oil on Canvass 4,140 NIS Artist Statement: Aliza lost her father to cancer after a long struggle with the disease. He past away on her highschool graduation.During our conversations, Aliza mentioned that one of the things she misses most since her dad is not around, is the fact that she can’t tell him about what’s going on with her life. In my work, I wanted to create a scene that manifests the absence of conversation, but with a presence of deep paternal love.
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Alona Metz & Rebecca Sigala Alona Metz Tel Aviv, Israel Thriver Twist on Cancer: On September 7, 2012 my life was forever changed. In the months that ensued, I experienced fear, uncertainty and loss. Not only did I have breast cancer, but I found out that I carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, which puts me at high risk for ovarian cancer as well. I went through a year of brutal treatments and surgeries, including IVF treatments and a double mastectomy and reconstruction. I did whatever I had to do to survive and managed to keep a positive attitude. It was only after the dust settled that I could really take stock of what happened. While in many ways I’ve moved on with my life, there are losses that remain and memories that cannot be erased. And there are still obstacles that lie ahead. Rebecca not only helped me to feel beautiful despite my scars, but to feel proud and strong. Sharing my story with her in such an intimate and creative way gave me a way to pay tribute to those losses and memories, but also to remember that I am so much more than cancer can ever take away from me.
Rebecca Sigala Tel Aviv www.rebeccasigala.com “Alona” 35 mm Film Alona 01- 1,800 NIS Alona 02- 1,800 NIS Alona 03- 2,500 NIS
45x67cm 67x45cm 80x53cm
Artist Statement: From the moment I first spoke to Alona, I knew that our paths were predestined to cross and that the work we were about to embark on together would be powerful.The process that Brushes with Cancer lays out for their participants helps the artist and person touched with cancer the opportunity to connect on a deep level. Being a boudoir photographer who primarily takes intimate photographs of women, I know that there are few things more beautiful than healing through an artistic medium. Through phone calls, in person meetings, video chats, lots of notes and an equal amount of tears, I got to know a gorgeous, sweet and enchanting woman. After being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 28, which is the same age I am now, Alona went through a journey that changed her forever. I feel honored to have been able to glimpse into her world and what it really felt like to be battling breast cancer. I think my newfound knowledge and understanding of her journey is something that will continue to inspire me for years to come. The three photographs I created represent femininity and inner strength. They represent Alona’s love of nature. They represent life and a higher power, and sparks of hope, even when you are entangled in the branches. The last image, with Alona behind the almond blossoms, represents renewal and freedom. To me the photograph encapsulates the infinite beauty that I see in her, even more so with her physical and emotional scars. I am forever grateful for Alona as a human being, our connection, and for the blessing of learning even more about myself through this incredible experience. 36 brushes with cancer Tel Aviv Program Book-with Hebrew periods.indd 36
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16. Alona 1
17. Alona 2
18. Alona 3
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3/6/2018 10:02:41 PM
Maya Shany & Collin Reiff Maya Shany, Tel Aviv, Israel Survivor Twist On Cancer: I have learned a lot about myself over the past 5 years while living with metastatic breast cancer. Being diagnosed at the age of 26 has its unique challenges. While your close friends are defining their career paths, getting married, having kids etc. you have to find a balance between “normal” life and hospital visits/sick days/side effects. My biggest challenge has been to understand that I have new limitations and that I can still find alternative paths and succeed. Interestingly, one can actually feel most alive during hardships and want to take full advantage of that feeling. But, in order to move forward I let myself feel the full spectrum of emotions. I turn to creativity each day as life is full of grey areas that don’t follow a binary system and I always make sure to have something to look forward to. My close friend sent me an article about tolerating uncertainty and I turn to this quote often: “reframe[ing] uncertainty as a surmountable challenge rather than as a threat”. I would never be where I am today without my family, friends, and all those that love, challenge, support, and listen. It is the people in our lives that give it meaning and help us get through the toughest situations.
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Collin Reiff Atlanta, Georgia â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mayaâ&#x20AC;? Oil on Canvas 91.44 x 91.44 cm 1,250 NIS Artist Statement: The painting, Maya, attempts to capture the love, the courage, and the uncertainty experienced by Maya, during her five-year journey with breast cancer. Maya is centered in the painting with universal religious iconography, partial lotus position, halo around her head, and hand of benediction, to capture her beauty, wisdom, humility, kindness, youth and ability to unify and protect others. The venus flytraps running across Maya are carnivorous plants trying to cannibalize the healing butterflies that surround her. The snake draped across her, half wrapped around her neck, represents the subtle but lethal threat of cancer that lingers in the background of daily life. The jaguar in the foreground symbolizes Mayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong, courageous, and resilient spirit that gracefully forges through beautiful and challenging life experiences. Pink is woven throughout the painting as it is the official color for breast cancer awareness. Working with Maya has been an eye-opening, humbling and inspiring experience that has fostered self-growth and a new-found friendship with an amazing person.
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3/6/2018 10:02:42 PM
Ofri Dadon Katz & Kerrin Lubash Ofri Dadon Moshav Mazor, Israel Survivor
Twist On Cancer
במרץ ,2017קמתי מוקדם בבוקר מכאבים שפקדו את גופי .כאבתי .פחדתי .נבהלתי .הופתעתי .שבוע קודם לכן ,עברתי בדיקה לזיהוי גוש שגיליתי במקרה ,ע“י מישוש עצמי ,ולא תיארתי לעצמי לאיזה מסע ,אותו גוש ייקח אותי .המסע התחיל מלווה בחששות ,בפחדים ובחוסר וודאות .גיליתי שהגוש הוא גידול סרטני, שהחליט לגרום לי לעצור את חיי ולהתרכז אך ורק בו ,בעצם בי .נזכרתי שבסוף כיתה ו‘ ,בספר המחזור של ביה“ס ,כתבו עלי חבריי ”רצה כמו צבי ולכן שמה עפרי“ וכמה שזה סימבולי לחיי .אני לא זוכרת רגע שבו עצרתי לנשום ,אפילו לא ידעתי שלאוויר יש ריח ,לשמש יש טעם והרוח משמיעה קולות .הבנתי ,שהגוף החליט להשתלט על הנפש העמוסה שלי ולקחת פיקוד על המערכת כולה .באותו הרגע ,נזכרתי באריה הפנימי שלי .הרי הוא מלך החיות והוא שולט בכל הממלכה ,הממלכה שלי .האריה הפנימי שלי מלווה אותי כל החיים -כשפחדתי מהחושך כשהייתי קטנה ,כשלמדתי אנגלית ולא הבנתי מילה ,כשהתאהבתי בילד שאותי לא רצה ,כשטיפסתי על הרים ונשמתי נעתקה ,כשדהרתי על סוסים ופחדתי נורא וכשהגיע אותו גידול סרטני ,שגרם לי לעצירה .האריה שלי לקח אותי לשיחה ,הוא הסביר לי שגם כשיש רעמה גדולה, רגליים יציבות ,אומץ וחוזק ,מותר להראות שהנפש חלשה ,כואבת ופוחדת .הוא קרא לכל העדר ,שהגיע בדהירה והרגשתי איך אני עטופה בחום ובאהבה .העדר הזכיר לי שיש לי כוחות ויכולות ונתן לי אנרגיות להמשך המסע .לאחר זמן מה ,הגוף התחזק ,הגוש נעלם והאריה הפנימי שלי ,נופף לי לשלום וציין שהוא לא בורח ,הוא פשוט צריך קצת מנוחה .נותרתי אני ,נרגשת ,מפוחדת ,מופתעת ,מאושרת ,אהובה ואוחזת בידי בענפים ופרחים שאספתי לי במהלך המסע.
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Kerrin Lubash Tel Aviv, Israel www.instagram.com/kerrinlubash “Flame of the Lion Inside Me” Painting 100x100 cm, 250 NIS Artist Statement: From my childhood I learned that you should always be happy about what you have. I never understood the meaning of this until I started working with Brushes with Cancer. During this project I was introduced to a new world and a new approach to life. Thanks to my partner Ofri Dadon, she taught me how to reintroduce the concept of “joy in life.” In the course of my work, I have relearned the value of life and the idea of valuing everything that exists. If people have gone through this difficult disease with optimism and joy, who are we to continue to cry about nonsense? Ofri always had an inner lion inside of her. It was a beautiful golden lion, with a mane the colors of the fire. During the course of Ofri’s illness he would come from the shadows and the darkness and burst out. I took the black background as inspiration from the painting “The Black Square” by the Russian artist Kazimir Malevich - symbolizing the end of the painting. I compare the end of the painting to death from the disease, which is the source of fear.
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Ravit Kukui & Nirit Gilad Ovadia Ravit Kukui Israel Survivor Twist On Cancer: Ravit’s Twist on Cancer was not available at the time of publication.
Nirit Gilad Ovadia Haifa,Israel “Blooming Again is Only A Matter of Time” Oil base pencils on paper 54.5/49cm 6,900 NIS
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Artist Statement : Blooming again is only a matter of time. Two years ago Ravit’s life dramatically changed. The cancer caught her off guard when she was in full bloom, “a super woman” according to her definition. As a real super woman, she managed to overcome cancer. However, in the process of coping with the disease, the cancer transformed into a chronic disease. In my conversations with Ravit, I always got the feeling that she is continuing to maintain a glimmer of hope. She shared with me her old dream of being a dancer, therefore I have decided to paint her daughter in a dance movement. Indeed, the head is leaning down in the painting, but the hands are raised upward as if striving for growth, The whole body posture of the dancer seems to be parallel to the flower with its stem and buds. In my vision, while observing nature, we absorb the inspiration and reinforcement towards optimism. In nature we see a cycle of blooming, that occurs every time anew. Even in a period of falling, it is known that the flowers will bloom again when the time comes.The buds also seems like they envelop a hidden dream which will be exposed when the time comes. Blooming again is only a matter of time.
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Lisa Wilcox & Matan Oren Lisa Wilcox Jerusalem Survivor Twist On Cancer: Cancer has given me a great deal of clarity in terms of what’s important in life. It is a great gift, a wise teacher. It reawakened a certain type of innocence towards my approach to living, to follow dreams and to respect the profoundly precious nature of time.
Matan Oren Tel Aviv www.matanoren.com ”“Negev Painting 69X48X13 6700 NIS Artist Statement: הציור עוסק במפגש ובעיבוד של זכרון .ההזזה של הציור מהקיר מאפשר פתיחה של חווה זו למפגש מורכב שמכיל זווית מרבות ואפשרויות צפיה שונות .התזוזה של הצופה מול הציור כמו מפעילה אותו ומאפשרת לו להיות כחלק מהיצירה .זו עבודה שנולדה מתוך שיחה על הפיכה של זיכרון מהעבר לעתיד והרצון להפוך חוויה טובה לדרך חיים טובה -
הציור נע בתנועה חופשית בין יצוגים של טבע ותרבות .מתעכבים על רגעים של מעַבר ,בין הבית לגן ,בין החוץ לפנים או בין מעל למתחת לפני השטח .לרגע מחזיק בדימוי מוכר ובאותו הרגע גם מאבדת אותו. אינו זקוק עוד לצילום ויכול לדייק את עצמו לחוויה ,לזיכרון ,למוכרות ולהרגשה .הציורים מתפקדים כמונומנטים של אי-זכרון ואינם מתחברים למקום וזמן מסויים,למעט לרגע ייצורם למפגש שבין אדם ליצירה. הציור שלי אינו מכיל טיפה של מציאות מלבד עצמו ובכל זאת העומד מול הציור יראה גן ,הר ,נוף .והוא יחשוב שהוא היה שם ,והיא תגיד שפעם עברה ליד המקום הזה ,ואכן עכשיו היא שם אדם מול יצירה.
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Vital Zinger & Nisim Ben Aderet Vital Zinger Rishon LeZion, Israel Survivor Twist On Cancer: In 1987, when I was 6 months old, I was diagnosed with a rare type of Neuroblastoma. I underwent countless chemotherapy and radiation treatments for 2.5 years. Round after round, I was a sweet smiling baby undergoing intensive treatments in the form of “adult” doses. I’m a cancer survivor, but I feel that my “Coping with cancer” story belongs mainly to my beloved parents who courageously fought my cancer for me. Their coping with my cancer is the first and most important life-lesson I have ever learned: Never to lose hope, and to always think positive and fight hard until overcoming the obstacle. Being privileged to survive the cancer keeps me in proportion all the time, and makes me appreciate and enjoy every minute of every day. I’m thankful for everything I have, and I always aspire to have the fullest and the most interesting life while I live. Before I beat it, my cancer injured my spinal cord so I remained paralyzed in my lower body, and as someone who had to learn how to fight for her life even before learning how to walk, I grew up to be a strong social activist and a justice fighter for accessibility and integration of people with disabilities in different fields of life. Naturally, my life-mission has become to help people to cope with their own personal struggles and to remind them that in life - It’s better to learn how to dance in the rain, than to wait for the storm to pass!
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Nisim Ben Aderet, Tel Aviv Marker on Canvass, 140X130 CM ”“WHAT IF EVERYONE WAS JUST LIKE ME 22,888 ILS Artist Statement נגישות -זה המושג ,התחושה והוויב שחקרתי בציור זה .מהרגע שפנו אליי להשתתף בפרויקט זה, מצאתי את עצמי מוטרד מעניין הנגישות .מנגישות הלב שלי לחומר ועד לנגישות חיצונית ,כמו ״איך ויטל תעלה אליי לדירה ,שנמצאת בקומה ,3בלי מעלית?״ כמו לרבים אחרים ,הקרבה לנושא הגבירה אצלי את הפחד .הפחד להתמודד עם השונה -אדם עם נכות ,אדם עם מגבלה .אחרי המפגש עם ויטל, הדבר האחרון שאפשר היה לומר ,זה שהיא אדם עם ״מגבלה“ .הרבה זמן ,לא הכרתי אדם כל כך מעורר השראה .אדם שכולו אש ויצירה ,שמאתגר את עצמו תמידית ולא מכיר את המושג ”לא“ .מתוך המפגשים שלנו ,הבנתי שאין בינינו שום הבדל ושאם כבר ,מבין שנינו ,אני האדם עם המוגבלות .אני מגביל את עצמי תדיר עם כבלים פנימיים ,בלתי נראים ,אשר הופכים אותי לנכה ממש. תהליך היצירה שלי מונע מחקירת קו שחור יחיד ,על גבי בד קנבס לבן .הציור מתחיל מהנחת העט על גבי המשטח הלבן ,אשר ממנה מתפתח עולם מורכב של דפוסים ותבניות – הפעם ,תוך כדי שאני חוקר עולם בו יש ביטוי פנימי וחיצוני לכולנו .כל אחד והגלגל שלו .ככל שיותר ויותר דפוסים נרשמים ,יותר אפשרויות תלות-הדדיות נחשפות ,באופן אשר מבטל היררכיות חזותיות .כמו בחיים .כמו שהיה קורה כנראה ,אילו היינו כולנו אותו הדבר .הפיגורות מתקיימות זו לצד זו ,כמו מרחפות ,מציעות לעין לנוע בהן עד אינסוף .או כמו תשובתה של ויטל על שאלתי אליה :״מה היה קורה אילו כולם היו כמוך?״ ותשובתה הייתה :״בעולם שבו כולם היו כמוני ,אנשים לא משותקים ושלא ניידים בכיסא גלגלים ,הם אלו שהיו נחשבים לבעלי הצרכים המיוחדים .חחחחח״
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Judi Hetzroni & Irit Bahalul Judi Hetzroni Moshav Herut, Israel Survivor Twist On Cancer: As a busy mother of two small children, I thought that the pain on my tongue was just a canker sore and it would go away in time. But it finally got so bad that I went to an Oral Surgeon. He sent me to the hospital for a biopsy the next day, right away. A week later I got the results of the biopsy. Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Stage 2. My surgery was a few weeks later, just before my 30th birthday. I had about half my tongue amputated and an implant created from skin, muscle and blood vessels from my arm as well as a neck dissection, removing lymph nodes and a salivary gland to further test for cancer. A couple of months later I went through treatments, chemotherapy and radiation. My recovery was difficult, painful and scary. I had to learn to eat and talk all over again. The fear of the cancer coming back is crippling and depressing. It completely takes over. Since my recovery, I realized that I want to help others in similar situations. It’s so important to have someone to talk to, someone that has already been where you are. So I share all I can, tell my story in hope of reaching out to others who need the support. I had so many questions go unanswered when I was diagnosed. Whenever someone reaches out to me, as sad and scary as it is, I know I helped them and gave them answers, courage and hope.
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ה״כוח
צת
גע
תי את
Irit Bahalul Iritסדרפ Bahalulהנח רוכרכ פרדס חנה כרכורתרייצ לולהב תיריא( קובסייפב( השלישית״ןיעה״ ״העין״תישילשה /קנווס מעורבת טכניקה הקינכט תברועמ סוונק/ 60x80 60 x 80 cm 1,750 1,700 NISNIS Artist Statement מפגשים עם ג׳ודי המקסימה ״האירו״ לי בעיקר את יכולת ההתבוננות ,ההקשבה וההבנה כמה ה״כוח העצום״ שמחלה/קושי/התמודדות מאפשרים לחיים להתנהל בעוצמה. יצירתי ״העין השלישית״ נולדה לאחר הבנה שככל שמשחררים ולא נאחזים בדבר היצירה פורצת מאליה .אותה ״עין״ טומנת בחובה מטאפורות רבות. העולם המצרי הקדום הוא אהבה של שתינו. בתחילת התהליך יצרתי בחומר ה״שעם״ שזהו החומר שבשנתיים האחרונות אני יוצרת בו .וברגע אחד אחרי תהליך של כמה חודשים על יצירה בשעם ,הבנתי שהרכות והעדינות והמשפחתיות והאופטימיות של מי שעומדת מולי ,צריכה לבוא לידי ביטוי בחומר אחר ועברתי לקנווס .צילמתי את עבודת השעם והדפסתי ואז התחילה העבודה ה״רכה״ באקריליק. ברוך נעים של נתינה רכה ועוטפת .אין ספק שעברתי תהליך מעורר השראה עמוקה.
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Deb Zaluda & Neta Margalith Deb Zaluda Chicago, Illinois Previvor & Caregiver Twist On Cancer: They say knowledge is power. Im still not convinced – upon learning that I was a BRCA carrier my first thought - how could I do this to my daughgters?! Both daughters, being very supportive, said they were glad we knew and that they would both get tested. And unfortunately – one of my daughters is also a carrier. Each time she needs to get tested/screened I feel awful that she has to deal with this for many years to come. While BRCA results in a greatly increased likelihood of breast or ovarian cancer, neither of these has been present in my family, though seemingly that is irrelevant. Chances of these cancers is increased and testing/screening is imperative. Big burden for my daughter to carry. Still – my daughter is glad she knows. This is only the second half of my story - as the first half is all about my relationship with cancer as a caregiver for both of my parents, each of whom lost the battle way too soon, and within two years of one another. And here too, the role I played as a caregiver had an impact less on me and more on my family - especially my daughters who were both relatively young and who both were impacted as a result of the many hours I spent away from home and the fact that they too had to watch their grandparents whom they loved dearly be ill and ultimately die. Yet here too they were happy and to this day remain happy that they had the time they had with them. What I would want others to know about my story as both a caregiver and a previvor is that one can always find the upside. Its about the lens through which we view the world. As a caregiver, I was given the opportunity to spend time with each of my parents that I would never trade in for anything. Life has a way of getting in the way – and in this case life presented an opportunity. As a previvor – I guess I have learned that its ok to have the knowledge – and in my case, it gives me the chance to help others who have been afflicted with the same knowledge.
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Neta Margalith Hula Valley/Hudson NY planeta.site “Open Doors” Oil on reused wood 75X45X14 cm 2,700 NIS Artist Statement: Different waves take us to different flows. Sometimes you float and sometimes you dive deeper. I felt like I got the chance to catch the same wave when I connected with Deb. I am so happy she allowed me to dive deeper with her. “Open Doors” represents the layers of depth, the mystery a story has, and the way you choose to involve yourself in it. From listening to a “perfect picture”, I was curious and honored to explore more. Here I found a story about parenthood, about the position of a child and parent, and what happens when we all get older- together and apart. By the time more doors opened to a different world, we found at the end that they are all connected as one.
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Stav Stein & Igal Fedida Stav Stein הפיח Survivor Twist on Cancer:
של חיי .פגשתי בה את אחד הפחדים הגדולים ,הפחד מהמוות , מהסופיות של החיים שלי .הסרטן שם לי את הפחד הזה מול הפנים. ברגע אחד איבדתי שליטה על החיים שלי .כל מה שתכננתי וחשבתי שאעשה נעצר בין רגע . יחד עם רגשות החרדה הקשים שהציפו אותי ,התחילה לבצבץ לה גם תחושת הודיה .קודם כל, הרגשתי שהצלחתי להציל את עצמי בכך שהקשבתי לגוף והלכתי מיד לבדוק את המשהו המוזר שהרגשתי בשד .כל יום שעבר התחזקה בי תחושת ההודיה על כך שאני חיה ,שאני נושמת ושהגוף שלי חזק .האמונה בגוף ובנפש שלי עוזרים לי לעבור את התקופה המאתגרת הזו . לקחתי את כל הסרטן הזה לא רק כתהליך רפואי שהגוף שלי צריך לעבור ,אלא בחרתי גם במסע נפשי .התמקדתי בנפש שלי קודם כל דרך הגוף .כל חיי רקדתי ועסקתי בתנועה .מתחילת הטיפולים התחלתי להתבונן בגוף דרך מדיטציה שלמדתי ,ניסיתי כמה שיותר לנוע עם הגוף ואמרתי בכל יום תודה למכונה המדהימה הזו שנקראת גוף האדם על כך שהיא מצליחה לתפקד ולזוז למרות כל הטיפולים הקשים .הסתכלתי על עצמי במראה ,ובאופן פרדוקסלי ,למרות שהטיפולים שינו את המראה החיצוני שלי לגמרי ,התחלתי יותר לאהוב את מה שמשתקף בעדה . התחלתי להתפעל ולהתרגש מכל משוכה שהגוף שלי הצליח לעבור לאורך הטיפולים ,מכל לילה שעבר בשינה טובה ,מכל בוקר מלא אור שמש ,מכל ריח טוב של פרח חדש בגינה שלי ... הצלחתי לבקש עזרה ותמיכה מהסביבה שלי ובכל יום אני מודה על האהבה שאני מקבלת מהם . המסע הזה גורם לי להביא לידי ביטוי באופן יותר חופשי את מי שאני ולהגיד בקול מה מתאים לי
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Igal Fedida Miami, Florida www.igalfedidacom “Circle of Life” Mixed material on metal. 24x35 10,200 NIS Artist Statement: I happened to meet Jenna at one of my art exhibitions in Philadelphia during the summer of 2017 .Once I learned about her story it was natural for me to want to contribute to this beautiful cause. “Circle of Life” is the result of a unique encounter with amazing young lady named Stav who used every fiber of courage,intelligence and spirtuality to fight back and hold on to life.”Circle of Life” has many symbols that tell the story of Stav and how her life has intertwined with mine. Endless hope,-endless wisdom,- all holding on to the circle of life. The passion to live and love all aspects of beauty through poetry and art.
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Shunit Youngerman & Dana Ben Nun Shunit Youngerman & Dana Ben Nun שונית יונגרמן קיבוץ אייל מנצח Twist on Cancer היי ,שמי שונית יונגרמן. כיום ,אני בת 30ומתגוררת בקיבוץ אייל שבשרון. לפני כשנה ושמונה חודשים ,גיליתי שאני חולה בסרטן השד .המחלה התגלתה באופן מאוד מפתיע ובזמן הכי לא צפוי .עבדתי בעבודה מספקת ,למדתי לימודי חינוך והייתי אמורה להתחיל ללמוד תואר בקרימינולוגיה .בנוסף, הייתי מאושרת במקום שבו הייתי ,מהזוגיות שהייתה לי ,הכל הסתדר בתבנית הנכונה עבורי .גילוי המחלה ,הדבר הלא צפוי הזה ,הכניס אותי לרכבת הרים-רגשית מטורפת ומאוד מהירה ובגיל , 29נאלצתי לכרות את השד שלי, בעקבות המחלה .הרופאים לא השאירו לי ברירה ולכן ,נאלצתי להיפרד לשלום משלמות גופי ,שכה אהבתי. לאחר הכריתה ,התגלתה תפנית במחלה וכל מה שחשבו ,הוכח אחרת .התברר ,שהסרטן שלי יותר מופשט ואלים משחשבו ולכן ,נאלצתי לעבור טיפולי כימותרפיה והקרנות ,טיפולים מאוד מאסיביים וקשים .למרות כל אותן תפניות קשות ,לא נתתי למצב לשבור אותי .היה לי ברור שאני נלחמת .נלחמת עבורי ,עבור המשפחה שלי ,עבור הזוגיות שלי .נלחמת כדי לחיות. הסרטן הזה לקח ממני הרבה דברים .הוא לקח ממני את החופש שלי לעשות כרצוני ,את העצמאות שלי כאדם בוגר ,את האור הנוצץ שהיה לי בעיניים ולבסוף ,גם הזוגיות הלכה לה .אבל כל זה ,לא עצר אותי ולא עוצר אותי גם היום ,ואני ממשיכה להילחם על כל רגע שיש לי עם הסביבה הקרובה והאהובה שלי ,ואני ממשיכה לרצות ולעשות את כל אותם הדברים שעושים לי טוב וממלאים אותי באושר .היום ,כשאני בשלבים האחרונים של הטיפולים ,אני מגלה את עצמי .מגלה את השינוי שעברתי עם עצמי ,כאדם .מגלה את החוזק שלי לעמוד מול האתגרים הקשים, שהחיים מציבים בפניי .את הרגישות שבי .ההבנה לאחר .הקבלה והבגרות שיש בי .מגלה את הרצונות החדשים שלי .השאיפות והחלומות .אני יודעת שכל יום ,הוא יום חדש שמלא באפשרויות והזדמנויות ואף ,גם בהתמודדויות .ואני רוצה להאמין ,שיש בי את כל היכולת לנצל את כל הטוב שיש ,ולהתמודד בחוזקה ובאומץ ,מול כל דבר שיבוא, בדרך שלי. אני מודה מאוד על כך שניתנה לי האפשרות להשתתף בפרויקט שכזה ומקווה להצליח להעביר את המסר שלי ,לכל אותן נשים באשר הן ,אשר עדיין מפחדות לעשות את הצעד הכה חשוב וללכת להיבדק.
. שלכם, , שונית יונגרמן
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Dana Ben Nun Tel Aviv, Israel “Shunit’s Tree” Oil on Wood 20x25 6,000 NIS Artist Statement I was paired with Shunit, who just finished therapy for breast cancer. From our first meeting, I felt that our connection is right and interesting, even when shunit’s stories were hard to hear. We set our meeting at Kibutz Eyal, where Shunit was raised, and where she lives today. When we walked around the dining hall, a tall tree came into my view. I asked Shunit about this tree. “Well, this tree”’ she started answering “a few years ago, a storm hit the Kibutz and all of the big trees fell down to the ground. This is the only tree that survived. Its branches were hit, but it survived, and now it is growing again”. The analogy was just out there, as clear as it could be. The tree is Shunit. This could be a landscape painting, but for me this is a portrait of Shunit. It was my luck to meet Shunit and to connect. She is my inspiration, and not only for this painting.
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Lem Lem Abato and Hana Or Chen למלם אבטה מושב נטע החלמתי בימים אלו ממש
Twist on Cancer היום ,אני יודעת שחלק ניכר מהסיבות למחלתי הן התחושות הכואבות של פרידה וגעגוע לאבי היקר, אשר נפטר ונשאר קבור באתיופיה ואף הטראומה אשר נגרמה לי ,מכך שבעישון לילה של ליל שבת, נלקחנו מביתנו מבלי לדעת לאן ,כחלק ממבצע העלייה הגדול של יהודי אתיופיה ,מבצע שלמה. התחושה של חוסר שייכות וחוסר בשורשים ,חדרה עמוק לתוך כל חלקי גופי והתפשטה בי ,במהלך כל שנות חיי .תחושתי היא ,כי זהו הזרע של מחלתי. רק כאשר הכרתי את חנה אור-חן ,הבנתי את אשר אני מבינה עכשיו .בעזרתה של חנה ,הבנתי מהם הגורמים למחלתי ומה עלי לעשות ,על מנת להבריא .התהליך שלנו החל בחיפוש פנימי עמוק ,שיחות ארוכות וטיפולי טאטא הילינג .היום ,אני מרגישה מחוזקת ובריאה ,שמחה ומלאה .המחלה ’הדליקה לי אור‘ על כל אותם הדברים ,שהייתי כנראה צריכה לחפש בתוכי ולעבור והפכה אותי לחזקה יותר ,מאמינה יותר וטובה יותר .אני אוהבת את החיים ,את המשפחה שלי ואת היקום ,אשר עוטף אותי בטבע מרפא ,שדוחף אותי בכל יום מחדש.
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חנה אורחן
מסננת עבודת פיסול בחימר ומתכת 48ס“מ קוטר 25 /ס“מ גובה * 3יחידות NIS 5000 שמי חנה אור-חן ,ממושב שקף .אני אומנית בחמר ומטפלת בטטה הילינג ,עוסקת בחומר ורוח .מזה שנים רבות ,אני חשה שיש בי את האנרגיה לעזור ולטפל באחר .אני רואה בזה שליחות וחיזוק יומיומי עבורי ,לא פחות ,מאלה להם אני עוזרת. מהיכרותי עם הרב קובי לוין ,רב הישוב נטע ,נתבקשתי על ידו לטפל בשתי נשים חולות סרטן ,מקהילתו. את תהליך העבודה בפרויקט זה ,בחרתי לעבור עם למלם ,מתוך למידת סיפורה האישי ,ומזה מספר חודשים ,אנחנו עוברות יחד סוג של תהליך טיפולי .בתחילת התהליך ,למדתי להכיר את למלם ומסיפוריה הבנתי ,שהיא עלתה לארץ בגיל 13מאתיופיה ,במסגרת ’מבצע שלמה‘ וחוותה פרידה קשה מאוד מאביה ,שנפתר באתיופיה .געגועיה לאביה לא הרפו ממנה ,ומתוך הטיפול התבהר לה ,שזו הסיבה למחלתה .עיקר עבודתנו התמקדה בדמיון מודרך והרפיה מהייסורים ומהפרידה הקשה. במהלך הטיפול ,חשבנו לנטוע עץ זית בחצר הבית ,לזכרו של אביה של למלם .בעת הנטיעה ,למלם חפרה את הבור במו ידיה ורגליה היחפות הידקו את האדמה .בכך ,התחברה לנוכחות אביה סביבה. את שם היצירה ’מסננת‘ בחרנו יחד ,לאור החוויה שהייתה כרוכה בטיפול -סינון והפרדה של ממידי הזמן בחייה של למלם וגם לאור ההבנה ,שבחייה היא ערבבה את העבר עם ההווה ובכך ,מנעה מעצמה לחיות חיים מלאים בהווה עם בעלה ושבעת ילדיהם. ביצירה ,גוף המסננת עשוי חמר גס ,המביע את הקושי של ראשית חייה של למלם ואת הזיכרון השבטי שלה ,מילדותה .הרשת ,עשויה מתכת ,כסמל למודרניות וקדמה .החיבור בין החומרים ,מתאר את האמביוולנטיות של למלם במסע חייה .הידיות ביצירה מסמלות את השליטה בסינון ממדי הזמן ,בחייה של למלם ,במטרה להביא להבראתה.
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Orit Maman Rada & Monica Azagury אורית ממן כפר חגלה Survivor Twist on Cancer להכרת עצמי .מסע שבו הסרתי מסכות .מסע שבו בחרתי כל מחשבה ,כל חבר ,כל מטפל ,כל אמונה ,כל עשייה .שמתי לב למערכות היחסים שלי עם כל הסובבים אותי ,שמתי לב לאוכל שאני אוכלת ,שמתי לב לפחדים שלי ,שמתי לב לכאבים שלי ,שמתי לב לחיים שלי .שמתי לב למה שחשוב באמת ,לאהבה .כיום אני בהודיה ענקית לחיים האלו שלקחתי כמובן מאליו ,אני מוציאה לעולם יומן בריאות ובו דפי עבודה ליצירת מציאות ובכלל מיני הנחיות לפעולות שמביאות ריפוי ושלום עם עצמינו .ביומן גם יהיה הסיפור שלי ,סיפור שבו אגלול את המסע שלי והתובנות שלי .אני בהודיה על הפרויקט המרגש הזה שבו מוניקה ציירה אותי ,את החיוך שלי .החיוך הפך לסימן ההיכר שלי ,אני מחייכת מלוא הפה והשיניים ,חיוך שפעם הצנעתי ולא עוד.
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.Monica Azagury Haifa Israel www.artbymonix.net “Orit’s smile” Oil on canvas 80cm x 100cm 3,600 NIS Artist Statement: Orit’s smile was the first thing I noticed on our first meeting! Orit’s smile should be an inspiration to all of us! Even when a cloud of dark illness has loomed above her, that smile, that genuine smile, full of gentle determination is like a beacon of hope! After a couple of meetings, I came to think of Orit as a radiant person full of color and light, and through our long talks I learned we share the same admiration for blue skies and the hope they represent. The painting though at first might look like just another portrait is full of symbolism like the open window, the blue sky the dark side of a smiling face, that part of any person that has gone through a serious illness that will forever remain partly in the shadows. But most of all the painting is about the smile and the bright light Orit brings into the lives she’s touched.
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In Loving Memory Of Our Inspirations Who Are No Longer With Us May Their Memory Always Be For a Blessing
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