Feature
Beth Okeon wears the jewelry that
inspired her two quilt squares.
Memphis to Israel
By Melinda Lejman
As part of Jewish Community Partners’ (JCP) yearlong celebration of Israel’s 70th birthday, JCP launched a community
art project. “Patchwork Perspectives: the Memphis-Israel Quilt” is a collection of 70 squares of fabric, each thoughtfully
designed by a member of the Memphis Jewish community in honor of the founding of Israel.
JCP distributed fabric to Bornblum Jewish
Community School, Margolin Hebrew
Academy, Plough Towers, PJ Library, Memphis
Jewish Home & Rehab, as well as to individuals
throughout the community, asking every
participant to create an original design that
reflects their personal connection to the land
of Israel.
Contributors designed beautiful scenes,
included words of inspiration, and added
artistic touches with paint, markers, beads
and even metal. Local artists, lay people, day
school students and Jewish professionals
all joined the fun, lending their talent and
creativity to create a beautiful quilt that
evokes the warmth and vibrant fabric that
makes up the Memphis Jewish community.
One contributor was inspired by jewelry she was
given that came from Israel. “I first heard about
the project while displaying at the MJCC Arts
and Crafts Fair in December,” says Beth Okeon.
“I don’t work with fabrics often, so this was an
opportunity for me to use a new medium – and it
was a good excuse to buy new supplies from the
art store!
“I made two squares for the quilt, and I didn’t
realize until asked about it, but both were
modeled after necklaces I was given from
Israel,” she continued. “On one square, I made
a gold and silver Star of David, and I adorned the
other square with 70 doves of peace.
“A family friend gave me a gold Star of David
from Israel when I was a young child,” she
explained. “I wore it nearly every day. In
fact, someone recently stopped me in a store
and said, ‘I know you, we went to first grade
8 September 2018 I www.jewishscenemagazine.com
together!’ I asked how he recognized me, and he
said he remembered the necklace. Likely, I was
the only kid at Woodland Presbyterian School
wearing one.”
On a trip to Israel, Beth’s mother bought a silver
dove-of-peace necklace made by a jewelry artist
and brought it home to Beth’s grandmother,
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