Summer Arts Workshops for Adults

The reviews are in, and they are terrific.

“One of my favorite days off ever!”

“Informative, engaging, and FUN!!!”

Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council and the Sabes JCC teamed up in July and August of 2015 to produce a series of four summer arts workshops for adults. The playgrounds were the banks of the Mississippi River, the shady gardens of The Landscape Arboretum, the avenues of Minneapolis’ North Side, and The Marsh in Minnetonka.

Each workshop explored an encounter with nature, one or two art forms—from drawing and cooking to collage and photography—and an exploration of personal belief.

In the words of Laura French, writing for the American Jewish World: “Why should kids have all the summer fun? This year grown-ups can enjoy the creativity, camaraderie and natural beauty of a summer day-camp experience.” The thirty participants came from an unusually broad spectrum of backgrounds; their ages spanned early-20s to mid-80s.

“The Spices of Life” launched the series with interactive visits to three cultural institutions on the North Side—Homewood Studios on Plymouth Avenue and Cookie Cart and Appetite for Change on Broadway. Whether the subject was painting, cookie dough, or a great beet soup, each of these cornerstone organizations showed how all the arts enrich the community in which they thrive and can empower individuals to live a more balanced, healthier life.

“One with Nature” put pencils and brushes in the hands of its participants. Masterfully guided by teacher Lynda Monick-Isenberg, the participants learned to look more acutely, to pay attention to their bodies through simple yoga poses, and to let their hands connect with their observational skills. A gorgeous Minnesota summer day in the gardens of The Arboretum gave everyone plenty to look at and draw.

“Mysteries of the Mississippi” combined preservationist Aaron Rubenstein’s intriguing stories of the social history of the river in downtown Minneapolis with artistic opportunities to capture the colorful natural landscape and wildlife which live on the water’s shores. Cameras, pens, torn paper, and collage were all used—under the guidance of artist Susan Armington–to evoke the watery passage of St. Anthony Falls, the secluded backwaters of the river’s small tributaries, and the Mill City Ruins.

The series concluded at The Marsh with “Skin & Bones and Everything in Between,” led by palliative care physician, artist, and storyteller Joel Carter and textile artist Beth Barron. Using personal experience as a starting point for discovery, the participants found unexpected ways to tell their individual stories using found objects, beads, paint, wood, and fabric.

Did you miss the workshops? The full list of past events is below.

We can’t wait to bring you more information about Rimon’s next arts workshops. Until then, visit rimonmn.org to keep up with how this Federation initiative is promoting and enhancing Jewish identity through art of all kinds.

IMPACT: A Jewish Summer Camp with International Flavor

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Every summer, 1,300 young Jews from 20 countries travel to rural Hungary to attend Camp Szarvas. Funded in part by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a Federation partner agency, Szarvas merges the fun of sleepaway camp with the celebration of Jewish peoplehood.

For many campers, Szarvas serves as their first encounter with Judaism. Founded in 1990 to help Jews in Europe seeking a return to their roots after the fall of Communism, Szarvas continues to help the many Jews still exploring their Jewish identities. Through swimming and Israeli dancing, campfire sing-alongs and soccer games, campers learn about their Jewish heritage and form lifelong friendships that span the globe.


#60DaysMJF Images for E-mail and Blog (10)In Their Own Words: From Szarvas Campers to Jewish Leaders

“Because of Camp Szarvas, I knew at age 12 that I wanted to work with the Jewish community…This background helped me become a part of the team that worked on opening the first Jewish elementary school in Croatia (and the former Yugoslavia) since WWII.”
Maya Cimes, Jewish Educator, Croatia

“[At Szarvas], I discovered that Jews were living not only in Israel and Bulgaria, but in dozens of countries around the world. The Jewish summer camp experience helped me clarify my identity and made me strive for more knowledge about our history and traditions. I will never forget that at Szarvas I had my Bar Mitzvah – an important Jewish milestone that I probably wouldn’t have had back at home.”
– Martin Levi, JDC Program Coordinator, Bulgaria

“I come from a mixed marriage; my mother is Jewish and my father is not….Growing up, I wasn’t really aware that I was Jewish, because it wasn’t something mentioned in our home. Szarvas helped develop my Jewish identity and it affected a lot in shaping me into the person I am today.”
– Mina Pasajlic, Co-Founder Haver Serbia NGO, Serbia

You can help children locally and abroad experience the joys of camp today in three ways:

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