The work of our preschoolers explored the concept of kehillah – community – through the lens of collaboration.
This spring, the JCCGW’s Goldman Art Gallery hosted two exhibits that illustrate that the Center is Here for Life.
Much more than an art show, the exhibit “Kehillah Revisited: Expanding the Concept of Community” reflected the story of life in our school told through the work, photographs and words of JCCGW Preschool and TK students, teachers and families. It explored the meaning of kehillah, our community, through the lens of collaboration. How do young children collaborate? How do they see others in their world? How do they share their ideas or transform them based on dialogue with others? How does collaborative work enhance learning?
“The exhibit fulfilled our vision of honoring the collaborative work of our children and sharing this work with our families, the JCCGW community, and the many educators who came from Jewish preschools around the country to learn from our approach,” said Sandy Lanes, JCCGW Early Childhood Education Curriculum Director. “We have all been inspired by the joy in our children as they led their family members through the exhibit, proudly explaining their thinking and learning.”
Visitors to “A Lifetime of Perspective” were awed by the amazing talent of our community’s senior adults.
No sooner did the work of our preschool children come down than the work of our senior adults went up. The exhibit “A Lifetime of Perspective: Art by Older Adults” featured the amazing works of our community’s amateur artists age 65 to 100.
Chaired by Karen Kaplan, “A Lifetime of Perspective” was created by Deena and Jerome Kaplan and their family in memory of Deena’s parents, Eve and David Berliant. The exhibit is underwritten by the Kaplan family, the JCCGW’s Deena and Jerome A. Kaplan Fund for Senior Adult Programming, and the Berliant/Kaplan Fund of the United Jewish Endowment Fund of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
“The Kaplan family’s ongoing support for this special exhibit is deeply appreciated,” says Debbie Sokobin, senior adult services director. “It provides a warm and intimate venue for our senior adults to showcase their considerable talent and creativity, and is an amazing exhibit for the entire community to enjoy.”
