good people, just a moment!

sephardi 

sephardi (ladino) 

ashkenazi 

moroccan

juhuri/kavkazi

bukharian

“Dance of the Swallows”

Swallows are remarkable birds. We see them almost every day, which is probably why we often stop noticing them. They live close to people, building their nests under the roofs of houses, barns, schools, and kindergartens, as if trusting us with what matters most—their young.

This diptych was inspired by the swallows that have lived for years near my children’s kindergarten. They built their nests right on the children’s veranda, so close that the kids could watch tiny heads appear from the nests and little beaks open wide while waiting for their parents to bring food.

For the teachers, it was not always easy. They had to look after not only the children but also the swallow families. Young children do not always understand that baby birds should not be touched, taken from the nest, or disturbed. Sometimes the best way to help nature is simply to leave it alone.

What always amazed me was the courage of these birds. Despite the noise, movement, and dozens of children playing around them, they kept returning to their nests again and again.

In these paintings, I placed them among the branches of weeping willows. In the region where I grew up, willow trees were everywhere. They grow quickly, create beautiful shade in summer, and become especially magical when the wind moves through their long green branches. And when swallows weave through those branches, an ordinary summer day becomes something unforgettable.

Perhaps the most precious memories are made of moments just like these.

Glad everyone realized that we pioneered a superior cooking method though.

Another big one was eggplants, the Inquisitors refused to believe any good christian could eat eggplant because they were first introduced by the moors.

A 36-foot-long, 3000-pound golden lion is trucked down the San Francisco Embarcadero, passing by the Bay Bridge, on its way to appearing in a 1994 production of Rossini's Otello at SF Opera (source)