Special New Year Calendar from JDC-ESHEL: Drawing Grandmother and Grandfather

As in previous years, JDC-ESHEL’s (The Association for the Planning and Development of Services for the Aged in Israel) has designed a calendar that reflects the organization’s efforts and actions for the well being of Israel’s elderly. This year, the Israeli Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, the Ruth Youth Wing of the Israel Museum and JDC-ESHEL joined together in organizing the contest "Drawing Grandmother and Grandfather." The contest, held in schools throughout Israel, targeted children ages 4 through 13. Children from schools throughout the country submitted more than 1,000 drawings. The children represented the diversity of Israeli society and its educational system: secular public schools and the religious public system, Arab settlements and from special education schools.

Thirteen of the pictures were selected to create this special calendar for the Jewish New Year 5765. Many of the other paintings submitted will comprise a special exhibition at the prestigious Jerusalem Theatre in October.

The contest, calendar and exhibition demonstrate JDC-ESHEL’s efforts to nurture and strengthen the relationship between the generations. They reflect JDC-ESHEL’s greater efforts to act on behalf on the elderly, to strengthen their self-image and their position in society and improve their quality of life. The partnerships of the Israeli Ministry of Education and the Israel Museum indicate the importance of the endeavor.

The rich colors, the excitement and the playfulness, as well as the sadness that are reflected in these children’s images are warm, optimistic, and joyful, and they draw their power from the past, the present and from the future. For more information about the calendar, please contact Israel@jdc.org.

Please click here for a slideshow of the CHILDREN DRAWING GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDFATHER calendar.