42 | AUGUST 22 • 2024 

Local artist helps Israelis 

heal through sand art.

Art
Healing

as

ABOVE: Kaplan relayed directions 
via Zoom on how to use sand and 
adhesives to create art. 
RIGHT: Israeli directors manning the 
art tables in a family park.

Gail 
Rosenbloom 
Kaplan

ARTS&LIFE
ART

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

G

ail Rosenbloom Kaplan of 
Farmington Hills is a multi- 
media artist who gives time 
and professional leadership to build 
community-healing projects. 
Some projects have reached out to 
children in Michigan hospitals, and 
one project was at the center of flying 
her to a Haitian orphanage before 
gangs took control of the country. 
Most recently, she used Zoom to 
connect with an Israeli program 
helping those recovering from 
terrorist attacks. 
While reading an article in a 
publication offered by Hadassah, 
Kaplan learned about the Koby 
Mandell Foundation, named after 
a terrorist victim, which sponsored 
Israeli programs geared toward 
healing. It was the basis for her 
deciding to add her own instructive 
talents to what was being offered. 
A University of Michigan art 
graduate who has taken part in 
professional interests for some 40 
years, Kaplan suggested functional 
projects that involved working with 
15 colors of sand and sticky board 
surfaces. 
She expressed her ideas to the 
Israeli people in charge, and she 
communicated her ideas and 
approaches in a Zoom meeting that 
showed techniques to instructors. 
Funds to support project supplies 
were collected from Kaplan’s 
neighboring donors who wanted to 
remain anonymous. 
The original article Kaplan saw, 
“Community Can Save Us,” which 
prompted her to think about how 
to design with sand and adhesive 
materials, infused the way she 
demonstrated how different objects 
can be made with those materials 
and how Jewish symbols and various 
images can be put on dishes, trays 
and other designs.
“In Israel, they have a large 
gathering of people in a park-like 
setting, and they have many different 
activities that participants can do,” 
Kaplan said. “The goal is to use art 
as healing in a way that gives them 
something of interest to think about. 
“Some people use dance or writing 
or music to achieve the same goals, 
but my work is about using art in 

the healing process. In working with 
children in hospitals, I found that art 
is a way to give troubled youngsters a 
different focus than their illnesses.”
Kaplan’s concern for providing 
art interests to Israeli victims of 
terrorism first prompted her to think 
about those facing loss and injuries 
to family members of participants, 
but she moved on to those who lost 
precious personal property. 
She decided that the individuals in 
healing workshops could design some 
new items for their homes.

SUCCESS IN ISRAEL
“Our counselors ran the art table and 
showed how to use the materials,” 
emailed Eliana Mandell, who helps 
with the programs in Israel. “About 
200 families have taken part in our 
projects.
“These activities allow our 
participants to create and use 
their hands while giving them the 
opportunities to sit down and relax 
and talk to each other.”
Mandell made observations 
as she evaluated the various 
programs offered to those who 
have experienced the severe distress 
brought on by terrorist attacks and 
needed coping techniques.
“We incorporated an art table on 
the day we had for families before 
Pesach where they could create sand 
art that was Pesach-related,” Mandell 
said. “It was a day with rock climbing, 
laser tag and great food.
“The purpose of our programs is 
to bring bereaved families together 
to allow them the opportunity to talk 
and connect and heal together. The 
art table that Gail helped provide 
allowed the families the opportunity 
to connect while creating beautiful 
objects at the same time.”
Kaplan hopes to have more Israeli 
projects with the help of donors.
“It feels good to know that our 
community is reaching out to help 
through art,” Kaplan said. 
“It feels good to know that the arts 
are a way of healing. I provide the art 
supplies as well as financial support.” 

For those interested in supporting more healing 

projects in Israel, contact 

kobymandell.org. (201) 699-9944.

