Kiddush Art & Raffle: Meet, Explore, Win

Welcome to the Kiddush Art Project, launching on November 29th! This special initiative proudly features five talented DN artists: Joel Troster, Claire Levy-Boker, Lenka Lichtenberg, Irit Bretholz, and Minda Davis. On this page, you can discover each artist’s unique vision, explore their inspiring work, and learn about the themes and techniques that define their practice.

We invite you to meet the artists in person at Kiddush or join us online to engage with their creative journeys. Plus, don’t miss the opportunity to enter our online raffle for a chance to win the artwork of your choice from these incredible artists.

Explore the art. Celebrate the artists. Be part of the creativity.

Meet the Artists and Their Creations

Art Form - Woodcrafting

Joel Troster

 

I am a retired software engineer who now finds my days are busier than when I was working. I am chair of the Shomrei Adamah committee at Darchei Noam. I also spend some of my spare time doing my hobby of woodworking. I have a small shop in my basement where I make lots of different things out of wood.

I make bowls of various sizes, Torah yads, matzoh boxes, Chanukah menorahs, challah boards, charcuterie boards, end grain cutting boards, cheese slicers, and engraved Hamsas. I also can make engraved plaques for B’nai Mitzvot with excerpts of their Torah reading and plaques honouring a wedding. I am on Facebook where you can see a lot of my past work in my Woodworking album. 

Retail value: $100.

Art item: Chanukah menorah made of walnut

 

Retail value: $100.

Art item: 3 piece set — vase and 2 bowls

 

Art Form - MIxed Media

Claire Levy-Boker

 

My art is my voice — my word, my song. The canvas is where my truest self emerges.

When I paint, I step out of the concrete world and into a realm of colour and abstraction — bold, untamed, alive. Textures and hues become my language, expressing how life is never smooth or bland. Like my taste in music, my art shifts from the soft to the wild, the tender to the strange. It sings of love and beauty, of quirkiness and shadow, of bounty and stillness.

Inspiration finds me in moods and moments — in nature, in stories, in the work of others — yet most often in my own shifting emotions. I work with acrylics, inks, clays, and found materials that invite touch and light. Glitter and sparkles dance through my resin pieces like constellations in the night.

It has always been difficult to explain what happens when I create, but one word rises again and again — freedom. Art speaks when words fall short. It is my exploration, my declaration, my way of saying: this is how it feels to be alive.

Art Form - Music

Lenka Lichtenberg

 

Born in Prague, Lenka performed in musical theatre from childhood and studied classical music at the Prague Music Conservatory. After escaping the Communist regime, she arrived in Vancouver and earned her B.Ed. from UBC and a Master’s in Ethnomusicology from York University. She taught music at Toronto Metropolitan University while raising three children and is a regular service leader at Congregation Darchei Noam.

 

Lenka tours internationally with her acclaimed solo show The Secret Poetess of Terezin. Her albums include Thieves of Dreams, Feel With Blood: Echoes of Theresienstadt, Yiddish Journey, Songs for the Breathing Walls, and Sheynville Express. Thieves of Dreams won the 2023 JUNO Award for Global Music Album of the Year, inspired by her grandmother’s writings from Theresienstadt. Since 2020, Lenka has lived on a farm in Eastern Ontario with her husband and two rescue dogs, balancing touring, farming, and community life.

Retail value: $80.

Art item: Set of 5 CD's

 

Retail value: $80.

Art item: Framed Limited Edition Print

 

Art Form - Printmaking

Irit Bretholz

 

As a multimedia artist, my creativity has been employed for painting landscapes as well as portraits, pottery, printmaking, sculpture, photography and much more. After retiring from a long and satisfying career as an Occupational Therapist, I studied visual arts at the Central Technical School and later at York University. I am also a member of the Hill Potters‘ Guild where functional pottery and clay sculptures are my main focus.

Art Form - Ceramics, Pottery

Minda Davis

 

Minda has worked with clay for many years, beginning with evening classes with Isolde Rest on Markham Street in Toronto’s Mirvish Village as a creative break from corporate life. A member of the Hill Potters’ Guild in Richmond Hill, she continues to learn and create among fellow potters. Her mid-fire porcelain pieces, both functional and beautiful, are oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe, and can be found at Guild sales, various shows, and the Gardiner Museum shop.

 

“Although I have done both hand building and wheel work, I am now working primarily on the wheel. and enjoy the feel of the clay as it moves into simple, graceful shapes that are both pleasing to hold and see and are useful.

Lately, I have been trying out some new glazes and firing techniques with the hope that they add to but do not distract from the shapes. I am inspired by the spirituality of being one with clay as it moves from potential to actuality.

My hope is that I can continue to explore the medium and that others will enjoy having my pottery as much as I enjoy making it.”

Retail value: $160

Art item: Set of 3 - Plate and 2 Mugs

 

Support the Shabbat Kiddush — Win Beautiful Art!

Between November 29 and February 5, purchase your raffle ticket(s) for a chance to win the artwork of your choice! Tickets are just $18 each, or save with a special offer of 3 for $50. Every dollar raised directly supports our Shabbat Kiddush Lunch program, helping to bring our community together in warmth and celebration.

Join us in supporting this meaningful cause while having the opportunity to bring a beautiful piece of art into your home. Your generosity makes a real difference — thank you for being part of this wonderful project!