her garment worker’s card, which
I scanned into the piece, covered
with glass and painted with fabric. A
lot of pieces have to do with sewing
because my grandmother and the
ladies she worked with were always
sewing men’s suits.”
Mandel believes such strong fam-
ily connections not only resonate
with her but everyone.

“The show was about my growing
up as a Jewish woman with Jewish
values and putting that into my
artwork,” she said. “People I knew
and who knew of me said it was a
really valuable experience for them
because they could see into my
soul. People who knew me got to
know me even more personally, but
also people who didn’t know me
could use the exhibit and explore
their own families and ancestry.”
As much as she enjoys displaying
her work and selling some of it,
Mandel is engaged in a few ven-
tures she considers her tikkun olam.

“I have this after-school program,
the Stained Glass Project, where we
teach high school kids how to do
stained glass work,” said Mandel,
who partners with Joan Myerson
Shrager on the program now in
its 18th year. “For any child in high
school who wants to come to the
program every week for a year, we
give them carfare, snacks and teach
them how to do stained glass.

“They design and execute win-
dows for a designated place. Some
are in South Africa. Some in Ojibwe,
Minnesota, and New Orleans. All
are places that need inspiration.

Our kids have done over 125 win-
dows all over the world. This year
we’re making windows for a place
in Detroit.”
She’s also been engaged in
“Souls Shot,” a program that makes
portraits of people lost to gun vio-
lence for their families.

“It’s been a really powerful pro-
gram for me personally and for the
community,” she said. “The portraits
are exhibited, and sometimes we
get to meet the families. There’s
such a heart behind it that it really
Happy Hanukkah!
Wishing your family peace
and light this holiday season.

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