Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/911869
November 30 • 2017 39
jn
became very interested in religion
while attending West Bloomfield
High School. She got involved with
youth groups, including BBYO and
USY, and went on to join Hillel at
Michigan State University, where she
majored in sociology.
Work placed her in religious
camps and schools. At the Jewish
Community Center, she was
assigned to an inclusion program.
Later, she was a Judaic and arts
teacher at Camp Ramah in the
Berkshires. While in college, she
taught religious school at Kehilat
Israel in East Lansing. In New York,
she had assignments at Temple
Emanu-El and the Stephen Wise
Free Synagogue.
"I was always just a few steps
ahead of my students because I was
learning," says Wohl, who had her
bat mitzvah at Temple Kol Ami. "I
wanted to learn more so I could
teach more and decided to go to the
Jewish Theological Seminary in New
York for a master's degree in Jewish
education."
Wohl worked as the educa-
tion director of Oheb Shalom
Congregation in South Orange, N.J.,
and religious school director at
Congregation Brit Shalom in State
College, Pa. Her husband, Joshua, a
rabbi, is completing his contract in
Pennsylvania while she establishes
herself and their two sons — Sam,
11, and Micah, 7 — in Oak Park.
"My mother, Harriet Schwartz,
and my grandmother, Mollie
Berkowitz, were both artists, and
there always were art supplies
around the house," recalls Wohl,
who mostly works with acrylics on
canvas but also uses cut papers to
enhance her designs. "I always was
drawing, but since taking a summer
painting class in high school, I have
not stopped painting."
Although she had planned on
becoming a social worker, Wohl
changed her mind after an intern-
ship at the Agency for Jewish
Education in Bloomfield Hills, where
she assisted with special education
programs.
Wohl's first instance of combining
art and teaching was for her mas-
ter's thesis as she took adult stories
from the Talmud and turned them
into children's stories.
"My husband, who also is from
Michigan, and I decided moving
back to the area would be the right
move for our family," she says. "I'm
in transition but continuing to
explore art and being creative. I'm
looking forward to finding other
creatives to share learning and
working experiences." •
details
To purchase Julie Wohl's
artwork and books or
commission an original
piece, visit juliewohl.com
or look for her pages on
Facebook and Etsy.
Noah's Ark (artwork can be personalized with a child's name)
3947 W. 12 Mile Rd., Berkley 248-543-3115
Plush Animals
Arts & Crafts
6DOH(QGV
Ride On Toys
Dolls Stollers Buggies
Furniture Doll Clothes
=i\\ =i\\
=i\\ =i\\
=i\\
:fe :fe
:fe :fe
:fe
m\e`\ekGXib`e^ m\e`\ekGXib`e^
m\e`\ekGXib`e^ m\e`\ekGXib`e^
m\e`\ekGXib`e^
=i`\e[cp