Clarina brought one of the most fragile objects to the workshop.

“I think it’s a part of a Jewish tradition. As far as I remember Jewish people had these dolls. I used to teach crafts in the late 1990s. My student was an 80-year old lady who lived alone. I would go pick her up at Montabèrdè and walk to the school where I taught my classes. Her eyes were still 100% sharp.”

“As time went by I helped this lady with a number of things like going to the doctor, paying the electricity bill, buying groceries, etc. The lady used her acquired knowledge from the craft classes to make art and sell it. She would walk around in the neighborhood and sell her products. With the money she made she had a front porch built in her house.”

“She was always very grateful to me and not just for the assistance with everyday tasks. She wanted to pay me back for everything I did for her, and then she gave me this doll. Her mother had received it as a gift from the Jewish family she worked for. The lady didn’t have any children.”