Image of the Week: Lighting Candles in Istanbul
© D. Yael Bernhard
A dear friend of mine took off for Istanbul this week, her final destination Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where her daughter lives and is about to give birth. My mind wandered to that part of the world during the long hours of her flight, and this illustration from my picture book Around the World In One Shabbat (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2011) came to mind. This book takes young readers around the world in the cycle of a single Sabbath, depicting the customs and rituals of this weekly holiday which honors the day of rest that crowns the seven days of Creation, and is held sacred among Jews everywhere. The illustration shows a modern Jewish family lighting the Sabbath candles as the sun sets over the Bosporus Strait, the body of water that divides Istanbul between Europe and Asia. Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents.
Jews are very much a minority in Turkey, which is 99% Muslim. Yet my editor and I decided to include this scene in the book as an example of a diminishing Jewish population. All over the world, the Jewish Diaspora is constantly changing. Over the course of thirty centuries, populations of Jews have swelled and shrunk with the rise and fall of whole civilizations. Yet the Jewish people have survived and maintained their traditions through families such as this one who bravely preserve this continuity.
In keeping with tradition, the mother has draped a lace scarf over her head while reciting the blessing over the lighting of the candles – a task that is given to women. The Sabbath table is decorated with flowers, a loaf of challah, a Kiddush cup of red wine, and a platter of fruit. Turkey is known for its beautiful lace, so I framed the illustration with a border of lacy curtains. The silver candlesticks are also typical of Turkish decor – in fact, everything I researched about Turkish clothing, art, and architecture was beautifully ornate. Father and son wear fancy embroidered vests and kippot (Hebrew for skullcaps, or yarmulkes in Yiddish) – their special garments for Shabbat.
Architecture was an important part of my research for this book, as this is what creates a sense of place in each setting. In this background, the red-tiled roofs of Istanbul are depicted in 3/4 view in order to lend a sense of dimension to the cityscape that descends toward the water. Several mosques and minarets are visible in the distance.
One of the most challenging aspects of writing this book was figuring out names for the characters. What would a 21st century Jewish family in Istanbul name their kids? Names go in and out of style as quickly as fashion trends. After searching in vain on the internet, a friend in Israel connected me with a rabbi in Istanbul, who was nice enough to speak to me on the phone. His English was excellent, and he talked very fast! To my surprise, he suggested the names David and Leila – both quite common here in the U.S. "It's just like New York!" he said. I rather doubted that, but David and Leila it was for the brother and sister shown here.
The hands held horizontally over the flames depict a gesture of gathering the light toward oneself when lighting the candles. Following the blessings, these parents go on to bless their children, a minhag (custom) that I find especially poignant. In the world of children's books, there's no need to complicate a happy scene with harsh realities. For both parents and kids, Shabbat is a welcome interlude from the busy week.
You can order a signed copy of Around the World In One Shabbat from my webstore. The book won the prestigious Sydney Taylor Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries. It was my first Jewish-themed picture book.
A good week to all!
D Yael Bernhard