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PHOTOS TRANSFORMED

To create the topographical map, Stricke transformed photos of her daughter and relatives taken on the occasion of becoming bnei mitzvah or at age thirteen. Some relatives appear in the “bat / bar mitzvah” photo of their child or grandchild.

Seen here is Lenny Gootblatt, Stricke’s father, at his bar mitzvah in 1954. Can you find him in the map?

Other relatives who appear in the map:

  1. Noa is in the middle, flanked by two friends, in a photo they took of themselves at Noa’s bat mitzvah party.

  2. Top left is Noa’s father, David with his parents Nancy and Mel at his bar mitzvah.

  3. Bottom left is Stricke’s mother, Sara Gootblatt, at age 13.

  4. Upper right is Stricke dancing with her father at her bat mitzvah party.

  5. Below Stricke’s elbow is her brother, Yisroel Arye, at his bar mitzvah.

  6. Bottom right is Stricke’s great-grandmother Minnie Weiss (who she was named after) from a photograph with her father at his bar mitzvah.

Acknowledging noa’s Community

Around the edges of the map (at the end of the longitude and latitude lines), are the initials of all of the people and families who came together in person to witness Noa being called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah. Those who watched the service online are referenced too with the initials ZP.

ATARAH BLESSING

A tallit usually has a decorative panel that rests over the neck, when worn, and this area is call the “atarah” meaning “crown” in Hebrew. Often the atarah contains the blessing that one recites when first putting on a tallit. Here Stricke chose to include the Hebrew translation (with female conjugation) of a modern Jewish blessing in English that she and her partner, David, recite every Friday night on Shabbat after they say the traditional blessing over their children in Hebrew. This alternative blessing reads: “Be who you are, and may you be blessed in all that you are.” (Written by Marcia Falk)

CORNER / COMPASS

The corners of a tallit (prayer shawl) are often adorned. In Stricke’s tallit, every corner contains a directional compass, each with a different date that points north: 2022 (Noa’s bat mitzvah), 1986 (Stricke’s), 1956 (when Stricke’s mother turned 13), and 1922 (the year of the first bat mitzvah). In addition to the Jewish star, which is a common symbol on Jewish objects, she also included an infinity symbol to represent Neurodiversity, defined as "the diversity of human minds, the infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning within our species." (Nick Walker)



MAP SCALE

The scale in Stricke’s map is a scale about time. 5782 is the Hebrew year when Noa became a bat mitzvah, and the scale goes up to and references 13. “Universal Transverse Projection” is a found map element.

Montreal Base Map

The lines of the images are overlaid with topographic lines and other geographical elements of Montreal. In this detail, you can view the elevation of Mount Royal. The arrows on the right indicate the water flow of the St. Lawrence River.

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