Marilyn Naron, a local author-illustrator and former pastry chef, will hold an art exhibition and discussion, “I Do Not Want Your Sympathy: Shiva, Snacks, and the Art of Remembering,” at the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation (LJCC).
This event, part of LJCC’s third annual Telling Our Stories Through Food series, will take place on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.
Naron will discuss her recent art commissioned for the Kansas Book Festival, including the central piece, “I Do Not Want Your Sympathy,” a triptych painted and collaged entirely from sympathy cards her family received after the death of her sister from a rare cancer in 1996.
Naron is currently at work on an illustrated memoir, “How to Draw a Sister,” and will discuss how food, sympathy and memory come together in that project. She will explore the connection between food and Jewish death rituals and talk about how they affect people; if and when they bring actual comfort; and what we remember later. The evening will also feature pastries especially prepared by Naron for the occasion and a collective art project drawing on the experiences of those in attendance.
“This is a unique occasion — not just for the LJCC, but within the broader community,” LJCC Director Lara Giordano said. “Marilyn’s project gives us an opportunity for rich reflection on subjects that are crucially important to all of us, but which we so rarely discuss because of the deeply personal nature of death and illness. To be able to make something collectively — to produce art — as an outcome of such a conversation is something special. I hope many people from within and beyond the Lawrence Jewish community feel welcome to attend.”
The event is free and open to the public, although the LJCC does request advance registration by Feb. 13 in order to accommodate all those who wish to attend. Registration and more information can be found at ljcc.shulcloud.com/event/TOSTF.
An annual series hosted by the LJCC, Telling Our Stories Through Food focuses on food, cooking traditions and homes as the link between generations and communities with the goal of helping people to connect with each other. Telling Our Stories Through Food has previously featured author and Kansas Poet Laureate Emeritus Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg in 2023 and San Francisco State University Professor of Religion Dr. Rachel Gross in 2024.
