creating summary
In the mid-aughts I convened a small collective of artists for a weekly art-sharing group that we called c(mad), short for Club Make and Do, named after my favorite volume from the Childcraft Encyclopedia of my youth – Volume #11: Make and Do. I started and stopped many of the crafts laid out in that volume, was inspired by many more, and continue to approach all my work with the spirit of play and “let's make something together.”
While I bring this spirit to all of my work, it is through embodied art, words, and ritual that it is most visible: *lifecycle ritual officiant and co-creator. (birth, death, marriage, coming-of-age, transitions) *actor and devised theater-maker. *writer. *artist activist *doodler, zine-maker, collagist. |
publications
Sh’ma: A Journal of Jewish Ideas SBlog – Contributor, 2012-15 Mash-Up Americans – Contributor, 2014-16 Modern Loss – Contributor, 2015 |
testimonials
It was never our intention to have "the wedding of our dreams" because we don't buy into that kind of fairytale stuff but, what can I say, Franny gave that to us. Our wedding ceremony was spectacularly meaningful, perfectly suited to us, and my partner and I continue to believe that the ceremony Franny officiated set the tone for our marriage. We are two men, one Jewish, one non-religious (Catholic by birth). It was important that we have a Jewish wedding ritual, but we wanted to be sure that none of his family or guests felt alienated or out of place. With facility of tradition, joyful creativity, and a complete lack of judgment, Franny worked with us to craft a ritual journey that provided beautiful opportunities for our community of family and friends to be part of the ritual journey that brought us together in marriage. Our wedding happened the day after the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, where we now live. There was no way to do the ceremony while pretending that this event did not happen. Franny did the miraculous: she concisely but powerfully framed the act of our getting married as an act of life and love that is a most powerful antidote to the hate that happened the day before. The way she officiated our wedding, we did not have a gay wedding, we had a celebration of radical queer love that was, among other things, healing. - Jake and Sean I met Franny when I was 12; fresh out of traditional Hebrew school with little knowledge of the contents of the Torah and even littler knowledge of the Hebrew language. Franny met me exactly where I was at, and guided me to where I wanted to be. She is, without a doubt, one of the most thoughtful, patient, and considerate teachers and people that I know. - Ari |
Franny is a family treasure. She has guided both of my daughters through their journey to prepare for their B’ Mitzvahs and officiated the services as well. We could not have asked for a better experience.She took a process that is all too often uninspiring and dry, and infused it with her amazing energy and insight. She connected with my girls intimately, and helped them navigate the process in a way that was rich and deeply meaningful to each of them. Franny challenged my daughters to think deeply and broadly and helped them to make sense of ancient Torah passages in a way that was relevant to their lives and could be reconciled with their values. I am so grateful to have had such a thoughtful, creative, and caring person be part of my girls’ teenage years. - Rachel, mom to A and N So many people talk about weddings and the thing that they mention is a fabulous party. While we had a glorious celebration, people who came to our wedding spoke about the ceremony and how it was the best ceremony that they had ever attended. So much of that had to do with Franny , our co-officiant. As this was an interfaith wedding, She helped to weave the Jewish traditions and prayers with christian traditions, creating a truly and incredibly inclusive and meaningful expression of commitment. It was the most perfect day of our lives- and we are forever grateful to Franny for helping us create an experience we could never have imagined. - Jeremy and Robert |
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