Staff Spotlight - Iris Zuckrel: Artist, Teacher, Mentor

August 2023, by Elissa Einhorn, Beit Ruth Director of Communications & Partnerships

When she was 6 years old, Iris Zuckrel created her first painting as a birthday gift for her sister – a portrait of singer Stevie Wonder who she loved. But it wasn’t until she was in her 20s that she considered herself good enough to be called an artist.

 “My dad asked me what I wanted to study,” Iris recalls. “I told him 'I’m going to paint.'”

And paint she has, even opening her own art school where, each month, 70 students of all ages came to her Tel Aviv studio to paint, draw, and learn her techniques. Iris closed the school after 8 years and moved to Northern Israel with her husband and 2 children following a devastating house fire that traumatized her children. Not satisfied with psychologists and different therapies, Iris took matters into her own hands, walking into a local fire station and asking for help. Her children became unlikely fire fighters, joining the professionals on calls to extinguish fires.

 “This was the excellent therapy that they needed,” she says.

With a newfound interest in post-trauma, Iris decided she wanted to volunteer with girls, recognizing that girls in Israel needed more services. She opened up the newspaper and two words caught her eye: “post-trauma.” They were part of an ad from Beit Ruth. After meeting with leadership staff, they asked her to work at Beit Ruth as an Art Teacher - 10 years later, she continues to teach and help heal our girls.

As one of many Enrichment Programs at Beit Ruth, Iris skillfully combines art with therapy, and treats each girl according to her own needs. When a girl is feeling pensive, she hands her a pencil and suggests that she quietly sketch. She also empowers girls to work on projects they choose and uses art to problem-solve.

“When I see a problem between girls, I take a large canvas, throw it on the table and start a game like musical chairs where each girl takes turns to create a mural,” she explains. “Minutes before they were fighting, and now they are laughing together.”

 Under her guidance, girls’ work has been exhibited at the Knesset and Beit Ruth Galas, and girls have won awards at local competitions, filling them with pride and self-confidence.

 Iris says that these accomplishments are part of working at Beit Ruth that “just fill me up.”