Woodsburgh Resident's Design Featured as Israel Tree Certificate

A Woodsburgh resident’s design was the winning entry in a Jewish National Fund contest and will be featured as a special certificate marking the planting of trees in Israel at its 65th birthday.

Francois Tenenbaum’s illustration of the Tel-Aviv skyline, inspired by his experience living at a school for intensive study of Hebrew, was the winning entry in the JNF’s Israel@65 certificate design contest and can be purchased with pledges of $18 that will go to the planting of trees in Israel. The certificate will be available until next April.

“This picture is drawn from a painting I made when I came back from a long trip to the Ulpan in Israel right after graduating college,” Tenenbaum said. “I wanted to represent the young and dynamic country I saw, as opposed to the typical clichés of tradition and history — showing Jerusalem and the Kotel, with candles and Kiddush cups.”

Tenenbaum, who was raised in Paris and Montreal before setting in New York 13 years ago, owns an interior design firm that has completed projects in New York City, Long Island, Paris and Montreal. He paints as a hobby.

“I put a lot of energy in my work and winning a design competition is a very rewarding feeling,” Tenenbaum said. “I discovered Israel as a vibrant, modern democracy with real people going about normal, everyday lives and welcoming all different visions of Judaism.  It is a nation with a very rich past, a brilliant present, and most importantly, a promising future.”