Breakfast at Al-Azama

Artist: Daniel Avraham Haddad Year: 2023 Technique: Markers, colored pencils, and pen on paper. Dimensions: Width: 24 cm | Height: 32 cm. Subject: Community Breakfast at Al-Azama Synagogue, Marrakech. Work Description: "This piece is a warm and authentic visual testimony to my daily moments of community and hospitality in the heart of the Jewish Mellah in Marrakech. The painting captures the vibrant and comforting atmosphere of a shared breakfast at the Al-Azama Synagogue ('Synagogue of the Expelled from Spain') following a three-month mission. The work was created in an illustrative, rapid, and expressive style, conveying a sense of a vivid, honest 'field sketch' full of affection for the characters and the place." Key Elements in the Painting: The Figures and Interaction: At the center of the composition sits a group of men around a long table. The figures are depicted with black outlines, emphasizing facial expressions ranging from alert chatter to quiet activity. The focus is on the sense of 'togetherness,' as the figures face each other, creating a warm human circle. Some of the figures wear a kippah, and one (in the foreground, with his back to us) wears a beret, which adds to the unique character of the scene and of Moroccan Jewry in the diaspora (where many Jews wear a hat rather than a kippah). The Central Table: The table functions as the heart of the scene, painted in a vivid turquoise-blue. It is laden with small, symbolic items rendered in markers: fresh pitas, bowls of delicacies (olive oil, olives, etc.), tea glasses, and a central pitcher. These items are not depicted with realistic precision but rather as 'memory stains' that evoke the scent and taste of a Moroccan morning. The Space and Environment: The background is dominated by fresh shades of light blue and turquoise, evoking the unique light of Marrakech and the colors of the local walls. In the center of the background, an open door is prominent, leading to the kitchen where Saadia prepares the meals. Above the opening hangs a golden lantern, an architectural item characteristic of ancient synagogues in the Maghreb, radiating a warm, yellow light.