 Jewish Community 30 Wallingford Road |
 Who We Are
Meri
The art room in JCHE’s Genesis House is one of Meri Koropova’s favorite places. When she and her mother Frida moved to the Brighton site in 1988, it was where she met her soul mates. Throughout the years, it has offered treasured space and a welcoming community. A petite woman, Meri is a powerhouse of talent and intellect. She is an avid reader and is conversant on a wide range of topics. She is unabashedly patriotic. After taking citizenship classes at JCHE, Meri proudly became an American citizen in 1991. In Russia, Meri was classically trained in art and worked as an architect – and she’s never stopped drawing and painting. Her hopes to continue her profession in this country were curtailed by her mother’s illness. Meri cared for her in their JCHE apartment for 10 years. Meri has had to adapt to significant changes throughout her life. As a child in World War II, she and her mother were evacuated from Moscow to remote Kazakhstan. They returned when her mother was summoned to assume her former government position. Moving to America meant leaving everything behind. Amidst all these changes, art has remained a constant in Meri’s life. Surrounded by her easels, Meri is clearly at home in the Genesis art room. The space is conducive to a balance of sociability among the artists and opportunity to get lost in one’s own projects. The variety of languages spoken among the group does not hamper the profound conversations that take place here. Respected among her peers, Meri is generous with her knowledge of art. In turn, she appreciates the talent of her JCHE neighbors – professional artists and amateurs – who have picked up paint brushes throughout the years and become a cherished part of her life. |
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