The original TLV Halloween in the Old North commenced in 2016, with Eliza Duenow at the helm, working with Smadar Barak, another mother from their English-speaking gan. These two mothers were bound by their shared nostalgia for Halloween, and dreamed of sharing the beloved holiday tradition with their children in Israel.
Eliza Duenow initiated the community event for Halloween to gather together parents and children for a shared celebration before the planned Trick-or-Treating activity. Halloween held a special place in her heart, having grown up in the States with two artist parents who always put great celebratory emphasis on the tradition. Her father's art focused on Momento Mori, exploring themes of Death and dying. Eliza grew up surrounded by her father’s art and extensive collection of skulls and skeletons that he started back in grad school, and continues amassing today at the age of 80(!) Eliza's childhood home was a haven for Halloween enthusiasts, with every nook and cranny adorned with macabre paraphernalia from diverse cultures and media. Halloween was a special time, her sculptor father's pumpkin carving was elevated to an art form, and with her mother's talents in textile and decorative arts, Eliza was guaranteed the most exceptional Halloween costumes.
No matter how many years Eliza lived outside of the states, Halloween was the paramount celebration tying her to her roots. Every black cat cut-out reminds her that she has only ever had black cats as pets. Every cardboard grave marker decorating the park harkens back to rubbings they’d do on every family holiday trip. Every Halloween project she leads at The ARC bringing floods of memories—sugar skulls, sheet ghosts, stenciled bats/rats/spiders, mummy wrapped sculptures, and the impressive haunted house murals! Death was never a scary taboo thing. It was a homey theme to play with~
Eliza's deep sentimental connection to Halloween made her the perfect driving force behind Halloween in the Old North. The year before the event's inception, she had already expanded her involvement in creative community work. Alongside her partnership with the Wonder School, she founded The ARC, a hub for creative explorations. In 2016, Halloween marked The ARC’s first larger scale collaborative community event, spanning multiple locations, including Wonder School, the Boulevard at Nordau, and a costume parade leading to the little plaza near the Castel. Activities such as face painting, “Altars of Past Homes”, circus-like posing posters for selfies, and chalk drawings engaged the community. Each year, Eliza and her team exponentially expanded their pre-trick-or-treating gathering, involving more local schools and families from new neighborhoods it’s right there where you were sitting. The ARC staff welcomed over 300 people to the little Aristobulous Park before the trick-or-treating in 2022.
With Eliza Duenow's unwavering dedication and her deeply rooted connection to its roots in All Saints All Souls and Day of the Dead, Halloween in the Old North has evolved into a cherished annual event. It’s become one of the most celebrated and well attended community events in the area, touching the lives of countless families in the international community, preserving the unique traditions of so many Anglo parents’ childhoods, and introducing the joy and spirit of this fun holiday to so many Sabras who have just fallen in love with Halloween~
The ARC has self-funded all aspects of the Halloween event for years, from project preparation to materials, staff time, setup, and cleanup. However, the event has grown exponentially, stretching their resources to the limit. Eliza is managing Halloween on her own this year, funding her team of young local Teaching Artists, and they are asking for support to continue delivering an extraordinary Halloween experience to the community. Halloween literally takes a village to make it what it is!
