IT IS five long years since Julia Garb succumbed to cancer at the age of forty five, but her joyous laugh and vital presence is still felt by all who knew and loved her. In the twenty years that Julia lived in Israel she made a huge impact; not only was she an acclaimed actress and director but she also inspired children all over the Sharon area to love drama. Her young pupils learnt to speak “gobble-dee-goop, "and to turn themselves into trees, but most of all they learnt to be comfortable inside their bodies and enjoy themselves. Julia’s parents, Magda and David Bloom from Birmingham, England, have perpetuated Julia’s creative spirit in two projects that they have dedicated to her memory. An “Expressive Arts Room” in her name at Beit Issie Shapiro in Raanana provides therapy and enrichment for children and adults with special needs through drama, art and music. Free creative expression and social interaction boosts self expression and is often cathartic, helping to work through psychological issues in a non-verbal medium.

Lt. to rt: David Garb (Julia’s husband), David Bloom (father),Orley (daughter), Magda (mother) and Stephen (brother).

Among those using the room for an acting program are young adults with learning difficulties. “Julia was particularly skilled in finding the latent talent in every soul and in helping people to express themselves, which is why this is such an appropriate way for us to remember her,” said Julia’s father, at the dedication ceremony in June. Julia was also an avid reader, who always had at least six or seven books by the side of her bed, all of which she was reading at once. So it is extremely appropriate that the second project in her memory is a library at a Wizo school in Jerusalem for disadvantaged pupils. In the secure environment of the Beit Hakerem School, children from very problematic backgrounds get a basic education and learn a trade like hairdressing or cooking. Now they also have a super modern library, fully equipped with computers and reference books, to help them with their studies. Julia’s parents, her husband, David Garb, and her children Jeremy and Orly, and her brother, Stephen, can take comfort in knowing that her spirit lives on and continues to inspire.