By: Sharon Aron Baron
What do you call a person that speaks two languages?
Bilingual.
What do you call a person that speaks three languages?
Trilingual.
What do you call a person that speaks seven languages?
Gilda Folger!
Woodlands resident Gilda, or Gil as she likes to be called, is an artist, a language specialist, and a medical administrator. My intention was to chat with her about her artwork, however, I found her life story just as impressive.
Gil (pronounced Jill) moved to the Woodlands five years ago after falling in love with the homes and the beauty of the neighborhood. Inside her home, she has surrounded herself with her works of art which decorate her walls. Gil, who wouldn’t give her age, has a type of beauty that is timeless and natural. When she smiles, one can’t help but smiling too, as her happiness is infectious.
Gil creates art from oil and acrylic that are 3D images. I was given a pair of glasses when entering her home and studied the various pieces she had on every wall. The 3D effect Gil achieves is done with colors. When certain colors are painted near each other, it gives illusion of a 3 dimensional painting. Her home is filled with many of her other works including pottery, window art and beautiful handmade gates. The gates were originally shipping pallets that Gil has turned into custom hand-painted gates around her atrium and gardens.
As with her artwork, Gil’s life is just as dimensional as her paintings. She was born in Casablanca, Morocco as Gilda Paretz and was one of eleven children.
After King Mohammed V died, his son King Hassan II took over the throne, and control of Morocco. Unlike his father, King Hassan did not care for the Jews in Morocco and wanted to nationalize all of their assets and belongings. At nine years-old, Gil and her family moved out of the country. First they went to Spain, and then to France, where they eventually settled in Paris. While in France, sixteen year-old Gil won a scholarship and a prize at the ABC Art School in Paris for the best rendition of a “Modigliani portrait.” In 1964, the family moved to Haifa, where Gil joined a kibbutz. Each day, Gil would wake up at 4 am and milk the cows, go to school and afterwards she would finish up chores for the rest of the day. At her school, Gil was fortunate to have been placed in to an elite group that only accepted the smartest students. Not only were the students smart, but they all were capable of speaking many languages. Gil also took on many art projects at the Kibbutz which allowed her to apply her artistic side, and avoid most of the heavy labor.
After graduating from Beit Berl Teacher’s College in Israel, Gil moved to New York and taught French and studied English at Dowling College all while teaching Hebrew at local synagogues.
When not creating art, Gil works part-time as a medical administrator where her knowledge of languages is essential. She coordinates medical care for transplant patients from overseas. Patients that need to come to the United States must wait for available organs like anyone else, and sometimes that wait can be up to two years. Gil will locate the hospital that does the procedure that they need, find a temporary homes for the patient, and manages of all the medical paperwork.
Gil has three daughters: Meirav, Sharone, and Rae who all happen to be in Tel Aviv, Israel at this time. Both Meirav and Sharone, who grew up in Israel and the US, were drafted in the Israeli Army each serving for two years. Meirav also lived in Hong Kong and became fluent in Mandarin. Both of them are married and live in Tel Aviv. Gil’s youngest daughter Rae grew up in Florida, graduated from Plantation High and is now in Israel with a program through Florida International University.
With all of her daughters and grandchildren in Israel, I asked Gil if she wanted to move back. “Not at all. I like the attitude here as I’m a very laid back person.” Gil enjoys going back to visit but finds it difficult to adjust to the lifestyle. She says that she finds that Israelis are very high-strung and pushy. Driving is also very difficult for her in Israel because they drive so aggressively.
She does visit Israel a couple times a year, and soon her daughter Rae will be returning home from Israel after school is over.
So let’s get back to languages: What seven languages does Gil speak? “French, English, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, Yiddish, German and a bit of Romanian. Romanian? Wouldn’t that would make it eight languages? “I learned Romanian while going to school,” said Gil “I had two roommates that spoke it, and I couldn’t help but learn it to understand what they were saying.”
Gil says that French is her primary language. It’s the language she loves to read novels with, and the language that she spoke to her daughters while they grew up. Like most children, hers probably didn’t appreciate this when they were young, but I’m sure now they are grateful for this valuable gift.
You can find Gil’s 3D artwork and pottery at her website: www.gilimage.com
Gil will also create art on glass in your home as well as create custom pieces. You can contact Gil at Gil Folger.
