We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zemorah Yisrael a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Zemorah, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

As someone who experienced many different cultures and communities at a young age, I’ve noticed that there are a variety of things that we can incorporate into the educational system to prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.

From about the age of 8, I had this goal of getting good grades so that I could go to a good college and get a good job, to make a lot of money to live a good life. It wasn’t until I became the Valedictorian and had the option to go to a “dream” college my senior year in high school that I realized that I wanted more out of life. At this point, what could “more” look like? To most of my peers around me, I already had “life figured out”. Though, the whole time I was striving to get good grades in school, there was always this deep desire that I had to actually live my life. I wanted adventure. I wanted to explore the world. Overall, I wanted to follow my dreams. And choosing my own path has allowed me to do so freely.

Although I did choose a different path, I can say that I learned a tremendous amount of things from working hard in school such as patience, endurance and work/life balance, to name a few. After reflecting on my senior year in high school, I knew that certain changes in curriculum would be very beneficial for the school system. I realized that real-life experience and curriculums with diverse yet cohesive subjects could enhance the mind and soul, which, in turn, would improve students’ overall well-being, leading them to a more fulfilling life and career.

One of the main things I learned was how important it is for each student to have their interests incorporated into their school life. For example, I had an interest in art. Now I wasn’t super crazy about art when I was younger but it was something that I was good at and was going to continue doing throughout my life. In school, I joined art clubs and took art classes because of this, which eventually led me to having a career in art. An interest turning into a career won’t be the case for everyone, but putting time into this area will give you clues about the pathways that are more aligned with you in the future.

There are also other activities that can be included at the base level of education to prepare students for life in general. Volunteering at a very young age (possibly starting in the first grade), will help students feel more connected to the earth and their peers, creating a more unified environment. This will teach students how important it is to work with others and they will learn how working within a community can help everyone reach their individual goals. Additionally, I strongly believe that gardening should be incorporated from pre-k to highschool. Not only does gardening teach you fundamental lessons that are guaranteed to aid you throughout life, but one of the main experiences of gardening (planting a seed, nurturing that seed, and allowing it to grow into a beautiful abundant plant) is life itself. Participating in and/or watching this process in real life will aid anyone on their journey because it teaches one to not only appreciate the cycles of life, but to also appreciate their part in this cycle.

Overall it is important that each student is sparked with the urge to live a more fulfilling life and career. With these things included in the education system, many students are sure to find their spark and live within their desired life path. As said by Jim Rohn, a famous entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker, “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.”

Zemorah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Greetings!

I am Zemorah, a visual artist, illustrator and the owner of Aleph Beith Artistry. I have been creating since about the age of 4. What started out as doodling, has now become a business centered around healing the collective. Reflecting on my childhood has had a big influence on creating Aleph Beith Artistry. As a child, I had no choice but to stand out. I was born a vegetarian with amblyopia and grew up living a Hebrew lifestyle. During this time, I had a difficult time finding my crowd because I was so different from those around me. I later realized that I actually found more of a sense of community in art clubs, diverse groups, and with those who shared similar interests and passions as me. These experiences are part of what influenced me to create my business, and now play a major role in how the creations and business activities are formed.

As the owner of Aleph Beith Artistry, I use creative expression to help heal those around me. I inspire my audience to tap into their artistic and spiritual side by producing conscious artwork and teaching them about spirituality. My most popular items right now are affirmation boards, beaded bracelets, crystal necklaces and my signature pieces. My customers use these items to elevate their lifestyle and ground themselves in their spirituality. I encourage my community to work through their fears surrounding the self and teach them how to embrace their divinity.

At this moment, I am most proud of the impact that I have had on the lives of others so far. As I talk to my customers and sell pieces inspired by my unique life experiences, I often come across people with a similar story. Each time this happens, I begin to feel one with my community and the world. These moments are confirmations to me that I am on the right path. Overall, the purpose of Aleph Beith Artistry is to inspire everyone to be themselves, while also being a magical safe space and community that enhances lives one by one.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Even though I began painting at a young age, I did not start selling art until the age of 18. At this time I was working at a big company with over 500 employees and I sold my first painting to a coworker there. Little did I know, this was going to be the perfect place to gain exposure for my art. After my co-worker made her request and I brought the painting to the workplace for her, there were many more art requests that followed. Before this happened, I had intentions on being a business owner, but I had no clue what type of business I would own or how I would start. Though, these moments were divinely guided and my manifestation became a reality. At this point, my art went from a side hustle to a business and I was selling paintings every week.

In due time, I began selling paintings to people outside of work and eventually became an illustrator. The first book that I illustrated was published in 2019 and is titled, “Khalil’s Lullaby”, written by Yvette Q. Chatman. Not long after that, in 2021, I started my business and also became the illustrator of the Ma Yoni’at Yoga Deck created by Sanovia Muhammad. These achievements greatly inspired me to get out there more and expand my business. Since then I have been participating in vendor events and creating awareness of my brand on social media.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One lesson I had to unlearn was that when you become an adult, you have to grow up and let go of the child you once were. Though, today, one of the main purposes of my business is to aid people in embracing their inner child. I incorporated this concept into my business because as a child, I matured very fast because of the responsibilities I had at a young age. It wasn’t until I was committed to my healing journey that I realized that my inner child would aid me in living a fulfilling life. Our inner children are aspects of us that we must not forget because many things that we desired as children are aligned with our soul’s calling and purpose. With that being said, I would encourage everyone to welcome their inner child into their life and every once in a while (or every day), engage in activities that your younger self would enjoy. Don’t be surprised by the series of great experiences and miraculous events that follow.

x 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pinterest.com/AlephBeithArtistry/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alephbeithartistry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091637177438
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alephbeithartistry

Image Credits
Personal Photo Image Credit/Photographer: Erick Charles Ganut