Meet the Apfelbaums

May 19, 2007 - 8:00 AM by Stephanie

I didn’t grow up with Jewish grandparents and my family didn’t vacation in Miami or on Sanibel Island.

So when a friend steered me to this new website featuring paintings by U.S. transplant to Israel Marilyn Magen, I thought: Oh the grandparents I never knew!

Marilyn has created a cast of characters – the Apfelbaums – centered around Sylvia and Harry Apfelbaum and their extended family. Their story:

We all know them. We’ve all seen them strolling the streets of Miami Beach, lunching at the Carnegie Deli, first in line at the buffet at Bar Mitzvahs and weddings, buying out Baby Gap for the grandkids, kvetching and bellyaching – but having a great time doing it all.

They’ll try anything: they’re still young (at least they think so). Even an Ipod isn’t beyond their reach (of course, they do have to phone up their son ten times a day to ask how to work it –

Marilyn markets her work in Israel and to the U.S. and the response so far is favorable – no surprise there. The Apfelbaums are infectious – check out Sylvia’s manicure in the beach chair painting!