Masha Levine

I made this mask from scrap fabric that I had lying around after I’d finished sewing a wrap top. I’m a fashion designer. At first it was just for a laugh, and then we had to start wearing masks seriously. The fabric is a funky Frieda Kahlo print that I found on Nahalat Binyamin in Tel Aviv.

I’m a single mom and with the corona crisis, I lost my job. Thank God there’s a lot of hessed around here and we have everything we need. I wanted to be part of it, but didn’t know what to do exactly. I can’t help others financially. I don’t really have spare time, as I have four of my children home.

I saw a message asking people to sew masks. Also, a dear friend of mine died a few weeks ago and, with another friend, we were trying to find what to do in her memory. I was thinking of a gemach, something that would be helpful.

She was always soft-spoken, always trying to help people without embarrassing them, always trying to see the good in everything, always talking of everybody as if they were the most extraordinary person. And suddenly I realised I could sew masks in her memory. She had given me sets of sheets, lovely fabric and there was one sheet we didn’t use because the size didnt fit. It was new, strong fabric. Perfect for masks.