Family History

For a daring new leafages project made possible by the leather-like quality of this most noble of leaves.

My father (1909-2007) was a prolific and determined writer.  He believed our family story and his own life were important and must be remembered.  His memoirs, documents and photographs archived at the Leo Baeck Institute in New York.

“Staubkorn im Sandsturm” is the unpublished German-language novel my father wrote in 1944-45 while we were interned in the Satara Internment and Parole Camp. I have translated it into English as “Stations of Loss.”

Omar Rolf Ehrenfels (1901-1980) was an Austrian who converted to Islam and found himself interned with us in the Satara Internment & Parole Center in India.  He was a gifted painter and we were lucky that he wanted to do  these watercolor portraits of my mother and me in 1944.  You can see how his Orientalism […]

Films of our family in 1960 right before and after Danny was born.  My parents had given Keir and me a movie camera for a wedding present. Warning: these films are only interesting if you know Danny, Keir, Iain  or me or if you want to look at uninformative film of Notting Hill Gate c. […]

About Hazel

Born to German Jewish refugee physicians in Lahore (now Pakistan, then British India) Hazel has lived, studied and worked in many places–India, England, Australia, Israel and the United States. She makes her home in the woods of the eastern end of Long Island, New York where she produces the art of leafages, the radio sounds of Tidings and writes about growing up Jewish in Lahore. Read more about Hazel…

About Leafages

"Credo" statement

Leafages by Hazel Kahan are made from real leaves, vines and tendrils interwoven with calligraphy, decorative pen and ink flourishes and imaginary Latin botanical names. Leafages contain a philosophical or inspirational thought, quotation or verse from sages, poets or religious texts. Some leafages are specially created for an individual, a couple or a family with words or leaves reflecting their personal narrative. They are available on the Leafages shop on Etsy although the supply is low right now, all my energies having been absorbed by the book I’ve been writing. Do come back soon when the shop will be full of new leafage abundance or contact me.