The Lost Synagogues of Europe
Featuring work by New York artist Andrea Strongwater
March 11–April 20, 2010

Strongwater has painted between nearly one hundred of the thousands of synagogues that were destroyed by the Nazis. This exhibit will provide an opportunity to learn about and appreciate the importance of these buildings and their congregations.

Through Strongwater’s paintings, she brings synagogue buildings back to some form of life. Referencing old, grainy, black and white photos, she recreates these synagogues in their full glory. “My goal is to convey, in my paintings, the beauty, solidity and cultural importance of the old synagogues to the world today,” states Strongwater.

All of the synagogues she paints, with the exception of a few that were destroyed by bombings were meant to be totally erased from the earth. Once the synagogues were burned or blown apart, the Jewish community was often levied a fee for the removal of the debris. Sometimes they were forced to remove the debris themselves, by hand. The synagogues she has painted and continue to paint have left no physical record other than photos and occasional memorial plaques. Strongwater’s paintings represent a small, but important, selection of the thousands of synagogues destroyed during the Third Reich.