The Metamorphosis to Freedom:
by a Holocaust Survivor
November 1 – December 27

“Remain human-even in inhuman circumstances.”
Dr. Robert O. Fisch

Fisch is a retired pediatrician and visual artist as well as a Holocaust survivor. His art expresses issues of humanity that he hopes will heal the world in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Many of his works in this exhibit are a reflection from Fisch’s experiences in a Nazi concentration camp documented through eloquent paintings and moving prose. Fisch states, “The impact on all of us who survived remains in our experience. I feel that all of us who were marked by the yellow star were tattooed inside. We have a special obligation, not a privilege, in being alive. As survivors, our moral and human obligations are essential, and our standards have to be based on human principles rather than on practicalities. We who survived are not different from others; we just played a special role in a special time.”

Related Events:
Artist Reception: November 4 from 3 – 5:00 pm
Dr. Robert O. Fisch will speak about his life experiences and his artwork at 4:00 pm. Introduction by Jodi Elowitz, Center for Holocaust and Genocide, U of M

Lobby:
Finding Home
November 8 – December 21, 2012

After going to Israel and visiting the universal Jewish home, New Jersey artist Lauren D. Kupfer became curious about what previous generations considered “home”. She travelled to Poland on a leadership trip and learned about past generations and what they considered to be home. “Viewing these images together makes me wonder, what would happen if the same destruction happened to our current homes?” asks Kupfer. Finding Home features photographs that capture the essence of “home” during her travels to Israel and Poland.

Hallway:
Israel: Reflections and Refractions
November 8 – December 21

Israel: Reflections and Refractions feature photographs taken by Minnesota college students while in Israel on Taglit-Birthright Israel Hillel trip in January and June of 2012. Taglit- Birthright provides a gift of first-time, peer group, educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26.

Reflecting the participants’ reactions to Israel, these photographs capture the beauty of the Israeli countryside, the uniqueness of the people and the photographer’s own personal journeys in this amazing trip of discovery.

The participating artists include: Hayley Bemel, Sonya Blyakher, Jared Cohen, Greg Gabay, Sarah Goldberger, Emiliya Khazan, Yuliya Khazan, Yuliya Nazarova, Amanda Ouellete, Asher Parr-Besmer, Erez Rosenberg, Mason Rosenblatt, Ali Sussman.

Related Events:
Reception: December 10 from 6 – 8:00 pm