Gesher art tours Canada

A moving exhibit created by people who have been directly affected by the Holocaust has embarked on a Canadian tour. The Gesher Project brought together Holocaust survivors, child survivors and members of the second generation to talk, write and paint about their experiences as a way to bridge the silence between the generations impacted by the trauma of the Holocaust. This work, brought together in a powerful exhibit of art and poetry, is the culmination of six months of meetings facilitated by artist Linda Frimer, psychologist Alina Wydra, writer Dale Adams-Segal and scribe/co-ordinator Reisa Schneider.

The participants of Gesher were Jean Adler, Mary Adlersberg, Lillian Boraks-Nemetz, Barbara Bluman z"l, Marion Cassirer, Nurit Fox, Robert Grosz, Frances Hoyd, Andrew Jordan, Gabriella Klein, Rosa Marel, Marion Pishanitskaya, Deborah Ramm-West, Marianne Rev, Sidi Schaffer, Louise Stein-Sorensen and Elsa Weinstein.

Prior to its current Canadian tour, the Gesher exhibit was shown at the Vancouver Holocaust Centre, the Maltwood Gallery at the University of Victoria and at the Kelowna Museum. The national tour was made possible by the Gesher committee and the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. The exhibit has recently returned from very successful shows in Edmonton and the Diefenbaker Centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

In Saskatoon, the fees for entry to the exhibit were donated to rebuilding the synagogue library, which had been destroyed by fire. At the Diefenbaker Centre, two principals saw the exhibit as an opportunity to address the issues of racism and anti-Semitism in their schools and bussed their students two hours each way to see the exhibit. They reported that the show had a profound effect on their students. The exhibit is now due to open in Burnaby at the Gallery at Ceperley House. From there, the exhibit will move to Calgary and then to London, Ont., and Montreal.

Much of this tour was made possible through the sponsorship of the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. In response to why the Gesher Project was chosen for sponsorship, a centre spokesperson said, "The images and poems that appeared in the Gesher Project represent the kinds of bridges and interactions that are so necessary and universal to all people touched by the horrors of the Holocaust. They represent the inter-connectedness of all of us, and the need to promote healing through sensitive dialogue and exchange. This work is invaluable to all of us, and we at the Montreal Holocaust Centre are very proud to associate our name with the emotional experience that the Gesher Project evokes."

The exhibit has been expanded to include an educational package for the schools. This will support teachers in preparing their students for the exhibit with a history of the Holocaust, as well as information about the Gesher Project. Material will also be available at the exhibit to place it within an historical context.

The Gesher committee is currently working with others in the community to create a documentary video. This video will share the Gesher experience with the general public and groups impacted by genocide, racism and oppression in the hopes that they can benefit from the modelling of the Gesher participants and facilitators as they give voice to their pain, create bridges of hope and move towards healing. Also in the works is a book on the Gesher Project. If you'd like to support these initiatives or would just like more information, contact Ramm-West, 604-325-4246, or Schaffer, 604-301-1710.

In connection with the exhibit, the Gallery at Ceperley House has also developed school programs. There will be a tour of the exhibit for classes and an outreach workshop in which Frimer will introduce students to the project, guiding them as they use their name to explore identity and cultural heritage through painting and drawing.

Also available to the community is a workshop offered by Frimer and George Littlechild – Connections: Explore Your Personal Family History. Frimer and Littlechild will guide participants through a weekend of looking, visualizing, photo collage and painting Oct. 18-20.

In addition, an art lunch will be held at the gallery on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 12:30-1 p.m.
The Gallery at Ceperley House is located at 6344 Deer Lake Rd. in Burnaby. The exhibit runs Sept. 21- Nov. 17, with the opening reception at 7 p.m. on Sept. 26. The opening will include a slide show and lecture given by Frimer and a poetry and prose reading by participants. The evening will conclude with a question and answer period.

For information about gallery hours or any of the programs offered by Ceperley House in conjunction with the Gesher exhibit, call 604-205-7332.

– Courtesy of Deborah Ramm-West

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