<http://pantheon.yale.edu/~asb37/shoah2002.jpg>.

 

 

Yom HaShoah Poster Combines Area Commemorations,

Photos, Survivor Quotes and Faneuil Service Information

 

By Susie Davidson

Advocate Correspondent

 

BOSTON - Yom HaShoah falls on April 7, and thanks to the efforts of Mara Tencer and Alex Budnitz, 10,000 area households will receive a provocative guide to this year’s commemorations.

 

Tencer, the Holocaust Programming Coordinator for the Jewish Community Relations Council, and photographer and Yale MFA student Budnitz have compiled a calendar of listings, survivors’ quotes, a photo and description of the New England Holocaust Memorial, a prayer in Hebrew and English for the victims and an announcement of this year’s Faneuil Hall service onto a folded 17x22 poster.

 

Tencer is also responsible for all educational programming for the New England Holocaust Memorial.

 

The idea for the poster started as a way for JCRC to aggregate as many of the Yom HaShoah commemorations into one place as possible,” says Tencer. “We were interested to know what was going on in local synagogues throughout Boston, what college campuses were planning and also to learn the ways that communities outside Boston, Newton and Brookline (like MetroWest, South Shore, Worcester and North Shore) are remembering the Holocaust.”

 

Tencer works with Rabbi William G. Hamilton of Congregation Kehillath Israel, the JCRC’s Holocaust Commemoration Chair, in planning the annual Holocaust Commemoration Service for Yom HaShoah. “We were really interested,” she explains, “in exploring ways to expand JCRC's Holocaust programming outside of the service, and to reach a wider audience.”

 

Budnitz, a Nashua native, used a vintage camera for the poster’s photos, and incorporated diverse shading techniques to convey the depth of emotion of the images. The two met as undergraduates at Emory University, where he was the founding editor of the literary magazine The Fever.

 

In light of enhanced media notice of the Holocaust, Tencer wished to undertake an artistic mode of expression for this project. “I was personally interested in the project,” she says, “as a way of exploring art as commemoration. In a way, the project displays two forms of remembrance: art in and of itself, and the events that it features, which are also commemorations.

 

“I think this year, more than others, has been full of Holocaust-related movies, TV shows, etc. Public awareness is quite high. It was obvious to me that the maxim, ‘Never Forget’ had been taken quite seriously.”

 

She felt that including various forms of remembrance into the poster would serve to reflect varied response and reaction in the community at large.

 

“I wanted to show that the Boston community has indeed, not forgotten. Just from the sheer numbers and diversity of the programming that is featured in the calendar, one can see that our community is acutely aware of the need to perpetuate the history of the Holocaust and has chosen to do so in so many incredibly creative, thoughtful and provoking ways.”

 

“Our goal was to publicize events,” she says, “but also to create a work of art that in itself commemorates the Holocaust. I think we have accomplished our aim.”

 

For further information, contact Mara Tencer, JCRC Holocaust Programming Coordinator, at 617-457-8672, or at mtencer@jcrcboston.org.

 

 

This year’s Community-Wide Holocaust Commemoration Service for Yom HaShoah will take place on Sunday, April 7, at 1:00 p.m. in the Great Hall of Faneuil Hall. It will be officiated by Rabbi Hamilton, with a keynote address given by Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter of the Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Institute. Music will be provided by Makhela, the South Area Solomon Schechter Day School Middle Schoool Choir. The event will be followed by a solemn procession to the New England Holocaust Memorial for recitation of the Mourner’s Kaddish in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

 

 

I would love to see this on the arts page with a photo, if at all possible. I have been working with a local Jewish artist to design a poster for Yom HaShoah. JCRC will be publishing this poster and distributing it to over 10,000 households throughout Boston. It relies on spectacular images of the New England Holocaust Memorial and features many of the events that are taking place in and around Boston for Yom HaShoah. The artist is young and from New England. The poster is 17x22 and really quite amazing. The feedback has been great. Our goal was to publicize events, but also to create a work of art that in itself commemorates the Holocaust. I think we have accomplished our goal.

 

Please let me know if you have any interest. I would be happy to help you by providing quotes, or even helping to write the story myself. To see a preview of the poster, just open the attached PDF. <<shoahV5.pdf>

 

Looking forward to hearing from you!

 

Best, Mara

 

*********************************************** Mara Tencer Catholic-Jewish Relations/Holocaust Programming Coordinator JCRC of Greater Boston 126 High Street Boston, MA 02110-2700

 

phone: 617.457.8672 fax: 617.988.6255  

 

 

Subject:     RE: Article Idea from JCRC Date:    Mon, 25 Feb 2002 11:47:42 -0500 From:         "Mara Tencer" <mtencer@jcrcboston.org| Block Address To:     Susie@SusieD.com Add Addresses

 

No problem. It's April 7, 2002 at 1 p.m. at Faneuil Hall.

 

--- Mara Tencer <mtencer@jcrcboston.orgwrote: Hi Susie:

Try clicking on this link for a preview of the poster <http://pantheon.yale.edu/~asb37/shoah2002.jpg>.

 

Thank you again for taking an interest in this story.

 

Best, Mara Tencer

 

 

 

 -----Original Message----- From:    Susie Davidson Sent:     Friday, February 22, 2002 3:34 PM To:    Mara Tencer Subject:    RE: Article Idea from JCRC

 

Wow that was fast! Thanks! And let me know more info, so I can put the piece together. Our articles are not long, 500-600 words is the most they usually are - and I would have to write it but thanks for the offer! Susie

 

ara Tencer <mtencer@jcrcboston.orgwrote: Hi Susie: Since it's a large (17x22) art poster, just the text alone probably wouldn't help, but I'll get the designer to put it online so you can just click on a link. Thanks for your effort. I look forward to working with you. Best, Mara

 

 -----Original Message----- From:    Susie Davidson Sent:     Friday, February 22, 2002 3:31 PM To:    Mara Tencer Subject:    Re: Article Idea from JCRC

 

Hi Mara, I'd be happy to do it as it's worthy, but I couldn't open the attachment. Would you be so kind as to send the text of the poster, as it also was 2000 mb's which took up my entire inbox? Thanks so much and talk soon! Susie

 

 --- Mara Tencer <mtencer@jcrcboston.orgwrote: Hi Susie:

 

Judy Lehrer gave me your name and email and suggested that I drop you a line with a story idea.

 

large (17x22) art poster