Transfer of Memory

Featuring Photographs of Minnesota Holocaust Survivors
by David Sherman and Text by Lili Chester

Opening Reception Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m.
Viterbo University Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas is proud to partner with the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin to present Transfer of Memory, a photo exhibition illustrating Holocaust survivors living in Minnesota, in their homes, in full color. Each individual is a story of survival during exceedingly difficult circumstances yet as a collection, these images focus on life and hope. From Europe to Minnesota, it was here they fashioned their dreams, their futures, and their families —their lives are a constant reminder of the value of freedom and the enduring human spirit. Photographer David Sherman and writer Lili Chester, in partnership with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC), created this photography exhibit. The display will be available for viewing March 5–31.

The Opening Reception will include remarks by Steve Hunegs, Executive Director of the JCRC, David Sherman, photographer, and a vocal performance by Karla Hughes featuring songs from the opera, The Diary of Anne Frank.

The exhibit features 41 portraits of Survivors living—or who lived—in the Twin Cities. The color images depict the survivors as living full and fulfilled lives—full of life and vitality—not defined by victimhood. Each survivor was photographed in their home and everyone was interviewed and videotaped prior to making their portrait. Lili Chester’s text, distilled from the survivor interviews, accompanies each portrait and provides background and a short history in the survivor's own words. “It is my hope and prayer that these images add an important visual proof to accompany the oral testimony,” added Sherman.

This exhibit is curated by Laura Zelle and Susie Greenberg and is a collaboration between David Sherman, Lili Chester, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. For more information, visit www.transferofmemory.org.