Kristallnact Conference to Feature Art, Music
MADISON, NJ-In his paintings, surrealist Samuel Bak portrays his childhood memories of the Holocaust, bringing to life the terror and sadness he experienced in Europe in the 1930s. Bak’s works will serve as the centerpiece of a November 12 conference at Drew University commemorating Kristallnacht, a night of intense violence against Jews in 1938. The conference will feature a talk by Bak and an exhibition of his art, a performance of Yiddish music, and a presentation by Allan Nadler, a professor of Jewish studies at Drew. Bak’s paintings will be on display at the university from October 9 through November 24. Members of the community are welcome to attend conference and visit the exhibit.
Bak was born in Vilna, Poland, in 1933. In 1948, he and his mother emigrated to Israel, where he attended the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. After serving for three years in the Israel Defense Forces, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Most of the works for which he known recall his childhood memories of living in war-torn Europe. Among artists and critics alike, he is frequently credited with tapping the educational power of surrealism.
At the November 12 conference, Dr. Allan Nadler will provide historical context by speaking about the important role played by Vilna, Bak's hometown, in the history of Eastern European Judaism. Among other topics, he’ll discuss the city’s reaction to Kristallnacht. There will also be a short Yiddish music performance by Cantor Shira Nafshi of Temple B’nai Or in Morristown, New Jersey.
The conference, which is titled “Samuel Bak: Artist-Witness to the Holocaust,” is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations contained in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
For more information, including a complete schedule of conference events, please visit www.?.com or contact Carol Brodsky at Drew’s Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study at 973/408-3600 or e-mail ctrholst@drew.edu.
###
Posted: October 13, 2009
