Upcoming Events
A Third Pysanky Workshop
On Saturday March 22nd at 10:00, Lesia Sochor will offer a third Pysanky workshop at the Michael Klahr Center. We are delighted as the first two were educational, creative and fun. Lesia will explain the significance of this ancient, spiritual tradition of decorating eggs using colorful designs steeped in symbolism, including magical powers believed to bring good luck, protection, health, and love. In Ukraine they are placed around homes and yards to ward off bad luck, exchange as gifts, and cherished by future generations. Lesia will demonstrate each steps to create our own Pysanka, which is challenging! This tradition in Ukraine during Easter holidays dates back to 5,000 B.C. We are so grateful to Lesia for her ongoing generosity. She has loaned us her artwork for multiple exhibits, including Pysanky, paintings of Babushkas, and the Reuse, Repair, Reconsider series now on display in the Center. Thank you Lesia!
Repair Workshop
On Tuesday, April 22nd from 2-4:00 p.m. Lesia Sochor will offer a workshop in repair—based on her work in the Reuse, Repair, Reconsider series now on display in the Center. Lesia will share her thoughts around repair as a meditation, an antidote to today’s consumerism and dispensable approach to possessions. In an increasingly consumer driven economy, things we own are quickly discarded, contributing to a threatened environment. Lesia use a needle and thread to investigate mending as an intervention, a metaphor, a call to action. Not only to restore material things, but to mend fractured parts of ourselves and injustices of our broken world. We hope you will join us to learn some practical skills in sewing, patching, mending while we talk about the more intangible rewards of this once valued and appreciated activity.
Soul Survivors Book
We are thrilled to collaborate on a beautiful book by and about Maine Holocaust survivors as a resource for students and teachers. Through the Lens: Creating Soul Survivors by Photographer Jack Montgomery will showcase stunning portraits paired with the survivor’s story about suffering, persevering and surviving the Holocaust to go on and build a new life in America. These people founded and built the Holocaust and Human Rights Center—remaining steadfast supporters and members of our close community. The book is brings together projects that date back to the beginning of the HHRC and building of the Michael Klahr Center. We are indebted to Jack, and thrilled that these evocative portraits and heartbreaking, inspiring stories now exist in a book. Writes Jack, “The things we save can become the means for our recovery. I am moved by every aspect of these stories … And I am forever grateful to the survivors for giving us this record, which no amount of denial or historical revisionism can ever erase. We are in their debt.” A generous donor has funded the gift of a free copy to every school in Maine.
Preserving Their Voices
Through several initiatives in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary celebration, we will preserve the stories and voices of our founders, Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Maine to rebuild their lives. As it turned out, they also changed the state, bringing advocacy and education to students by traveling the state telling their stories, and speaking out against antisemitism and bigotry. This project will include a stunning book, revamped multi-media installation, events with second generation survivors, four art exhibits and a timeline to honor our forty amazing years.
The Ravensbrück Series
This exhibit is a series of small painting by the late Brenda Bettinson created after she read Sarah Helm’s book about the enslavement, beatings, torture, rape, starvation, surgical experimentation and murder of the women at the Ravenbrück concentration camp. The series will be exhibited at the HHRC from June to September.