My dear friends
I wanted to share with you an experience I had in the Jewish Museum and some reflections on it. Lies and I went together. We had both seen Jewish artefacts, Torah scrolls, Menorahs etc., so we concentrated on a stunning art exhibition by two Jewish artists in the 1920's and 30's. Their names are Else Berg and Samuel Schwartz, known as 'Moomie.' Else painted figures, including a self portrait, while Moomie painted landscape and stil life. They went to many countries to paint and the pictures are ravishing, full of bright colours. Lies's favourite painting by Moomie was of a monastery somewhere in Italy, high up on a hill, the aspect of which fascinated the artist apparently.
They were associated with a Dutch school of painting and gathered somewhere with their friends outside Amsterdam. When the Nazis came they were hidden,presumably by their non-Jewish friends but for reasons which were 'unclear' (according to the information in the Jewish Musuem) they returned to Amsterdam in the early 1940's, were immediately rounded up with many other Jews and sent to Westerbork, where they were deported to Auschwitz and immediately sent to the gas chambers.Most ot the paintings were hidden, others confiscated by the Nazis and returned after the war.
Sometime I will tell you about Etty Hillesum, a twenty seven year old Dutch woman who was a mystic and felt that what was happening to the Jews was a part of history.She had a sense of their collective destiny-was this perhaps the reason that Else Berg and Moomie returned to Amsterdam? I know that this may sound controversial, but if you take it in the context of Death and Resurrection this may give us some meaning. It says in John's Gospel that 'the darkness can never overpower, or even comprehend the Light.'
Hannah Senesh, a young Hungarian woman who flew a plane over Germany and was captured by the Nazis, said that'The souls of those who have gone before us light up the way for the rest of mankind.'
Shalom from
Gila
I wanted to share with you an experience I had in the Jewish Museum and some reflections on it. Lies and I went together. We had both seen Jewish artefacts, Torah scrolls, Menorahs etc., so we concentrated on a stunning art exhibition by two Jewish artists in the 1920's and 30's. Their names are Else Berg and Samuel Schwartz, known as 'Moomie.' Else painted figures, including a self portrait, while Moomie painted landscape and stil life. They went to many countries to paint and the pictures are ravishing, full of bright colours. Lies's favourite painting by Moomie was of a monastery somewhere in Italy, high up on a hill, the aspect of which fascinated the artist apparently.
They were associated with a Dutch school of painting and gathered somewhere with their friends outside Amsterdam. When the Nazis came they were hidden,presumably by their non-Jewish friends but for reasons which were 'unclear' (according to the information in the Jewish Musuem) they returned to Amsterdam in the early 1940's, were immediately rounded up with many other Jews and sent to Westerbork, where they were deported to Auschwitz and immediately sent to the gas chambers.Most ot the paintings were hidden, others confiscated by the Nazis and returned after the war.
Sometime I will tell you about Etty Hillesum, a twenty seven year old Dutch woman who was a mystic and felt that what was happening to the Jews was a part of history.She had a sense of their collective destiny-was this perhaps the reason that Else Berg and Moomie returned to Amsterdam? I know that this may sound controversial, but if you take it in the context of Death and Resurrection this may give us some meaning. It says in John's Gospel that 'the darkness can never overpower, or even comprehend the Light.'
Hannah Senesh, a young Hungarian woman who flew a plane over Germany and was captured by the Nazis, said that'The souls of those who have gone before us light up the way for the rest of mankind.'
Shalom from
Gila
1 comment:
Pleased that you enjoyed it so much. B
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