The Yom Hashoah Community Arts Project
Words &
Invited to Grandma Sophie’s For Dinner
A note from the artist: This is a 2010 Yom HaShoah excerpt from my (now-retired) syndicated daily comic strip, The Pajama Diaries, which featured a modern American Jewish family. I created this strip to honor of my husband's grandmother, Miriam, whose family perished in the Holocaust. The ongoing character, Grandma Sophie, was based on Miriam.
About the artist: Terri Libenson is the New York Times bestselling author of the popular illustrated middle-grade series, Emmie & Friends. She was previously the Reuben Award-winning cartoonist of the internationally syndicated daily comic strip, The Pajama Diaries (2006-2020) as well as an award-winning humorous card writer for American Greetings. Terri lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband, Mike. She is the proud mom of two grown daughters and a spoiled poodle, Rosie.
by Terri Libenson
Prayer by Steps
A note from the artist: This piece is inspired by the exodus from Egypt and the Jewish history of resilience, action and love to overcome hate and move towards a more beautiful present and future. Link to video
About the artist: Andrea Lee-Zucker is a transformational coach, artist, writer, and impact investor striving to live her values in every layer of her life. Her art, writing and coaching center around oneness and the power of our internal journeys to be the building blocks of justice, love and peace. Andrea is Co-founder of Antigravity Ventures, which invests in purpose-driven and inclusive social enterprises. She also serves on the executive committee of the US board of IsraAID, an NGO that partners with local communities around the world to provide urgent aid, assist in recovery, and reduce the risk of future disasters. Andrea is the proud mother of three children and wife of a tech entrepreneur who is helping her discover the potential of our exponential future.
by Andrea Lee-Zucker
One Flame
A note from the artist: I believe that all people, but especially Christians, should stand tall and strong next to our Jewish brothers and sisters. We should shine the light of love and truth in hopes that the darkness of evil and hate will forever be extinguished.
About the artist: Nicole Fincher is a high school English teacher, an avid reader, an animal lover, and an aspiring writer. She finds joy in the book community and the beauty of uniting people from diverse backgrounds and cultures through the written word.
by Nicole Fincher
Echoes of Erasure
A note from the artist: Taken from the latest video of MIT's Scientists Against Genocide Encampment, I was struck by another example of someone who is not Jewish not letting Jews speak for themselves, defining what Zionism is, and defined who is a good vs bad Jew. As part of the MIT community, my voice is erased, and so I explored this through erasure poetry, to give Jews on campus a voice while they try to speak for us and silence us.
About the artist: BARD brings her diverse backgrounds into her art subject matter and processes, having received a BA in Theater and English from Brandeis University and an MA in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Their attraction to mixed media stems from both their work as an environmental educator and a personal creative curiosity. By using found items and reusing her own objects and clothes, she both reduces waste and explores the tangibility of art. In many of their pieces they utilize 3D elements to redefine who can interact with visual art, adding Braille and durable interactive elements to allow blind and low-vision audience members to enjoy their work. Her art has been featured in solo and group exhibits in seven states across the country, as well as internationally.
by BARD
Hey There Gentile (What Jews Really Need)
A note from the artist: This is the first song I wrote after October 7th - a parody to the tune of Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" - renamed "Hey There Gentile" - it went semi-viral in the small Jewstagram community; even Van Jones 'liked' it and struck up a conversation with me, telling me that he would share it with Rachel Hirsch, and a few of the other hostage families he felt could use a laugh (as Jews know, laughter is the best medicine).
About the artist: Janna Pelle is a musician, writer, and sometimes visual artist when the mood and meaning strike her, but above all, she is a communicator. Having studied advertising at the University of Florida, she has used her artistic endeavors to amplify the missions of a variety of causes that are close to home, from rare disease awareness to distracted driving — and now, solidarity with the victims of October 7th and the broader Jewish community.
by Janna Pelle
UNTITLED
About the artist: Melanie Lasoff Levs is a writer and editor who lives in her adopted hometown of Atlanta with her husband and their three children. When she was 11, she read Anne Frank’s “Diary of a Young Girl.” Melanie saw so much of herself in Anne that she added an “e” to her own middle name, Ann, so she could carry the “original” Anne along on her journalism career. Melanie thanks her late grandparents, Camp Louise, her husband and her synagogue, where she sits on the board, for her Jewish pride and practice.