NEVER AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
In 1940, when my grandmother was just three years old
Nazi forces invaded her home in Romania. They rounded up her entire family, including her mother, father, and five older siblings, and forced them into the backyard. There, in a tragic and senseless act of violence, they executed her father, my great-grandfather, solely because he was Jewish. They then raided the family home and stole everything of value including gems, heirlooms and more.
With the passing of the primary breadwinner, my great grandmother found herself without the resources to care for all her children. Consequently, she made the heart-wrenching decision to place my grandmother, then merely three years old, in a Christian orphanage.
There, she endured abuse, experienced a disconnection from her cultural roots, and faced the profound loneliness of being separated from her family. Thankfully and despite this, she survived.
Although tragic, this story is not unique.
My grandmother was fortunate to survive, while over six million Jews and countless others perished. The unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust inspired a solemn pledge of "Never Again." Yet, despite this commitment, atrocities and persecution persist in communities around the globe. As a Jewish artist, it is my duty to honour this vow by raising awareness of human rights abuses through my upcoming exhibition,