About the Exhibit

This exhibition illustrates Holocaust survivors living in Minnesota, in their homes, in full color. Each is a story of survival during exceedingly difficult circumstances. As a collection, these images focus on life and hope. From Europe to Minnesota, it was here they fashioned their dreams, their futures, and their families. Their lives are constant reminders about the value of freedom and the enduring human spirit.

Exhibit Dimensions:

Portable and customized panel walls for any space size
54 people photographed
46 portraits with text cards in holders (some pictures have 2 people)
35 survivors have passed away since the beginning of the project

We are honored to share this exhibit with you.

David Sherman, Photographer

David Sherman is a portrait, sports and editorial photographer. As the NBA Photographer for professional basketball teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx, David has produced striking imagery that has been published internationally. In addition, his adventurous spirit has taken him on professional assignments to China, Japan, England, France, and Turkey. A professional photographer since 1992, he serves as House Photographer for U.S. Bank Stadium and Target Center. David is highly regarded for his portraiture and editorial work. He excels in his professionalism, artist's eye, and ability to masterfully draw out the true emotion and energy behind his subjects.In 2010, David envisioned Transfer of Memory, a touring exhibition of portraits and accompanying stories of Minnesota’s Holocaust Survivors.

Lili Chester, Writer

Lili was born in Austria, the first child of two Holocaust survivors. Growing up in Minneapolis, she was immersed in the culture and stories of her parents and their friends. Children of Holocaust survivors carry a profound legacy. They become the witnesses for the next generation. Lili is honored to have participated in this project, as an opportunity to carry on the legacy of remembrance. Each person interviewed could be the subject of a whole book and thus, it was very difficult to summarize their experiences in just a few short paragraphs. Lili hopes that the words that she has matched to the photographs will not only make people aware of the personal tragedies of the Holocaust, but also carry on the memory of a special group of people.

Laura Zelle, Curator

Laura Zelle is Director of Holocaust Education at the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC), where she has been on staff since 2005. Laura oversees the daily operations of the program, writing grants and delivering curriculum, educator workshops, speakers, and film showings. She is responsible for the vision and creation of numerous educational resources. Laura’s commitment to Holocaust education is evident in the work she has done at the JCRC to ensure that Minnesota local Holocaust survivor stories and lessons are preserved. Starting with her own mother, Mary Ackos Calof, z”l, Laura presided over the creation of the award winning short documentary about her family, In the Shadow of the Acropolis. This film and her second documentary, But Some Survive, have both received Telly awards. She has produced a total of five films, co-edited the book Witnesses to the Holocaust, and is published in the anthology White Teachers Diverse Classrooms.

Susie Greenberg, Curator

Susie Greenberg is Associate Director of Holocaust Education at the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakota. She produces, facilitates, and implements programming relating to the Holocaust. Focusing on our local community, Susie works with Holocaust survivors and their legacies in an active speakers' bureau, community trainings, trips to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and other Twin City-wide programming such as the annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Zikaron B'Salon, Culture Coalition, and more. Susie was project coordinator and supervisor for the exhibition, Kindertransport - Rescuing Children on the Brink of War in Minneapolis and curated the accompanying local component, The Story is Here.

About the JCRC

Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas As the public affairs voice of the Jewish community, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) fights antisemitism and prejudice, safeguards the Jewish community, advocates for Israel, provides Holocaust education, promotes tolerance and social justice, and builds bridges across the Jewish and broader communities.

Supported By

Generously Supported by: Sheldon and Lili Chester Philanthropic Fund Additional Support by: Oren and Sharron Steinfeldt Family Fund The Beverly Foundation of Minnesota Otto Bremer Foundation of Minnesota Allianz of America Tankenoff Families Foundation