Voices of Survivors: Inspiring Hope, Sanctuary, Compassion and Community

September 12-29, 2024 at the Sullivan County Historical Society & Museum, 265 Main Street, Hurleyville, NY.

The exhibit is open to the public Tues-Sat: 10am-4:30pm and Sun: 1pm-4:30pm

This multimedia experience immerses the public in poetry, prose, photography, and paintings that convey the theme of Hope, Sanctuary, Compassion and Community. Those four words are the foundation of what you will see, hear, view, and read throughout this multilingual, multicultural, and multigenerational exhibition. Items in Voices were submitted by people from the Catskills Region. These materials are on loan, with some available for purchase. Come to see the rich collection of talent shared by people ages 12-95 years young.

Each Thursday through Sunday, from September 12th through the 29th, the public has the opportunity to meet artists, survivors (1G, 2G and 3rd Generation) to view documentaries and interviews, to write and add to the Poetrees, to listen to music, and to share out loud or reflect silently.

The anticipated schedule is below, with updates to be posted to HopesCompass.org. The series is free with donations greatly appreciated.

September 12th: Poetry reading by Sharon Kennedy-Nolle, former SC Poet Laureate; Fisher and Kean, musicians;

Sept. 13th: Survivors’s stories will be shared by Uma B., Eva Bokscor and Dr. Richard Stein;

Sept. 14th: Pearl Zayas, Chana Pollack, Miro Mniewski, and members of the Hilfstein Family will share their stories as children and grandchildren of survivors;

Sept. 15th: Attend a screening of The Four Seasons Lodge, hosted by Andrew Jacobs and Dr. Peter Chester;

Sept. 19th: Come meet, greet and hear from Dr. Patrick Sullivan, current superintendent of the LCSD, followed by Mimi Werner who will share photographs that were part of the Nuremberg Trials.

Sept. 20th: Dr. Peter A. Chester shares his family’s multilingual and multicultural journey of survival; Create with the Curator, Dr. Hope Blecher Croney; conclude with a musical performance by Teri Paris.

Sept. 21st: Music by Myrna Marcarian; a meet and greet with photographer Jean Rhode; conclude with a wellness workshop by Pearl Zayas;

Sept. 22nd: Sharing of family stories and poetry by Tina Hazarian; meet creative doll artist Naomi Bush; listen to the music and stories of David Fieldler and Anastasia Solberg, a viola and violin duet; conclude with poetry by Kevin Graham, the current county poet laureate.

Sept. 26th: lunch and learn with Nadia Rajsz, as she shares about the Holodomor; followed by Lori Orestano-James with a special guest talking about the impact of the holidays upon the Borscht Belt area hotels; conclude your afternoon with Richard Chiger as he talks about the intersection of Yiddish and the Holocaust;

Sept. 27th: Sing and dance along with Chai on Music; conclude with a conversation with Judy Balaban;

Sept. 28th: Allison Luci, artist will paint live at the museum; Michael Dwyer will screen

Appreciation: A Survivor’s Story of Hiroshima; conclude with a presentation by Shain Fishman, sharing her story and that of her family’s survival.

Sept. 29th: Cris Spinner, musician; Tibor Spitz, Ilene Cutler and Tim Miller, screening We Remember: Songs of Survivors, a PBS documentary of which Tibor is the remaining living survivor.

Among the works on display are poets, prose, stories, music, artwork and paintings by:

Miguel Tito; Tal Beery; Adele and Bliss Blaustein; Hope Blecher Croney; Jean Rhode; Allison Luci; Paul Kean; Deborah Fisher; Rose Nove Feder; Meghan Barnes; Nya Rhee; Steven Gold; students from Liberty Central Schools; Brenda Sherman; Marilyn Laufer; Naomi Bush; Gene Iovine; Steve Duffy; The Levins; Alyssa Thalmann; Marlene Wertheim; and a serigraph featuring Bill Graham and Carlos Santana.

This exhibit has been funded in part by a Community Development grant from Sullivan 180, with additional funding by the county legislators, Resorts World Gives, and funding for musicians by the STEAM Fund, with further support by individual donors and organizations listed at www.HopesCompass.org

Dr. Hope Blecher, curator, thanks the Sullivan County Historical Society and Museum, and the Liberty Museum and Arts Center for hosting the iterations of Voices of Survivors: Inspiring Hope, Sanctuary, Compassion and Community. She is grateful to those who attended and participated in this community and civic engagement project.