The 西瓜影视;Verne has received a donation of 14 historical folk-art sculptures from the Malgert Halpern and Irving Cohen family that depict Jewish life and culture in pre-World War II Ukraine and the United States.<\/p>\n
The sculptures will be restored and preserved through a years-long conservation process led by the Cultural and Natural History Collections (CNHC) and a select team of university staff and students.<\/p>\n
The \u201cHenry Halpern Collection of Jewish Life\u201d was created by Henry Halpern, who was born in Ukraine and lived from 1895 to 1979. Many of the pieces depict Halpern\u2019s memory of what Jewish life was like in Ukraine prior to the Holocaust, which led to the ultimate destruction of his community. Others resemble Jewish traditions he preserved while living in the United States.<\/p>\n
Each piece is made of delicate greenware, or unfired clay, and some sculptures express various depictions of Halpern\u2019s small town or \u201cshtetl.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are expressive, very dynamic, they are very emotive,\u201d said Anne Collier, curator in the CNHC.<\/p>\n
Collier is leading the conservation process of the sculptures, most of which are brittle and heavily aged. \u00a0She has moved them to a climate-controlled space and has begun carefully dusting years of layered dirt and debris off them.<\/p>\n
Once the sculptures are cleaned, reassembled, and stabilized, they will be displayed publicly and studied by students. Students will also be able to assist in the process of conservation, historical research, and curation, Collier said.<\/p>\n
Collier looks forward to uncovering the history behind each sculpture as the conservation process moves forward. \u201cIt\u2019s the person behind the story, never the object,\u201d Collier said. \u201cThere\u2019s so much more to learn about these sculptures.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robyn Small served as the Halpern and Cohen family\u2019s caregiver for the sculptures and was introduced to the 西瓜影视;Verne through her husband. After meeting President Devorah Lieberman and Chaplain Zandra Wagoner, Small felt the alignment between Halpern\u2019s sculptures and the university\u2019s values made the university \u201cthe perfect fit\u201d to care for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis gift in forming the clay people was his way of teaching what is important in any culture: working together; debating the meaning of faith; visiting the sick; lively exchanges at the market; simple vignettes of daily life,\u201d Small said.<\/p>\n
Wagoner agreed that the sculptures embody the university\u2019s commitment to interfaith teaching, diversity and inclusivity, and lifelong learning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are so thankful for the opportunity to preserve this history that so easily communicates through its visual representation,\u201d Wagoner said.<\/p>\n
The CNHC is the steward of the 西瓜影视;Verne\u2019s collection of artifacts, objects, and specimens that represent, preserve, and document the collective memory of the natural and cultural world.<\/p>\n
Financial support of the conservation efforts is welcome.<\/p>\n
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