Page 2 - The Jewish Voice - August '23

Page 2, The Jewish Voice

Husband-Wife Rabbis Named from page 1
South Florida Artist Creates from page 1
“What we hope to bring
CEO. “Bruce’s vision for what we have named the to Temple Israel and the local
Gendelman Children’s Holocaust Memorial will community is relevancy,”
provide a touchstone for reflection as students, said the Rabbis Daniels in
families, and members of the community have the a joint statement. “We want
opportunity to meet with survivors, their descendants, to exemplify what authentic
and our educators one-on-one.” Jewish family life is about,
Rising 25 feet from its base of majestic roots and embracing connections
branching into a 28-foot wide canopy, the memorial with one another, bringing
is inspired by kapok trees, which are sacred in many awareness to the power of
cultures for providing protection and linking the partnerships, and inspiring Temple Israel members Carol Safran and Mark
earth with the sky. The “tree” will serve as home to others to accept a culture of Simkowitz were among those welcoming Rabbi Rabbis Ryan and Carlie Daniels meet Barbara
5,000 ceramic butterflies painted by survivors, temple inclusion.” Ryan Daniels at the oneg following services. Schwartz.
congregations, MorseLife residents, and local students The rabbis led their
as part of the worldwide Butterfly Project honoring the inaugural Shabbat service last month and were feted with According to Dr. Charles Eaton, co-president of
1.5 million children who were murdered by Nazis. The an oneg reception that was attended by prominent local Temple Israel’s Board of Directors, the hiring of Rabbis
sculpture will ultimately be surrounded by a tranquil civic figures who joined congregants in welcoming them. Daniels is something of a coup. “When we began our
butterfly garden on the Morselife campus, encouraging A series of more intimate get-togethers are being held to search a year ago for a senior rabbi, we were forewarned
visitors to pause and reflect. The Gendelman Children’s better acquaint the rabbis with their temple members. “We about the shortage of ordained rabbis – the demand is
Holocaust Memorial will stand as one of the nation’s want to listen, to hear, and to connect with our Temple Israel greater than the supply – and that there’s a steep decline
largest bronze sculptures. family,” said Rabbi Ryan. “These gatherings are a strong in student enrollment. So, we were uncertain we’d even
“Kapok represent strength and resilience,” Gendelman beginning, and we’re looking forward to a continuing dialog find a candidate to interview. Yet, here we are now with
said. “Their roots are deep and broad; their trunks are with members as we embark together on the next chapter of two exceptionally qualified individuals who check all the
massive, their branches embracing – they stand up to this vibrant community resource,” he added. boxes of what we expect from our leadership as we head
the enormous winds of hurricanes. The millions of lost into our next century.”
lives represented by the delicate and colorful butterflies Martin List, the temple’s other co-president, was
deserve such a mighty and ‘living’ memorial.” impressed with how the Rabbis Daniels met the challenges
Hidden within the tree’s canopy are the ruins of a of the pandemic with creative and innovative program
concentration camp’s chimney, a symbol Gendelman concepts for their respective congregations. “They
often uses in his large-scale Holocaust paintings as a succeeded in keeping their members fully engaged during
reminder that we must remain vigilant against evil. the most trying time, and they are driven to achieve
The HLE uses the lessons of the Holocaust to comparable results for Temple Israel by building a strong
enlighten and embolden present and future generations community outside the walls of the temple as well as
to be “upstanders” and not bystanders against bigotry within. They are passionate advocates for social action,
and hate wherever it exists. The collaboration between cultural initiatives, and enhanced religious school and
Gendelman and HLE is an outgrowth of the MorseLife teen experiences. They are in sync with our vision for the
NOW for Holocaust Survivors Initiative that serves future of Temple Israel, and we are enormously privileged
impoverished Holocaust survivors and their families that they’ve accepted to join us.”
in Palm Beach County. Rabbis Carlie and Ryan Daniels with Temple Israel members The Daniels have two young daughters, and now make
“Survivors repeatedly tell us their greatest concern Harry Kaufman, Ira Kaufman, and Maggie Kaufman their home in Palm Beach Gardens.
is that the lessons of the Holocaust will be forgotten
when the witnesses to the horrors pass on,” said
Myers. “The powerful impact of Bruce’s awe-inspiring
memorial, combined with an engaging program
of Holocaust education, is designed to fulfill our
commitment to NEVER FORGET.”
The Making of the Gendelman Children’s Holocaust
Memorial
The massive undertaking of modeling, engineering,
and casting the memorial involves some 100 craftsmen
and engineers. Every aspect has been painstakingly
designed over the course of four years to withstand
South Florida’s climate and extreme weather events.
The memorial was cast piece-by-piece using the
lost-wax method, the same 6,000-year-old process used Rabbis Carlie and Ryan Daniels received a warm welcome from Eileen Block, Barbara Goldberg, Joan Schneider, Jon Brucks,
in the ancient Middle East, Asia, and Europe. The tree Temple Israel member Carlos Escobar during the oneg reception. and Rabbi Ryan Daniels
comprises more than 300 individual castings welded
together on-site. Branching off the cast bronze limbs
are 150 leafy branches water-jet cut from bronze plate.
Each of the 5,000 butterflies will be nested in a 3D Are you ready for the next level in
printed plate for protection, and individually arranged
and secured to the sculpture by the artist. Advanced Cataract Surgery?
The Artist’s Personal Connection to His Work
Gendelman’s practice encompasses landscape,
portraiture, the Holocaust, and the COVID pandemic
in a variety of media, including oil painting, sculpture, IV-Free  Hassle-Free  Office-Based Surgery
photography, and multi-media installations.
The artist’s paternal grandfather, David Neubauer,
escaped to the United States prior to WWII. Tragically,
only four dozen of the 48,000 Jews in his small town in
Ukraine survived the Holocaust. Gendelman’s father,
Max, was an American sniper on the front lines of the
Battle of the Bulge.
Gendelman’s work stands in opposition to those
who would deny the Holocaust. His body of post-
witness Holocaust artwork has been the focus of solo
exhibitions at the National Museum of American
Jewish History, the Holocaust Memorial Center, and
the Palac Sztuki in Krakow, Poland, a museum that
once served as a Nazi headquarters.
Photos courtesy of MorseLife
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