Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
‘Visions of the Holocaust’
Color images at Nova Southeastern leave a powerful impression.
Colorized Holocaust-era images now on display at Nova Southeastern University in Davie have left a powerful and emotional impression on those who have viewed them.
The images are part of the exhibit “Visions of the Holocaust,” presented by the Holocaust Learning and Education Fund, Inc. and on display at the Cotilla Gallery located on the second floor of NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library, 3100 Ray Ferrero, Jr. Blvd. in Davie, through Jan. 28.
The images come from the archives of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Yad Vashem. Originally in black and white, these images were colorized by a Turkish artist named Yusuf Tolga Unker.
“Our entire objective for having prepared and exhibiting ‘Visions of the Holocaust’ is for the viewer, be it students, faculty or the general public, to see and better understand, through illustration, the events leading up to the period of the Holocaust until liberation,” said Craig Weiner, president of the HLEF, which he co-founded with his wife Barbara Weiner in 2013. “The visitors will be deeply impacted by these images such that we, as human beings, will appreciate how critical it is for us all to stand up against all forms of hate and intolerance.”
The HLEF conducts a number of educational programs for middle and high school students throughout South Florida. These programs include visits by both public and private schools to the Craig and Barbara Weiner Holocaust Reflection and Resource Center located at NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library.
Weiner noted that by enlarging and individually colorizing these images, they seem to impact the viewer far more than the typical World War II small black and white images that people are all
used to seeing do.
“The exhibit contains images that people have not seen before in this way. By bringing color to these horrible images, it makes it feel more realistic and draws the viewer into the image, to feel empathy, and is clearly more impactful to the viewer than the small black and white images that would have been taken with old Brownie or Leica cameras, for example.”
Weiner said the exhibit has been heavily viewed.
“We have had numerous comments about this exhibit because it is so different than anything anyone has seen before. The vast majority of the visitors to the exhibit have commented on how powerful it is to the viewer.”
Ivy Schamis, a social studies teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland who teaches a History of the Holocaust elective there, has viewed the exhibit and thought the colorizing of the photos stood out the most.
“We’re so used to seeing these photos in black and white, but seeing them so large and stick out in color makes it more meaningful and powerful,” Schamis said.
Weiner noted, “This exhibit is excellent for Holocaust education because it tells the story accurately, in human terms. And all of the images are individually identified with full descriptions for the visitors to read and understand.”
Weiner expressed his gratitude towards the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Yad Vahsem for their collaboration on this exhibit.
“The USHMM and Yad Vashem were very helpful to us in providing selected images that we selected for this exhibit. We work closely with the USHMM in Washington and support their work and programs as well.”
Weiner noted that having an exhibit such as this, as well as housing the Craig and Barbara Weiner Holocaust Reflection and Resource Center on a university campus, is paramount.
“Hundreds of thousands of entries come through the front doors of the Alvin Sherman Library at Nova Southeastern University each year so, as such, the Holocaust Center and this exhibit attract very wide exposure – much more so than would otherwise be the case at a free standing location. We also appreciate the permanency of a university and this is why we so enjoy partnering with this amazing university on our many educational programs.”
The exhibit is open during all library hours seven days a week, all day and evenings. It is free of charge. Visit sherman.library.nova.edu/ for library hours of operation. Visit holocausteducationfund.com for more information.