A Multimedia Exhibition of Synagogues in Germany
The following announcement is a very important and interesting new addition to our city. It is my pleasure to let you all know about its arrival. The former German Consul General Walter Stechel and our past president Dr Harvey Shipper were heavily involved in bringing this exhibit to our city.
Please take advantage of this presentation.
A Multimedia Exhibition of Synagogues in Germany
A Virtual Reconstruction
A large and interactive multimedia exhibition Synagogues in Germany: A Virtual Reconstruction. It runs at the Paul H. Cocker Gallery at Ryerson University from March 16—April 21. It is the result of more than twenty years of architectural research at Darmstadt Technical University dedicated to reclaiming some of Germany’s lost Jewish heritage. Work on the exhibition was begun following the 1994 firebombing of a Lübeck synagogue, the first racist attack on a Jewish house of worship in Germany since 1945. In response, scholars have created elaborate 3D digital reconstructions of more than 25 destroyed synagogues which visitors can explore using computer workstations. Along with associated placards, photographs, text panels, books, and three documentary films, these reconstructions speak to the nature and significance of cultural loss as an instrument of genocide. They also visually document the extraordinary architectural variety and historical importance of the buildings the Nazis destroyed, and in so doing contribute to commemorative work ongoing in the wake of the Holocaust by providing a source for reflection on what the historical destruction of Jewish culture means today.
The Virtual Synagogues exhibition will be on display until April 21 and hopefully many of you and members of your family will find some time to visit. The gallery is open on weekdays only from 9 till 5 p.m. Ryerson has offered to schedule visits beside that; if you are interested in doing so, please contact Ms. Alexandra Berceanu.
I saw this exhibit yesterday evening and would highly recommend it (we made arrangements with Ryerson for extended hours to view it). It is very well presented and the magnitude of the Kristallnacht destruction is brought home in a very powerful and tangible way. The documentary video is excellent. The virtual reconstructions of the destroyed synagogues and the process of their creation are awe inspiring.