Montserrat donates Holocaust painting to Temple B'nai Abraham
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Jul. 22—BEVERLY — A painting by Holocaust survivor Samuel Bak has been donated to Temple B'nai Abraham in Beverly by Montserrat College of Art and the Pucker family, owners of the Pucker Gallery of Boston, which has represented the artist for the past 50 years.
The painting, titled "The Last Movement," speaks to Bak's memories of the Holocaust, the hope people use to survive, and the resilience humans find when faced with such horror, according to a press release from Montserrat College.
Bak, who lives in Massachusetts, was the keynote speaker at Montserrat's Class of 2022 commencement in May. He told graduates that his father, several other family members and his 7-year-old best friend were murdered in the Holocaust, an experience that has helped define his work as an artist for the last eight decades. "Samuel Bak and the Art of Remembrance" was on view in Montserrat Gallery last spring.
Rabbi Alison Adler of Temple B'nai Abraham called the painting, which is now in the temple's lobby, "a profound reminder of what it means to be Jewish not only in our long and complicated history, but in these challenging times."
"We remember the past so that we can work to create a world free of suffering and oppression, and never give up hope," Adler said. "We are also inspired by a very special tie with our generous friend, Montserrat College of Art."
Montserrat College of Art President Kurt Steinberg said sharing Bak's work with Temple B'nai Abraham "allows us to extend his legacy into a community which values justice, equality and the importance of remembering a history of a people who were nearly lost during World War II."
"His work is also a reminder of how art brings truth to light even in the darkest of times," Steinberg said.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
