[BCMA] Four New Online Exhibits at the Jewish Museum and Archives of BC

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC is pleased to announce the launch of four new online exhibits<http://jewishmuseum.ca/exhibits/online-exhibits/>, each focussing on a different aspect of our community history.

1.       On These Shores: Jewish Pioneers of Early Victoria<http://jewishmuseum.ca/exhibit/on-these-shores/> traces the early foundation of the Victoria Jewish Community from their arrival in 1858 to the establishment of Congregation Emanu-El in 1863;

2.      New Ways of Living: Jewish Architects in Vancouver, 1955-1975<http://jewishmuseum.ca/exhibit/new-ways-of-living/> follows four Jewish architects who helped innovate the West Coast Modern style;

3.      Sacred Sites: Dishonour and Healing<http://jewishmuseum.ca/exhibit/sacred-sites/> reflects on Victoria citizens' response to the desecration of the Jewish cemetery there in 2011, and places this incident in context among other similar events elsewhere;

4.      Letters Home: Dispatches from the Front of World War One<http://jewishmuseum.ca/exhibit/letters-home/> tracks the experience of fighting in World War One through the eyes of Joseph Seidelman, one of the thousands of Canadian young men sent to fight on the frontlines of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, conveyed through the dozens of letters he wrote to his family in Vancouver.
We invite you to explore these exhibits and stay tuned for more exciting events coming up through the spring and summer.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                  March 10, 2016
ON THESE SHORES
The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC is pleased to announce the launch of a new online exhibit, On These Shores: Jewish Pioneers of Early Victoria.
As the California Gold Rush drew to a close in the mid-1950s, the ambitious and adventurous set their sights on the next frontier: British Columbia and the Yukon. Landing in Fort Victoria, they found a surprisingly accepting multicultural society under the governance of Sir James Douglas. Here, Jews, gentiles, Chinese, and escaped black American slaves put their prejudices aside in the interest of striking it rich. Jewish families who had found success as merchants in San Francisco put their minds to work in Victoria, growing their businesses and helping to build up the young city.
Exhibit curator Erika Balcombe examines the rise of organized Jewish society leading up to the opening of Congregation Emanu-El in 1863, just five years after the first Jews arrived in Victoria. The exhibit notes how well Jews were able to integrate while other ethnic groups, particularly First Nations, were highly marginalized. In 2013, Congregation Emanu-El celebrated its 150th Anniversary, making it not only the first but also the longest running synagogue in BC.
View the exhibit at:
http://jewishmuseum.ca/exhibit/on-these-shores/

Media Contact:
Michael Schwartz, Coordinator of Programs and Development
604.257.5199
mschwartz at jewishmuseum.ca<mailto:mschwartz at jewishmuseum.ca>


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                  March 10, 2016
NEW WAYS OF LIVING

The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC is pleased to present a new online exhibit, New Ways of Living: Jewish Architects in Vancouver, 1955 - 1975.
This exhibit charts the arrival of modern architecture and holistic design thinking in Vancouver in the years immediately following WWII. At a time when a population boom created the need for more housing, designers and architects were eager to break free of the old styles.
The UBC School of Architecture was established in 1946 with a modernist outlook, attracting a wave of forward thinking aspiring architects to Vancouver. Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, Peter Oberlander, Wolfgang Gerson, and Judah Shumiatcher were among this initial group. Inspired by the stylistic innovations of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Bauhaus, and Richard Neutra, they set out to establish a new style that would respond directly to the unique setting of Vancouver: The West Coast Style.
Curator Chanel Blouin explores the impact that these architects and landscape architects left on our city. They helped us see the importance of nature, the potential in connecting indoor and outdoor spaces through floor-to-ceiling "ribbon" windows, and the appeal of open-concept floor plans that eliminate claustrophobic spaces. New homes - whether single family houses or condos - continue to employ these techniques today. Backyard vegetable gardens, tree-lined streets even in the heart of downtown, use of local materials, significant public green spaces, view corridors - many of the details that make Vancouver a great place to live find their origins in the priorities set out by this group.
View the exhibit at:
http://jewishmuseum.ca/exhibit/new-ways-of-living/

Media Coverage:
CTV News: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/new-exhibit-examines-vancouver-s-unique-architectural-heritage-1.2758616
The Jewish Independent: http://www.jewishindependent.ca/the-west-coast-style/
The Source: http://thelasource.com/en/2016/01/25/exhibit-examines-jewish-architectural-influence-in-the-postwar-years/

Media Contact:
Michael Schwartz, Coordinator of Programs and Development
604.257.5199
mschwartz at jewishmuseum.ca<mailto:mschwartz at jewishmuseum.ca>


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                  March 10, 2016
SACRED SITES

The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC is pleased to announce the launch of a new online exhibit, Sacred Sites: Dishonour and Healing.
How does a community react when a sacred site is vandalized with racist graffiti? This was the crisis faced by the Victoria Jewish community in January 2012, when it was discovered that the community cemetery had been desecrated with swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans late one night. At the vigil that followed, over 1,000 people of all faiths and heritages stood in solidarity with the Jewish community, stating, "This is not what Victoria is about."

Taking this incident as their starting point, exhibit curators Alissa Cartwright and Kaitlin Findlay present a comparative analysis of similar incidents in other cities, including the near destruction of a Musqueam burial ground in south Vancouver in 2013. The similarities and differences in these responses are instructive as we strive towards an inclusive and just society.

Alissa Cartwright and Kaitlin Findlay are students of the Public History program at the University of Victoria. This exhibit was produced through a partnership between the Jewish Museum and Archives of BC and the University of Victoria.

View the exhibit at:
http://jewishmuseum.ca/exhibit/sacred-sites/

Media Contact:
Michael Schwartz, Coordinator of Programs and Development
604.257.5199
mschwartz at jewishmuseum.ca<mailto:mschwartz at jewishmuseum.ca>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                  March 10, 2016
LETTERS HOME
The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC is pleased to announce the launch of a new online exhibit, Letters Home: Selections from the Seidelman Collection.
Between 1914 and 1919, thousands of brave young Canadian men enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces, risking their lives on the battlefields of Europe. Joseph Seidelman was one of these thousands, enlisting in 1916 at the age of 18. A student at the University of British Columbia, he left behind a peaceful life and loving family to face the difficult life of a soldier, fighting at Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele.
Throughout his training in Manitoba and England, and his time on the frontlines in France, Seidelman wrote frequently to his family back home, here in Vancouver. This collection was donated in 2009 to the BC Jewish Community Archives, and, thanks to a grant from Library and Archives Canada, has recently been catalogued and digitized. Letters Home gathers a selection of this correspondence, providing an arc of Seidelman's experience in the war.
Junie Chow is Archives Assistant at the Jewish Museum and Archives of BC, and curator of this exhibit.
View the exhibit at:
http://jewishmuseum.ca/exhibit/letters-home/

Media Contact:
Michael Schwartz, Coordinator of Programs and Development
604.257.5199
mschwartz at jewishmuseum.ca<mailto:mschwartz at jewishmuseum.ca>



Michael Schwartz
Coordinator of Programs and Development
Jewish Museum and Archives of BC
6184 Ash Street - Vancouver BC - V5Z 3G9
604.257.5199
mschwartz at jewishmuseum.ca


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