By Kara Goodwin
Despite stormy weather, members of Ottawa’s Indigenous and Jewish communities gathered at Temple Israel (and via Zoom) on December 10th and 11th for the Jewish – Indigenous Relations through the Creative Arts program. CHES was proud to contribute to the weekend event which provided for a discussion of shared experiences of intergenerational trauma and a reflection on the importance of bearing witness.
The event brought together Marsha Lederman, Globe and Mail columnist and author of Kiss the Red Stairs, the Holocaust Once Removed, and Carey Newman, the artist behind The Witness Blanket, a large-scale artwork that has travelled Canada. It contains numerous artifacts from residential schools, churches, and government buildings to tell the story of anti-Indigenous racism, colonialism, and genocide.
Lederman is the child of Holocaust survivors and Newman is the child of a residential school survivor. During their conversation, they exchanged personal stories and considered the role of art and education in helping future generations remember the past while moving with strength and resilience to a better future. The program was part of Temple Israel’s Truth and Reconciliation committee’s social action work.
Marsha Lederman, Globe and Mail columnist and author of Kiss the Red Stairs: The Holocaust, Once Removed, and Carey Newman, Kwakwaka’wakw-Stolo artist, creator of The Witness Blanket and co-author of The Witness Blanket: Truth, Art and Reconciliation.
