Photo Work
Bas Jan Ader
Dan Graham
Gordon Matta-Clark
Robert Smithson
E"c
O
Varch 6 — 27, 1999
Children's letters to a Holocaust survivor form
the basis of a play that comes to JET next week.
David Klein Gallery
163 TOWNSEND BIRMINGHAM MI 48009
TELEPHONE 248.433.3700 FAX 248.433.3702
HOURS: MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 1 1 - 5:30
YOUNG & OLD, EVERYONE'S IN LOVE WITH...
I I-0 V E Y it
YOU'RE PERFECT
NOW CHANGE
The Hit Musical Comedy
GEM THEATRE
313-963-9800
333 Madison Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226
Call Nicole for groups of 15
or more (313) 962-2913.
EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 27TH
r
11
r
SLAB FOR 2
$2 OFF
BBQ CHICKEN FOR 2
$2 OFF
Includes: 2 Potatoes,
2 Slaws and 2 Garlic Breads
L • 1 aopon Per Order • Dine In or Carry-Out • Expires 3-18-99
3/5
1999
JN
70 Detroit Jewish News
wgzitosrk ,
Includes: 2 Potatoes,
2 Slaws and 2 Garlic Breads
L • 1 Coupon Per Order • One In or Cany-Ox • Expires 3-18-99
ORCHARD LAKE RD. SOUTH OF 14 • Farm. Hills •
851-7000
Raab, who was anxious to share her
story with groups of schoolchildren. "I
received over 1,000 letters from the
s she goes about the every-
children," she says. They wrote to me
day mechanics of running a
from England, Scotland, Germany
thriving kosher poultry
and all across the United States. I put
business in Vineland, N.J.,
all [the letters] in albums and one day
Esther Terner Raab's demanding
I showed them to Richard."
schedule seems to leave little time for
Rashke believed the letters dissected
dwelling on the horrors of her past.
the soul of a survivor and portrayed
However, like most Holocaust sur-
the love, concern and outrage of the
vivors, she's not likely to forget even
children who were touched by Esther's
the most minute of
story. The impact of this
Above: Jewish Ensemble
details. Raab decided
correspondence becomes
Theatre artistic director
years ago, after meeting
not only visual, but pal-
Evelyn Orbach takes the
author and playwright
pable, in Rashke's play
role of Esther Terner Raab Dear Esther,
Richard Rashke, to ded-
coming to
in JET's production of
icate a part of her life to
Jewish Ensemble
"Dear Esther" Nicho s
the children of the
Theatre for five perfor-
Calanni directs.
world, "who must face
mances March 10-11
the reality of the
and March 13-14.
Holocaust so that it will never happen
Raab's nightmare began in 1939
again.
when she was almost 17 years old and
Rashke was conducting research at
living with her parents and brother,
the Library of Congress when he
Idel, in Chelm near the Russian bor-
stumbled upon a footnote about
der. "My father was killed in the mar-
Sobibor, a little-known death camp
ketplace by the first SS unit that
near the Russian border in what was
invaded our town," says Raab.
then a part of Ukraine. He discovered
Idel and Esther were sent to work
that the inmates of the camp had
camps and their mother, who was left
staged an uprising on Oct.14, 1943,
behind, went to the police station and
and liberated themselves.
asked to be shot. "She gave up. She
Subsequently, Rashke wrote a book
did not have to suffer. She would have
on the subject, titled Escape from
been burned," says Raab.
Sobibor, which was made into a televi-
Idel managed to escape the work
sion special and can be seen periodi-
camp, but Esther was sent to Sobibor
cally on the History Channel.
where everyone in her group was
killed, save seven girls and two boys.
As a result of his interviews for the
book, Rashke met and befriended
After more than nine months, the
LINDA BACHRACK
Special to The jewish News
JN
egttletrpfC01- =.
ci /