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A Survivor's Art

Retirement leads to a second career
for talented Holocaust survivor.

Shannon Mackie

"I cried my way through the entire
Special to the Jewish News
trip:' she said. "I allowed the pain of
those memories to be felt, and I remem-
Ann Arbor
bered those in my own family who
perished:'
s a former scientist and doc-
After returning home, she self-pub-
tor, Miriam Brysk never
lished a memoir, Amidst the Shadows
expected her art to be dis-
of Trees: A Holocaust Child's Survival
played around the world or for her
in the Partisans and completed two art
images to become a valuable tool in
exhibits, "In a Confined Silence" and
Holocaust history lessons.
"Children of the Holocaust."
But, after a trip
Brysk's art uses photographs of
to Eastern Europe,
actual Jews who died in the Holocaust,
Brysk, a Holocaust
including those in her own family. The
survivor herself, knew subjects are displayed individually, so
there was a greater
as to personalize the Holocaust. Her art
purpose to the hobby
combines photography with graphical
she had picked up in
elements, blending narrative realism with
retirement.
Expressionism. Her work has been exhib-
Brysk, who now
ited across the U.S. and abroad. Three
Miriam Brysk
attends Pardes
works from "In a Confined Silence" are
Hannah, a Jewish
part of the permanent Holocaust art col-
Renewal community in Ann Arbor, was
lection at Yad Vashem in Israel.
born in 1935 in Warsaw, Poland. After
"I really wanted to leave a legacy on
the German occupation began in 1939,
the Holocaust," Brysk said. "I realized
her family escaped to Lida in Belarus.
that I'm not here just to create pretty pic-
In 1941, the Lida ghetto was established
tures, but to do something meaningful. I
and became the family's new home. Two
wanted to remember the real victims of
years later, they were rescued from the
the Holocaust and to honor them:'
ghetto and spent the next two years hid-
Many of Brysk's images are used by
ing in the Lipiczany forest. In the sum-
teachers across the U.S. to enhance
mer of 1944, the fam-
their lessons on the
ily was liberated and
Holocaust. "The addi-
returned to Poland.
tion of the art allows
They continued
students to go deeper
traveling as refugees
in terms of the emo-
across Central Europe
tional attachment to
and ended up in Italy
the Holocaust:' she
where they stayed for
said.
two years.
Later this summer,
In 1947, she and
a publisher will release
her family came to
Brysk's second book,
the U.S. Despite not
The Stones Weep:
having had a formal
Teaching the Holocaust
education while in
through a Survivor's
Europe, Brysk gradu-
Art, coauthored with
ated high school at 17
Margaret Lincoln. The
and college at 20. She
book details how her
married Henry Brysk,
art is used in the class-
This work by Brysk is called The room. The publisher
a Holocaust survivor
from France, and had Stones Weep. It will appear on
will also re-release
the cover of her book.
her memoir. Book
two daughters.
Brysk also obtained
signings will be sched-
a Ph.D. in biological sciences from
uled this summer, including a session at
Columbia University and went on to
the United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum in Washington, D.C.
become a scientist and professor in
three departments at the University of
In addition to Holocaust art, Brysk
Texas Medical Branch. Today, she and
also creates abstract works. These images
her husband live in Ann Arbor.
reflect her gratitude for having survived
After retiring in 2000, Brysk became
the Holocaust, being part of a loving fam-
ily and living a full life, she said.
interested in digital art and took it up
For more information about Brysk
as a hobby. It was in 2002 that she trav-
eled to Eastern Europe, which quickly
and her work, visit her website at www.
became a turning point in her life.
miriambrysk.com.

A

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
FRESH AIR SOCIETY & TAMARACK CAMPS

Tamarack Camps' Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, August 4, 2013
at 12:00 p.m. at Camp Maas, Ortonville, MI. Every Jewish contributor who
contributed to the most recently completed annual campaigns of both the
JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT and TAMARACK CAMPS,
or their respective successors, shall be entitled to vote.

The following business will be conducted at the meeting: The election of new
directors to the Board. In accordance with the by-laws of Tamarack Camps, the

Nominating Committee met and designated the following list for election:

First 2-Year Term
Ending 2015
Rabbi Aaron Bergman
Alan M. Gallatin
Janet Gendelman
Ruth Grey
Aric Melder
Dr. Jeff Michaelson
Melissa Morof
Carolyn Tisdale
Pam Turkin

Second 3-Year Term
Ending 2016
Arik Green
Andrew Landau
Eileen Stein
Jim Sugarman

Officers submitted
for election to a
1-year term
Michael Lippitt

2013 Nominating
Committee
Tracy Aronoff

First Vice President

Joseph Lash

Chair

Vice President

First 3-Year Term
Ending 2016
Stefanie Aronow

Ilana Glazier
David Goldman
Danny Klein
Geoff Kretchmer
Kathryn Lenter
Michael Lippitt
Elizabeth Sollish
Jeff Sternberg
Nancy Komer Stone

President

Darren Findling

Stacy Brodsky

Vice President, Development

David Goldman

Treasurer

Elizabeth Sollish

Secretary

Preceding the Annual Meeting, there will be a Board of Directors'
meeting for approval of the officer slate.

Respectfully submitted: The Officers of Fresh Air Society & Tamarack Camps.

iet

CAMP

iC

C
ass ocicdicn

Supported

TheJew ish Fedea
rtion

OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

1803330

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