In honor of Women’s Month, I've been granted a remarkable opportunity to share the story of one of the most cherished and influential figures in my life: my Bobe (Yiddish for “grandmother”), Fanny Waserman.
Entitled "Because You Lived," this exhibition is an autobiographical tribute to my dear Bobe Fanny. She was born in Janow Lubelski, Poland and became the first in her family to flee to Mexico in 1936, ahead of the Holocaust. Despite her family's hopeful promises to follow, they were lost to the horrors of World War II, leaving Fanny as her family’s sole survivor.
In Mexico, she lived a life marked by silence about the unspeakable horrors she endured, grappling with the guilt and solitude of surviving when her family did not. Now, I find myself here, a voice shaped by the echoes of her unspoken pain. The burden of living while her family perished, the unanswerable questions that shadowed her existence were fragments of a story etched in the deepest recesses of her being, unwillingly passed down to subsequent generations.
"Because You Lived" aims to break the silence, serving as a humble voice for Fanny’s untold story and a beacon of remembrance. Confronting the harsh reality of obliterated stories and exterminated lives, I bear witness to her resilience. As we reflect on the past, the echoes of history reverberate in the present. The dream of "never again" often feels distant, with some denying the very occurrence of the Holocaust.
This exhibition seeks to highlight these harsh realities, and the profound impact of Fanny’s survival on generations that followed. Her legacy, now spanning 63 descendants, is a testament to how life’s fabric can continue to weave from the survival of one courageous woman. It is a celebration of the enduring human spirit and the hope that can emerge from adversity.
While I've always advocated for healing, love, and reconciliation, I've come to understand the necessity of confronting struggles to truly heal. The journey back to my roots and confronting our familial pain has underscored the pressing reality: the wounds of the past are still felt today. As we face modern antisemitism, "Because You Lived" serves as a vital reminder of our collective history, urging a commitment to combat prejudice and discrimination, to heed the lessons of our past, advocating for awareness of both historical and current struggles. This exhibition is a call to find hope within, to forge a brighter future, and to craft a narrative of tolerance and unity. While darkness may persist, it's imperative that our light shines even brighter.
Even if the world persists focusing on division, differences, hate, and war, it is crucial to recognize that such paths lead us nowhere. We are part of a shared humanity, intricately woven into an unbreakable tapestry of existence. The sought-after light lies in the uncharted territories of acceptance, unity, tolerance, and love—the only true pathways forward.
