Several years ago, while visiting Prague, I spent several days in the old Jewish cemetery, photographing the crowded and worn gravestones. The entire place felt magical, as if the spirits were hovering over it. At that time, I also visited Terezin, the “model” concentration camp that housed many visual artists, writers, musicians, and other Jews in the arts, as well as gay and disabled people. I was deeply affected by seeing the empty cells, the examining rooms, and the ovens that cremated the bodies of those who died there. I had a strong sense of emptiness. The spirits had departed long ago, and only darkness remained. I photographed the ovens, the grave markers, and the gates to the even more frightening “little fortress” enclave. I found I needed to integrate this experience and work through it in my art. For years my work had been based on the following questions: who am I, as a human being, as a female, as a spiritual being, as a Jew, and as a member of the human race? My experience in Terezin brought a new question: how could this (genocide) have happened? My research turned up detailed documentation of centuries of persecution. I was compelled to begin a series of works, shown here, that would give voice to the difficult history and identity I was acknowledging as a descendant of Eastern European Jews. I dyed heavy cloth yellow, and gathered together my own family photos, photos of pre-war European Jews, photos of Terezin, photos of Prague, meat markets, and texts. I transferred these images and text to the cloth. I drew into the work with ink, adding to and reinforcing the images and text. The imagery in this work shows cruelty, pain, accomplishment and joy, all part of a story that goes back over a thousand years. The title “Still With Us” refers both to the prevalence of discrimination, persecution, and racism throughout history, as well as to the remarkable strength and survival of the people and their descendants despite oppression. Though at first glance this work may seem specific to one group, on a more universal level it is about acknowledging and owning one’s own history in order to better find a place in society. It is about acceptance and understanding. The work raises the following important questions: how does knowing my past history affect me today? How does knowing my own history affect how I view myself and others? Do others view me as part of a group and view themselves as part of a group? Does that influence our interactions? These are universal questions.