and

Would like to welcome you to:

"A COMMUNITY REMEMBERS"
An Oral History Arts Project

A Photography Exhibition dedicated to the Jewish Community of Northeast Philadelphia and created by student participants of the 2006 "A Community Remembers Oral History Arts Project."

This exhibit was recently exhibited at:

The Fred Wolf, Jr. Gallery in the JCC Klein Branch
10100 Jamison Road in Philadelphia.

(For more information of displaying the full exhibit, please contact Julianne Theodoropulos)

THE HISTORY

In 2004, Theatre Ariel collaborated with Temple Sholom to commemorate the closing of the 56-year-old Northeast synagogue. As teens from the congregation interviewed their elders, they learned about their own community and the impact of world events on their congregation. Drawing from the interviews, a theatrical script was created and presented for Temple Sholom's final Sabbath service. The story of Temple Sholom inspired Theatre Ariel to further explore the greater historical landscape of the Jewish Community of Northeast Philadelphia, and hence was launched: A Community Remembers. To record the story of this evolving Jewish community, Theatre Ariel enlisted students from George Washington High School, Northeast High, and the Jewish Community High School of Gratz College to serve as oral historians and photographers. These students conducted over 50 interviews with Jewish seniors, most of whose portraits appear in this exhibit.

THE EXHIBIT

To honor and thank our oral history subjects, Theatre Ariel has mounted this photography exhibit that we believe captures the spirit of each of the interviewees and their connection to this community. Each senior was invited to pose with either a personal object or a placard that expressed their sentiments and relationship to Northeast Philadelphia.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS EXHIBIT WERE TAKEN PREDOMINANTLY BY THE STUDENTS WHO SERVED UNDER THE PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE OF PHOTOGRAPHER JORDAN CASSWAY.

THE PROJECT

From March through the end of May, The Klein Branch of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia served as the home and hub of activity for this Oral History Arts Project. Strewn about the hallways and tucked away in classrooms, high school students representing the multi-cultural mosaic of Northeast Philadelphia descended upon the JCC. With enthusiasm in their backpacks and armed with oral history questionnaires, they interviewed and documented the seniors' stories of immigration, migration, and post-World War II suburbanization. These photographs and copies of the taped interviews will become a permanent part of the archives for the Feinstein Center for American Jewish History and the Urban Archive Center at Temple University. Funding for this project comes from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS

"Esther Gold," March, 2006 Alina Tovstik, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Betty Sampson," March, 2006 Alina Tovstik, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Esther Moskow," March, 2006 Alina Tovstik, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Marvin Danocoff," March, 2006 Jackie Gershtein, 11th Grade George Washington High School	"Dan Yager," March, 2006 Jackie Gershtein, 11th Grade George Washington High School	"Leah Zoll," March, 2006 Jordan Cassway
"Elaine Gross," March, 2006 Jordan Cassway Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Elaine Keyser," March, 2006 Jordan Cassway Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Mary Lakernick," March, 2006 Jordan Cassway Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Beatrice Fedarko," March, 2006 Jordan Cassway Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Jeanette Helenan," March, 2006 Ritsy George ,11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Shirley Dashoff," March, 2006 Christina Matthew, 12th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Esther Shapiro," March, 2006 Alina Tovstik, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Philip Tregob," March, 2006 Alina Tovstik, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Nettie Lesch," March, 2006 Ritsy George, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Harold Rosenthal," April, 2006 Romie Hecdivert, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Bernice Lewis," April, 2006 Yanlam Li, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Annette Spikol," April, 2006 Yanlam Li, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Edith Kutcher," April, 2006 Yanlam Li, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Lydia Roth," April, 2006 Yanlam Li, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Sidney Melaned," April, 2006 Daniel Rybalov, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Edith Diskan," April, 2006 Daniel Rybalov, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Phyllis Tovsky," April, 2006 Daniel Rybalov, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Betty Brian," April, 2006 Jordan Cassway Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Hannah Waldman," April, 2006 Alina Tovstik, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Ruth Fleishman," April, 2006 Ansu Jacob, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Paul Kreithen," April, 2006 Emy Oommen, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Linda Hershman," April, 2006 Rose Philip, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Selma Wohl," April, 2006 Ansu Jacob, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Ruth Gruberg," April, 2006 Alina Tovstik, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Jack Belitsky," April, 2006 Ritsy George, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Dorothy Calder," May, 2006 Staci Myer-Klein, 12th Grade Northeast High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Sarah Moskowitz," May, 2006 Jordan Cassway Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Harriet Feldman," May, 2006 Samantha Greenberg, 11th Grade Northeast High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Anna Kallen," May, 2006 Staci Myer-Klein, 12th Grade Northeast High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Ruth Fruman," May, 2006 Staci Myer-Klein, 12th Grade Northeast High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Susan Leiber," May, 2006 Alina Tovstik, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Alan & Helen Schultz," May, 2006 Rose Philip, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Esther Burden," May, 2006 Jackie Gershtein, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Suzanne Udell," May, 2006 Jackie Gershtein, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Lillian Rosen," May, 2006 Rose Philip, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Ed Berman," May, 2006 Staci Myer-Klein, 12th Grade Northeast High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Raymond & Ann Zibman," May, 2006 Tieraney Simmons, 11th Grade Northeast High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Elaine Hartman & Joan Keyser," May, 2006 Staci Myer-Klein, 12th Grade Northeast High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"	"Carol Lapinsky," May, 2006 Alina Tovstik, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"
"Harold Grossman," May, 2006 Jackie Gershtein, 11th Grade George Washington High School Silver Print, 11" X 14"

The following people participated in the
2006 A Community Remembers Oral Arts History Project

SENIORS
Jack Belitsky, Edward Berman, Betty Brian, Esther Burden, Dorothy Calder, Rosalie Cohen, Marvin Donocoff, Shirley Dashoff, Edith Diskan, Beatrice Fedarko, Harriet C. Feldman, Ruth Fleishman, Ruth Fruman, Esther Gold, Elaine Gross, Harold Grossman, Ruth Gruberg, Elaine Hartman, Jeanette Helenan, Linda Hershman, Myrna Izenberg, Anna Kalen, Joan Keyser, Elaine Keyser, Paul Kreithen, Edith L. Kutcher, Mary Lakernick, Carol Lapinsky, Susan Leiber, Nettie Lesch, Bernice Lewis, Marion Lomonosoff, Leonard & Mildred Lurie, Sidney Melaned, Esther Moskow, Sarah Moskowitz, Shirley Packel, Sarah Perrone, Linda Platt, Lillian Rosen, Harold Rosenthal, Lydia Roth, Betty Samson, Alan & Helen Schultz, Esther Shapiro, Annette Spikol, Phyllis Tovsky, Philip Tregob, Suzanne Udell, Hannah Waldman, Selma Wohl, Dan Yager, Raymond & Anne Zibman, Leah Zoll

PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ritsy George, Jacklyn Gershtein, Samantha Greenberg, Romie Hecdivert, Ansu Jacob, Yanlam Li,
Christina Mathew, Staci Myer-Klein, Emy Oommen, Rose Philip, Daniel Rybalov,
Tieraney Simmons, Alina Tovstik
Supervising Photographer: Jordan Cassway

INTERVIEWERS
George Washington High School: Geoffrey Allen, Ritsy George, Jacklyn Gershtein, Romie Hecdivert,
Ansu Jacob, Yanlam Li, Justin Lipsitz, Ashley Liss, Christina Mathew, Emy Oommen, Anna Phan, Rose Philip, Tyrone Roberts, Jr., Daniel Rybalov, Marva St. Eustache, Linsa Sunny, Josh Tankel,
Alina Tovstik, Richard Yannella, Roxanne Zhilo
Supervising Faculty: Randee Hurvitz, Barbara Seigel
Northeast High School: Nyina Butler, Samantha Greenberg, Areej Hassan, Staci Myer-Klein, Sharvae Scott,
Tieraney Simmons, Jennifer Varan
Supervising Faculty: Lynn Dixon, Franco Fiorini
Jewish Community High School of Gratz College: Joshua Bowman, Philip Glass, Marlena Lurie, Jonathan Perrone
Supervising Faculty: Debbie Simons

PROJECT STAFF
A Community Remembers Project Coordinator: Julianne Theodoropulos
A Community Remembers Photographer: Jordan Cassway
Theatre Ariel Artistic Director: Deborah Baer Mozes
Consulting Archivists: Margaret Jerrido, Urban Archives of Temple University
Nancy Isserman, Feinstein Center for Jewish American Life
JCC KLEIN Branch: Barbara Shotz, Phyllis Actman, Suzanne Udell

FUNDERS
Pennsylvania Humanities Council
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

We thank the citizens of Northeast Philadelphia and invite you to join us for the theatrical production of:
A COMMUNITY REMEMBERS, April 26-29, 2007
in the Klein Branch Theater at the JCC Klein Branch, 10100 Jamison Road.

Now celebrating its 15th year, Theatre Ariel is Pennsylvania's oldest professional Jewish theater company continuing to illuminate the social, cultural and spiritual heritage of the Jewish people while building bridges between people of all cultures.