A New Chapter for Rivka
Oil on Canvas 30x40 Painted: 2019 Original Image Taken: 1967 Rivka is my mother-in-law and this moment was a turning point for her. She was celebrating her engagement to Harry and things were about to change. Rivka didn’t know it then but within a few years of getting married, she and Harry would embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Harry had a dream of raising his family in Israel and Rivka became a willing player. Together they quit their secure jobs; they sold their comfortable home and moved with their 3 children to an absorption center in Jerusalem. I admire the fact that Rivka was able to shift gears, set aside everything she thought her life would be and go on this journey with an open mind. The Israeli dream only lasted five years but the memories are still a great return on the investment.
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Teen Tour at the Dead Sea
By J. Kott-Wolle Oil on Canvas, 24x30, painted 2019 Original photograph taken – 1988 When I was 19 I travelled to Israel for the first time on a teen tour organized by the AZYF (American Zionist Youth Federation). In those days there were no free ‘Birthright’ trips to Israel. Rather, I held a part-time job for over a year and saved my money to pay for the experience on my own. I didn’t go to Israel with the intention of ‘connecting’ to my Jewish self. At that time, the role of Judaism in my life had started to wane in a big way. I no longer kept kosher (but hid that fact from my family); Hebrew school was behind me and I had traded in weekly Shabbat services for sleeping late on Saturday mornings. Honestly, I was motivated to go to Israel because my friends had gone and it looked like a huge party to me. That was my primary attraction. Presently there are literally thousands of youth groups that travel through Israel, all with the goal of helping the cause of Jewish continuity – ‘marketing Judaism’ to a generation that appears to have only a peripheral interest in maintaining Jewish identity, religion and culture. I can only imagine the organizers of these programs wondering if their efforts have any impact at all on shaping the Jewish identities of the young people who participate. Thirty plus years later, I can attest to the fact that my youth trip to Israel ‘worked’. In the midst of all the fun and freedom, I for one, found myself very introspective during that experience. I returned home with the realization that my Judaism was no longer my mother’s responsibility but was on me now. I made a promise to myself to take as many Jewish studies classes I could find in college - where I met my husband; made a career decision to work in Jewish communal service and ensure that my children had positive experiences with both Jewish camp and education so that they’d be literate and proud Jews. In the end, the AZYF “Taste of Israel” trip was probably one of the most important Jewish experiences of my life. Baby’s First Chanukah
By J.Kott-Wolle Oil on Canvas 16x20, painted 2019 Original photograph taken – 1999 I remember my oldest child’s first Chanukah like it was yesterday. It had been a very busy day and we forgot to light the candles to mark the holiday. Late that night, when we reminded ourselves to do it, all I wanted was to go to sleep. In my delirium I had an internal debate – does it even matter if we light the Chanukah candles for a baby who doesn’t know the difference? Can’t we just observe these rituals when he’s older and understands what is going on around him? In the end, tradition won out and we dragged ourselves over to the living room window to light the Chanukiah – Henry was so squirmy in my arms. I’ve often wondered: are you born Jewish or do you become Jewish after being exposed to it and having it cultivated in you? On reflection I’ve come to the conclusion that both answers are true. Jewish identity, a feeling of spiritual and emotional connection to Judaism, it’s history, people and culture, however, involves being ‘sparked’ and that can happen at any age. Shacharit (Morning Prayers) at the Jewish High School
By J. Kott-Wolle Oil on Canvas, 18x18, painted 2017 Original photograph taken – 2017 Prayer in Judaism is an awkward place for me. I went to synagogue every week as a child so I’ve always known the tunes and most of the Hebrew words in the prayer service but I actually don’t have a clue what most of it means. Prayer services have always felt long and repetitive. I’m never sure when to bow or stand and then sit down again and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to think about when I’m saying the words. I’m that person who counts how many pages are left in the siddur (prayer book) until the service is over. This void in my knowledge base has been a ‘private shame’ for most of my life. I always felt embarrassed to admit that the shul sanctuary is the place where I feel most out of step with Judaism. I also believed that I was too old to do anything about it. (The year I said Kaddish for my father I finally committed to getting a very rudimentary understanding of the rhythm of the service). When I sent my kids to Jewish Day School parents were always encouraged to sit in during morning prayer services (Shacharit). At first, I thought it was ‘too Jewish’ when I’d see all the kids in their tallit and tefillin. But I was that parent who listened hard when the prayers were being explained and taught to the kindergarten students. I needed that information to round out my personal Jewish literacy. I’m so grateful that all 3 of my kids can walk into any synagogue service anywhere as informed participants and leaders. I envy them. Sophia Had Peace of Mind
Oil on Canvas 30x40 Painted: 2019 Original Image Taken: 1974 My grandmother Sophia was an incredible woman. When her husband was drafted to the Polish army during the Holocaust, Sophia was left alone with 3 small children to protect. She made sure they always had food; she identified Righteous Gentiles to hide my mother and her siblings when there were raids on the Krakow ghetto; Sophia was able to secure false Argentinian passports for her family – which saved them from Nazi firing squads on more than a few occasions. Sophia refused to leave Poland (even though the passports could provide safe passage out of Europe) because her sisters were interned in Auschwitz and she arranged to have food smuggled to them on a regular basis. Sophia was fearless and driven. When she immigrated to Canada she continued to lead. Sophia had her own small wholesaling business; she hosted her sisters (who survived) and the whole family for all the holidays; she ensured that her children had every opportunity. She took a job washing dishes at a Jewish overnight camp so that my mom and her siblings could spend the summers like all the other kids in their community. She supported my mother’s artistic and educational aspirations. She was extremely proud when her son Ronnie finished McGill medical school and did graduate work at Harvard. She treasured her grandchildren more than anything. My daughter Sophie is named for her - what a legacy. Chaya Lea Tried to Come to America
By J. Kott-Wolle Oil on Canvas, 30x40, painted 2019 Original photograph taken – 1925 One of the legacies of descending from Holocaust survivors is that you grow up in a house without old family photos - a huge piece of your history is simply ‘erased’. By some miracle one precious photo made it through my family’s escape from the Nazis. This image is of my great grandmother, Chaya Lea in the 1920’s. Her husband had moved to New York and she was set to join him with their 5 children once he had earned enough money to sponsor them and pay for their travel. Chaya Lea had this portrait taken as part of her sponsorship application. A cruel twist of fate happened when her husband died suddenly. Chaya Lea became a widow and her immigration plan was thwarted. She and her five children stayed in Poland. My mother recalls the day her grandmother was murdered. There was a raid on the Krakow Ghetto. My mother (only 5 years old at the time) was hidden with Righteous Gentiles. When the raid was over my mother was returned to her family and she remembers that everyone was crying and sitting shiva (mourning) for Chaya Lea. Chaya Lea was taken during that raid and was possibly transferred to the Auschwitz concentration camp or shot in the street. Her story was one of the ‘unspeakables’. Chaya Lea has no grave. Four of her five children did survive. The little girl beside her, my great Aunt Cecilia, was saved by Oskar Schindler. The Second Generation
By J. Kott-Wolle Oil on Canvas, 24x24, painted 2019 Original photograph taken – 1969 The ‘Second Generation’ refers to children born to Holocaust survivors. Officially, I fall into that category. We are a unique sub-set of the Jewish community – we were raised by parents who went through one of the darkest chapters in history and that experience had implications for us. Our homes were different from the homes of our friends whose parents were born in North America. Our parents spoke English with an accent and broke into other languages to talk about things they didn’t want us to know. Some of our parents had numbers tattooed on their arms. We are a generation named after relatives who died unspeakable deaths. All of us know that our existence is a miracle – we shouldn’t even be alive. Growing up we understood that our parents had been through ‘enough’ and ‘our job’ was to make sure that we did not disappoint them. We know a thing or two about resilience. We wonder if we are as tough as our parents – could we have survived what they went through? We secretly fear that we would not have. Some Second Generation kids were born as ‘replacement’ children – their parents were married with families before the war and had lost everyone – their spouses, children, parents and siblings. These Second Generation children felt the impossible burden of trying to make highly traumatized parents feel whole again. This 1969 image is of my mom’s first cousin Mary with her new husband Lou. I remember Mary’s parents. They were so gentle and lovely. Aunty Rutka (prisoner number 76322) and Uncle Mishu (prisoner number 68881) were both in the concentration camps and were saved by Oskar Schindler. Now that most survivors are no longer alive, Second Generation children feel a tremendous obligation to tell their parents’ stories. Usher’s Reward
By J.Kott-Wolle Oil on Canvas 28x30. painted 2017 Original photograph taken: 1968 The defining moment of my great Uncle Usher’s life happened when he took the ‘hit’ for his brother Jankel (my grandfather). It was 1942 and the Nazis were confiscating all the property belonging to the Jews in their small Ukrainian village. My grandfather Jankel could not stand the humiliation any longer and lost his temper. He made the foolish mistake of beating up a young Ukrainian police officer (who was carrying out the orders). Jankel knew that the consequence of beating up a police officer would be deadly for him so he ran away. Later that day the police came to their house looking for Jankel and instead took Usher to the police station. They wanted to know where Jankel was hiding but Usher would not cooperate. They tried to coerce Usher by beating him with a bicycle chain to force the information out of him. Usher was loyal and would not betray his brother. Eventually the police gave up. Hours after the beating, Usher, along with my grandfather, my dad, my aunt Sylvia and great grandmother fled to the forest outside their village and ended up hiding there for 19 months until the war was over. Out of nine Jewish families, theirs was the only one from that village to survive the Holocaust. Poor Usher – that beating was the biggest moment of his entire life. He never married or had children. All he had was his brother and his niece and nephew. After immigrating to Canada he had no real success either professionally or personally. His greatest pleasures in life were cigarettes and Jankel’s grandchildren. Usher showed up to all of our family gatherings and birthday parties. I was only 3 when he died of lung cancer. In broken English my grandfather used to ask me “do you remember Uncle Usher?” I’d lie and say that I did. I understood that my grandfather needed to know that his brother’s life mattered. Usher had High Hopes
By J. Kott-Wolle Oil on Canvas, 30x30, painted 2019 Original photograph taken - 1972 Usher was my father’s uncle. He never married or had children. Usher arrived in Canada with my grandfather, my dad and my aunt Sylvia in 1949 after they survived the Holocaust. The four of them were sponsored and taken in by their brother Avrum who had moved to Montreal in 1929. Avrum was fortunate because he avoided the danger and uncertainty of life under Nazi rule and became materially successful by opening a dress factory. When the three siblings reunited, it was awkward to say the least. Two brothers suffered greatly during the Holocaust while the other was comfortable enough to buy a new Pontiac. Usher felt personally insulted when my dad, only 16 years old, was handed a broom on his first day in Canada and told to sweep the floors of the dress factory. Actually, Usher was livid and it marked the beginning of a lifetime of ‘broyges’ (Yiddish for keeping a grudge) with that side of the family. In my father’s memoirs he describes that moment: ‘This outburst of indignation at his brother was like an opening scene in a play by Tennessee Williams…Usher must have figured out that there was not going to be manna falling from the sky and sweeping his brother’s floors was the proverbial straw that shattered his dream of how it would be. The next day we moved into a nice 2nd story flat on Jeanne Mance Street at the N/W corner of St. Viateur…” One can only imagine the pride Usher must have felt on the day my father graduated from law school. Usher died in 1973. He had terrible scars on his body from the time when the Ukrainian police (under direction of the Nazis) beat him with a bicycle chain. Bar Mitzvah Boy
By J. Kott-Wolle Oil on Canvas, 24x36, painted 2019 Original photograph taken - 1974 The first Bar Mitzvah I ever attended was my cousin John’s. It was a big milestone because he was the only boy out of ten cousins on my dad’s side. The celebration was pretty lavish with a catered banquet and a live band. When I saw my aunt, uncle and five cousins sitting at the head table they looked like ‘royalty’ to me. In the 70’s there used to be this candle lighting ceremony for Bar Mitzvah boys (I have no idea when this ritual fell out of fashion). It was a way to honor 13 guests by inviting them to stand next to an awkward bar mitzvah boy and light a candle on his Torah shaped birthday cake. Every honoree marched across the dance floor to a ‘theme song’ that the band or DJ played at high volume. The Kott sisters’ song was always (you guessed it!) “We are family – I got all my sisters and me” by Sister Sledge. My cousin John, in his brown velvet tuxedo, did not look amused. |