Catalog JEMOM - Jewish Memorial Open-Air Museum

Arts Lab 4.0

mAJA MöRCHEN SARATORRIJOS Federica ColzanI

Artist from Spain, 30 years old, she is specialized in Art Directing and design.

Painter artist, from Italy, 19 years old, she is specialized in free handpaint and create her own painting reality.

Artist from Germany, 18 years old, she is specialized in fashion design.

Artist from Jordan, 23 years old, is a multimedia designer and visual storyteller.

Artist from Egypt, 18 years old, she is specialized in circus, theatre and dance.

Actress from Italy, 19 years old, she is specialized in theatre.

Jazz singer, composer and song writer from Turkey, 25 years old.

Wasan Abusummaqah Ataota Chiara Gentili Cihan Falez

Cultural manager

She is a lifelong learner, and her area of interest is developing projects that motivate artists to become socially responsible and use their art to bring people together to build better communities.

For the next seven years, her plans are to engage one hundred international artists to transform Târgu Frumos in an Alternative Art Town, creating four experiential museums inspired by the local cultural heritage: MAF (Alternative Museum of Folklore), JEMOM (Jewish Memorial Open Air Museum), MARr (Alternative Rromanes Museum) and Cucuteni Alternative.

Mihaela Diana Podariu

Introduction

The Jewish Memorial Open-Air Museum in Târgu Frumos is a way to express our compassion for the Jewish community and our regret for the Romanian Holocaust. We want to build a bridge between the past and the future, to revive the connection between locals and the descendants of Jews who lived on this land.

Târgu Frumos was mentioned in old documents as the “small Jewish town”. Nowadays, the last legacy of this strong connection is an abandoned cemetery, which reminds us of the people who managed 90% of the city’s trade and crafts, of the death train where thousands of people were killed in a horrific way, and of the centuries-old history of Jews in Târgu Frumos.

Currently, the condition of the cemetery is deplorable. In 2015, we asked for support from the town hall, but without much success. With a team of volunteers, we started cleaning it ourselves, but we realized soon that it was impossible without specialized help. Grass, weeds, and thick bushes have invaded the stones so deeply that with only seven young people, it was very difficult to clean it with rudimentary tools. The cemetery is located near a poor Rroma neighborhood, which has further influenced the low interest of locals in investing time and resources in its preservation.

During the time, we have received messages from the Jewish community around the world. We have learned that there are people who have been looking for their relatives’ graves for years, and unfortunately, in Târgu Frumos, there is no one available to help.

We feel and believe that the Jewish Cemetery is an important place in our towm, it is a legacy,

a space for learning and commemoration. We want very much to save it, which is why we have included the project in our community development strategy, which proposes the creation of four alternative museums in Targu Frumos.

By 2028, one hundred artists from all over the world will carry out artistic residencies in Târgu Frumos through the European Solidarity Corps Program of the European Union. They will contribute to the creation of four alternative museums, involving students from at least four schools in Târgu Frumos:

expressions, values, stories, etc. - and various non-formal and artistic methods that, when combined into a story, aim to stimulate the active participation of a diverse audience. In an alternative museum, the space and objects are a pretext, as the emphasis is on experience, reflection, and how the public decides to contribute. Participants may be surprised by the open, creative, non-conformist approach, the diverse methods, and the international contribution, but they will soon realize how much they have learned in a relatively short time and how close they have come to the local cultural heritage.

The Jewish Memorial Open-Air Museum - JEMOM will be implemented in partnership with the Moldova Special High School in Târgu Frumos.

An alternative museum is an experiential learning process that includes artistic products created by local and international artists, inspired by elements from the local cultural heritage - customs, practices, places, objects, artistic

In February 2023, the first generation of volunteer artists worked together with 37 students and teachers from the Moldova Special High School to create the first installation of the Jewish Memorial Open-air Museum - JEMOM. The works are exhibited both at the ACT House in Târgu Frumos and at the school. The seven artists, from Turkey, Italy, Spain, Germany, Egypt, and Jordan, specializing in drawing, music, graphic design, fashion, photo-video,

theater, circus, and dance, facilitated artistic residencies in four fields: theater-dance, sounds & storytelling, drawing, and music. The long-term plan for the JEMOM museum includes:

• Creating an album with memories, information, and photos that exist about the people buried in the Jewish Cemetery of Târgu Frumos, including the 640 victims of the Holocaust.

• Cleaning the cemetery of invasive vegetation, finding, repairing, and arranging the tombstones.

• Designing a memorial museum with paths, benches, informative panels, and the stories of those who lived in Târgu Frumos, in a solemn atmosphere, and 640 trees, one for each person whose body was thrown into the mass grave in the summer of 1941.

Moldova Special High School in Târgu Frumos and the volunteer artists of the organization, using the methodology of alternative museums that involve creating artistic creations inspired by the history of Jews in Târgu Frumos. Some of the results will be displayed on the cemetery grounds in a permanent exhibition, together with informative panels. It is also important to facilitate educational activities and events for young and vulnerable children in the area around the cemetery. Ideally, a gazebo would be set up in the cemetery where these activities will take place.

• Obtaining the status of a historical monument for the Jewish Memorial Open-air Museum in Târgu Frumos. This will contribute to the longterm protection of the museum.

• Organizing commemorative and educational events and activities. The first activities have already begun together with the students of the

• JEMOM is an open project to contributions from interested parties. We want to increase the number of partners and young people involved in this initiative and, together with the Moldova Special High School in Târgu Frumos, to complete our plans and open this museum to the public.

The process of working in this museum was a bit more challenging than in others, perhaps because over the last five months, we worked hard to build different concepts and installations, and we were tired. Or maybe as we were getting closer to the end of Arts Lab 4.0, the team of artists feel grief. During the week at Liceul Special Moldova, many unhappy events happened, but something made me believe that everything would be okay, and this would be a great exhibition. These little thoughts that keep coming to my mind every time I encourage young people to get involved in JEMOM museum are like a film reel. Since my first visit to the Jewish cemetery of Târgu Frumos in 2012, I knew I had to do something. It felt like all those forgotten souls were waiting to share their stories. I did not have any resources, I was not prepared, and I had many unsuccessful trials, but now I feel like I am on the right path. Building a museum in my town with the people and resources we have shows me how much talent and energy there is in the community, waiting to be engaged in something valuable.

JEMOM’s first startling installation led to a contemporary dance performance, an experiential pathway, an audio-story, three paintings, two logos, and an amazing song created and performed by a group of talented youth. Furthermore, the high school proposed that we host a series of four seminars about quality in education, which will allow our methodology of alternative museums to be in contact with the best teachers in Iași county.

Storytelling of

Sara Torrijos & Maja Mörchen

We created a storytelling workshop around the idea of “What would the life of the Jewish community in Târgu Frumos be like if World War II had never happened?” The purpose of this activity was to create a sound library with the aim of producing an audiobook, by inventing a fictitious character who would provide us with the keys to imagine the evolution of Jewish life in Romania. Working with the kids, I realized that they are very creative and have a great talent for creating sounds and music. For this edition of the JEMOM Jewish Memorial open-air museum, I came up with the main idea of the project, as well as the logo and this catalog. It took a long time to find the link between the project’s topic,

I desire we will learn from the past, and with information from the present, to change the future.

the collaboration with Liceul Special Moldova School, and the creation of the project’s identity from an artistic point of view.

Working with special needs children was a challenge for me, as I had many questions at the beginning. But day by day, I realized that they are exactly like other children. I remember getting lost in the school’s long corridors and seeking the help of the students to guide me to my destination. These students are very talented and have a successful outlook. I learned from them how to understand Braille, how to play soccer completely blind, and the importance of tactile language. I learned that 75 years ago, on October 9, 1941, the deportation of Jews from Romania

began. Before this, the Jewish population in Romania was very large, so much so that there were documents indicating that there were five synagogues in the region. The Jewish community had an influence on the Romanian community. On a personal level, I also learned the importance of discussing this subject in classrooms, as there is a deep ignorance of the history that precedes us. My main challenge was to create a connection between the museum’s topic and the activities with the children. To address the subject from a point of view that would generate interest for the children and also be a meaningful experience in their lives, I tried to introduce some traditional Jewish games, cooking recipes that had sim-

ilarities with Romanian cuisine, and create a final product that could be exported to libraries and other institutions. That’s how our audiobook was born. I desire we will learn from the past, and with information from the present, to change the future. I envision the future of this museum with a beautiful memorial space showcasing all the victims of the Holocaust, a beautiful park full of life with lush trees, and tombstones honoring the lives of all those who suffered.

Storytelling of

Maja Mörchen

For the work at the Moldova school, I collaborated with Sara. We did different workshops with the students around the idea of creating an audiobook, including one focused on storytelling and another on recording sounds. For this museum project, I have no plans of doing a personal product separate from the workshops with the students and my collaboration with Sara. Right now, I am working on writing the story of the audiobook inspired by the work in the workshop, and after that, the recording will follow.

eral. The first things I learned were about the Pogrom and the death trains when we visited the museum in Iași. Later, I also learned that many Jews had lived here before and that there were five synagogues, which was surprising and impressive. I also learned more about Jewish culture and traditions in general.

Working with the students was sometimes difficult, but they were really nice and excited. It was challenging to find activities sometimes because we didn’t have experience working with blind students, and not everything could be done the same way. However, with a bit of improvisation and the students helping each other, we made it work. Before this project, I didn’t know anything about Jewish life in Târgu Frumos or the region in gen-

I struggled with the lack of preparation time and the fear of “doing something wrong” when working on this museum project. Dealing with real historic events and a religion and culture that still exist and is discriminated even today makes it important to not misrepresent facts or cause further harm. I would have loved the opportunity to work with historians or members of the Jewish community to ease that fear. Nevertheless, I feel like the audiobook can be an amazing product since it imagines Jewish life in Târgu Frumos today in an alternative universe.

This makes it possible to tell a more positive story and gives us more artistic freedom. However, I hope to find Jewish sensitivity readers (or

listeners) to make sure the portrayal isn’t inaccurate or offensive.

Antisemitism and discrimination neither started nor ended with the Holocaust. We have to continue fighting it and learn from our past so that it can never get this bad again. I think this museum can do really important work in teaching about both the forgotten Jewish life in Târgu and the persecution and violence from the side of Romania that must be acknowledged.

Presently,TârguFrumoshasnoJewishresidents.Whiletheymadeupalargepartofthe populationatthebeginningofthetwentieth centuryduetotheHolocausttheirnumber dwindled.Theywereeithersenttoworkcamps, killed,orfledthearea.Thosewhostayedorreturnedlaterchosetoemigrate,andthelastfuneralattheJewishcemeterytookplacein1977. However, what if none of this had occurred? WhatmighttheJewishcommunityinTârguFrumosbeliketodayiftheyhadnotexperienced persecutionorforcedemigration?

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We have to continue fighting it and learn from our past so that it can never get this bad again.

DOR a story if there was no Holocaust

My bubbe used to own a bakery. The best bakery in Târgu Frumos if you asked me. To be fair there is only one bakery but still, my point stands. It found itself directly in the center close to the park and offered Romanian pastries next to traditional Jewish ones. Both gentiles and Jews went there every morning and got themselves delicious Cozonac or Rugelach, Bublitchki, or Gogoși… A lot of my earliest memories are of that bakery. The smell of Mandelbrot, playing in the storefront with my siblings. Bothering the customers being shushed by bubbe or one of my aunts. In the bakery watching my bubbe bake Challah for

the next Shabbat. She talked to me in that stern but melodic voice about everything that came to her mind even the things my parents and other adults thought I was not ready to hear. When I was younger my presence in that bakery wasn’t by choice. Was simply the result of my parents being busy working, the bakery always being full of relatives, and the fact that my older siblings already loved our bubbe. I basically grew up in that bakery. Even as I grew up and became old enough to fend for myself I still always went to that bakery and went to my bubbe. I stopped watching her bake and started helping her. I not only listened but also talked. My bubbe was always there for me. Every time I bake I think of her. Or maybe every time I think of her I bake. There are a lot of recipes she taught me. Everything she offered in the bakery. My favorite was always potato knishes. Simple but delicious. She always offered them to me when she knew I wasn’t feeling well. It is almost like a meditation peeling and cutting the potatoes and dicing the onion. Every move is known to me from the thousand

times I did it before. I don’t particularly like to think of the time in my teens when I basically ran the bakery. When bubbe was too old to do it on her own but too proud to admit it. It hurts that I best knew her when she was already so frail. that when I picture her face it has many wrinkles. She wanted me to understand that death is just a part of life but it still hurts. As I’m measuring the spices I feel like a five-yearold again. Slowly throwing the teaspoon of salt into the mixture for the first time, then doing the same with the pepper always under her careful watch. Now when I prepared the dough or take the prepared dough out of the fridge I don’t need her watching over me anymore. Rolling the dough out, filling it, forming balls. I might do that faster than she did it now. She is still always with me. She had a lot of grandchildren but I always felt like our relationship was special. We understood each other. Between my father being a doctor and my mother her daughter being a teacher she and I had a more hands-on approach to life. But we didn’t just bake together. She taught me about our family

history. Taught me card games. Took walks with me. As the smell of the almost baked knishes fills the kitchen I close my eyes and pretend I’m back there for a second. That little child in the bakery. Then the timer goes off. I open my eyes, take the knishes out of the oven and carry them into the kitchen for all of my family to eat.

Created by Maja Morchen & Sara Torrijos with the help of Liceul Special Moldova students.

Drawing & Mural of

Federica ColzanI

When we started working on this project, I felt lost because I was aware that providing workshops to students on a topic that elicits many negative emotions involves greater complexity. It was also the first time I had the opportunity to work with teenagers with special needs, and I felt the need to inform and train myself with the help of someone.

those suffered by Jewish people in Târgu Frumos from being repeated in the future. The whole project was inspired by the drawings that the students made during the workshop and by the school’s mission.

I believe that people with disabilities should not have the responsibility to explain to those who interact with them how they should do so. Society should be inclusive and create aware citizens, and I understood that this is not currently happening. Despite this, I experienced a great positive energy during the workshop. The students actively participated in the activities and expressed emotions through their drawings. The difficulty I had initially perceived regarding the topic diminished during the process.

The final project consisted of a mural painting whose subject is a school that values and cares for the identity of each individual student, thus preventing discrimination and hate crimes like

The school is represented by a building, but it has a world within it that includes the sky, sun, and nature, representing creativity, a different perspective on space, and care for the environment.

The cloud that envelops the school is a symbol of a safe, protected place, and the plants represent growth, trust, and mutual help. The face that emerges from the shadows symbolizes finding one’s identity, and the shapes around it are inspired by the students’ abstract representations of happiness. These shapes are all different but coexist in harmony, symbolizing the uniqueness of each individual and understanding.

The canvas I created has as its subject the indifference and superficiality of society towards contemporary situations similar in some ways to

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I envision an experience that can bring about real change.

the horrors that Jewish people suffered in the mid-1900s. In the center, there is a work of art that represents the pain of having one’s identity denied.

Some people observe and comment on it but do not realize that they themselves are inside the same work of art: a world in which people still suffer and die for this reason without anyone taking an active interest in them. In this way, even the real users of the work are involved in the same mechanism. Near the painting are some brushes that invite them to paint and imagine a different reality.

Today, we have the opportunity to learn about the pain that Jewish people have felt, and we should not waste it by not trying to change the present reality. The title of the canvas is “Use My Pain.” In the future of this museum, I envision an experience that can bring about real change.

Drawing of Wasan Abusummaqah

This time, I conducted a drawing workshop with the students. We played several drawing games and experimented with different types of drawing, such as portraits, landscapes, and abstracts. They tried to express their emotions using different techniques and learned how to portray feelings in their drawings.

For this exhibition, I decided to create a painting that depicts how Jews are striving to overcome the past and move forward despite the racism and anti-Semitism they face. They continue to carry on with their identity and show us their true legacy.

is sensitive and challenging to talk about. When working on such topics, we need to be careful not to unintentionally affect the people involved and not to humiliate them. We are all humans, and being human requires empathy, compassion, and respect for others who might not be like us, but at the end of the day, we are all the same. No matter what faith one has, we are all part of this humanity. As always, shedding light on important topics and spreading awareness through art can make a significant difference in how people perceive things.

The drawings were created during the workshop facilitated by Iasmina Mancaș.’

At first, I was worried about working with visually impaired students, especially since I wanted to do drawing with them. But it turned out that they love drawing and want to learn more about it. Although there was a language barrier, I loved how curious and excited they were. Through this experience, I learned about the suffering the Jews endured during that period of time and the ongoing consequences. This topic

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“ No matter what faith one has, we are all part of this humanity.

Theater-Dance of ataota

I worked for four days with the students of Moldova highschool on physical theater. Although we had a small number of students, we accomplished a lot of energizing exercises and theatrical games. Working in a group was the easiest part for them because they already know how to collaborate, be helpful to each other, and always stay united. During those four days, we created a safe space and chemistry between us to try and learn and push them out of their comfort zones. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time with them to create something together, but I’m sure these four days taught them something valuable, as they did for me.

My personal project is a live performance inspired by the Holocaust and how it still affects our lives today. It’s like a circle that no one can break, and the only way to stop or break this cycle is to go back and prevent this terrible thing from happening in the first place. It wasn’t easy for me at the beginning, but once I started to work with the students and get to know them better, I realized that I was the one who learned from them. They are the most enthusiastic and

open-minded youth I have ever worked with, and they are a true example of the quote “being different is being unique.” Although I have a lot of information about the Jewish community, I didn’t know anything about what happened in Târgu Frumos before I came here. This didn’t surprise me a lot because I know they’ve been through a lot of suffering. During my experience with the students at the school, I realized that they knew nothing about the history of the Jewish community. We were the ones who told them about it, so this museum will be an open source of information about the history of Jews.

Theater-Dance

of chiara gentili

I must admit that this JEMOM Alternative Museum has challenged me in a way that no other project has, both personally and professionally. Initially, I felt disoriented and lost, not knowing how to approach such a sensitive topic with dignity and respect while also exploring my creativity and pushing beyond my comfort zone.

After working closely with the students at Liceu special Moldova during the first phase, I decided to channel my emotions into an installation. I didn’t just want to act out my interpretation of the events; I wanted the viewers to become the real protagonists.

For me, remembering the Holocaust isn’t just about recalling the past; it’s about questioning why such atrocities occurred and continue to happen. I believe that everyone in life can be both a victim and an oppressor, or even indifferent. With this in mind, my installation is an experiential journey that encourages viewers to identify with each of these roles and ultimately question their own position in society.

Music of Cihan Falez

In our first introductory lesson, I asked students to write a poem about the Holocaust. Then we composed a poem together with the students who chose the music workshop, and we recorded it as a song. It was a great experience. The project I prepared for this exhibition was the song we wrote together with the students. First, we will all watch the videoclip of this song and listen to the music. Then, I will play “Jewish Life” by Ernest Bloch, a classical music composer of Jewish origin, on the violin.

of who they were. This dark period of humanity must not be forgotten so that it never happens again. Such museums are always very valuable. They provide an alternative way of spreading knowledge and understanding. I have no doubt that this museum will become even better with the addition of more memories, experiences, and studies in the future.

It was a wonderful experience for me that I will never forget. I met very talented kids, and we were able to create a beautiful product in a much shorter time than usual. It was incredible. I know that many Jewish people were affected by the Holocaust in this area. Emotionally preparing for this exhibition was not easy. Throughout history, humanity’s strength and arrogance have always destroyed the world. Millions of innocent people lost their lives because

In gara vIețiI

Strofa 1:

În gara vieții, evreii au urcat în trenuri

Au povești de viață care te-ar face să te cutremuri.

Strofa 2:

Sperau că trenul îi va duce departe,

Dar nu știau că drumul lor se-ndreaptă către moarte

Strofa 3:

Adormeau visând că într-o zi o să zâmbească,

Dar nu știau că mulți din ei n-o să se mai trezească

Strofa 4:

Viața-i un joc, adesea bate filmul

Dar ei s-au jucat de-a „cine moare primul”

Refren:

Să ne amintim de Holocaust ca să știm

Câți oameni au murit ca să-nvățăm să ne iubim (x2)

Am învățat că nu te costă nimic

Dacă-mbrățișezi un suflet atunci când stă în frig Depindem unii de alții că suntem oameni și da, Dacă trăiești doar pentru tine, să știi c-ai murit deja!

Uneori avem nevoie să ne trezim visând, D-un telefon care să sune și când ești la pământ, De o barcă de salvare într-un ocean de griji, Avem nevoie să simțim că viața are culori și când avem ochii închiși

Hai, avem nevoie să glumim, să zâmbim, Avem nevoie să ne iubim și să știm

Să fim oameni, să ne sprijinim Împreună tot mai buni să devenim

Că noi nu suntem în iad, iadu-i în noi!

Degeab-ai ceas la mână... timpu’ nu-l dai înapoi!

Așa că-nvață să fii om acum, n-o lăsa pe mâine, reține!

Depinde de mine, de tine dacă vrem să ne fie mai bine! Refren:

Să ne amintim de Holocaust ca să știm

Câți oameni au murit ca să-nvățăm să ne iubim (x2)

Parte hip hop:

lIfe statIon

Verse 1:

In the station of life, Jews climbed onto trains, Their life stories could make you shiver in pains.

Verse 2:

They hoped the train would take them far away, But didn’t know their journey led to death’s way.

Verse 3:

They slept, dreaming of a day they’d smile, But many of them wouldn’t wake up in a while.

Verse 4:

Life’s a game, often a movie reel

But they played “who dies first” for real..

Chorus:

Let’s remember the Holocaust, so we know, How many people died for love to grow. (x2)

Hip hop part:

I learned it doesn’t cost a thing, To embrace a soul in the cold and give it wings. We depend on each other as humans, it’s true, If you live only for yourself, then you’re already through. Sometimes, we need to wake up while still dreaming, Of a phone that rings when we’re falling and screaming,

Of a rescue boat in the ocean of despair, We need to feel life’s colors, even with closed eyes, we dare.

Come on, we need to joke, laugh and smile, We need to love and know, we’re here for a while, To be human, to support one another, To become better together, and that’s no bother. We’re not in hell, but hell is inside, Time on your wrist is useless if you let it slide. So, learn to be human, don’t wait for tomorrow to start, It depends on you and me if we want a better heart.

Chorus:

Let’s remember the Holocaust, so we know, How many people died for love to grow. (x2)