The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History will present a day of Jewish heritage activities on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2002, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cultural Center, State Capitol Complex, Charleston. Hands-on activities are geared for children; however, visitors of all ages are invited to discover something new by participating in the free event.
Kids can learn about the Hebrew alphabet and cultural symbols. They also can learn the history behind dreidels and menorahs. Children will have the opportunity to create their own dreidel, a four-sided toy marked with Hebrew letters and spun like a top in a game of chance. They also will be able to use construction paper to make a menorah, a candelabrum used in Jewish worship.
In addition, they can learn about prominent Jewish people in West Virginia’s history and how they affected the state. The Jewish heritage activities will take place in the North Wing of the State Museum.
Visitors are also encouraged to tour the month-long exhibit “Holocaust Remembered: Witness and Legacy,” which is on display in the Great Hall, Lobby and Balcony galleries of the Cultural Center. The exhibit includes a national traveling exhibition “Schindler,” on loan from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in the Great Hall, and the exhibition “Poland 1942/Germany 1942,” which allows visitors to trace the steps of both those condemned to concentration camps and those who grew up indoctrinated by the hatred of the Nazi government.
The Lobby gallery features “Reflections: Interpretations of the Holocaust,” artwork and poetry created by local students and teachers after they studied the Holocaust. The Balcony gallery exhibit, entitled “’How could it happen?’: Through the Eyes of a West Virginian,” has a display of photographs by U.S. Army investigator James H. Hall, a native of Roane County who was one of the first Americans to see and photograph concentration camps and Holocaust survivors.
The exhibits are sponsored by the Federated Jewish Charities of Charleston, Kanawha County Schools and the Division. The exhibits will remain on display through October 6.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Due to the nature of the activities children should wear play clothes. For more information about Jewish heritage activities, contact Bil Lepp, education coordinator for the Division at (304) 558-0220, ext. 131.
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
- 30 -
Ginny Painter
Director of Public Information
West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History
The Cultural Center
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Charleston, WV 25305-0300
Phone (304) 558-0220
Fax (304) 558-2779
ginny.painter@wvculture.org