Hadassah-Brandeis Institute

Artist Program

Lives Eliminated, Dreams Illuminated

Lauren Bergman and Ella Milch-Sheriff 

September 7 – October 25, 2023

Kniznick Gallery, Epstein Building, 515 South Street, Waltham

Gallery Hours: Monday-Wednesday: 10 am-4 pm, Thursday: 10 am-6 pm, Friday-Sunday: 11 am-3 pm.

Special note on hours: The gallery will be closed on 9/25 in observance of Yom Kippur.

On left: A painting of a woman seated on the ground, holding flowers. On right: A black and white video still from archival footage in which a Jewish woman sits on the ground, stripped naked by her neighbors in Lvov.

Left: Lauren Bergman, She Dreams of Flowers, Oil on cradled panel, 18 x 14 in. Right: Video still of a once-known woman in Lvov, from 8mm footage discovered in SS barracks in Augsburg, Germany, after the war. Source: National Archives.

An immersive exhibition of painting and music. Painter Lauren Bergman and composer Ella Milch-Sheriff honor young women and girls murdered in the Holocaust by using art to imagine the lives they might have led. Lives Eliminated, Dreams Illuminated is presented in partnership with the Dr. David M. Milch Foundation. Listen to Milch-Sheriff's composition accompanying Bergman's painting, She Dreams of Flowers.  

Read At Brandeis, A New Holocaust Memorial Unlike Any Other, Kara Baskin, JewishBoston.com, August 2023 and experience the powerful artistic journey of "Lives Eliminated, Dreams Illuminated".

Logo is circular image that says "Celebrating Brandeis at 75"

Deeply Rooted: Faith in Reproductive Justice

A multidisciplinary exhibition curated by Caron Tabb. 

November 2 to December 14, 2023

On left, an image consisting of red threads with a drawing of a woman holding a protest sign; middle: a woman sitting, dressed in a white robe, holding a bible; right: a drawing of a naked woman, shown from behind, with newborn babies laying below and connected to her

From L to R: Roya Amigh, A Line of Speed and Fire, Detail; Marla McLeod, Mama Hayes; Andi Arnowitz, good jewish women.

Twenty-one artists, five decades, four continents, and numerous traditions respond to abortion and reproductive justice through the lens of faith.

One year ago, in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health decision, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito held that “the right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the nation’s history and traditions”.  Justice Alito overlooked the rich diversity of religious and cultural traditions that make up America. To respond, Deeply Rooted: Faith in Reproductive Justice will:

  • Bring Jewish feminist artists into dialogue with artists from other faith communities and backgrounds
  • Use art to provoke new conversations and deepen our understanding of each other
  • Share a robust roster of programs using art as a platform to gain new perspectives

Deeply Rooted Artists: Lizzy Alejandro, Roya Amigh, Andi Arnovitz, Zoë Buckman, Nani Chacon and Rose B. Simpson, Susan Chen, Dell M. Hamilton, Nayana LaFond, Marla McLeod, Azita Morodkhani, Jacqueline Nicholls, Giovanna Pizzoferrato, Cora Ramirez, Winnie van der Rijn, Janice Rubin, Bahareh and Farzaneh Safarani, Charlie Dov Schön, Caron Tabb, Diana Weymar

Supported by grants from Combined Jewish Philanthropies/CJP and the Mass Cultural Council.

Susan Chen, Free Tampax, 2023, Ceramics Installation, Tampax Box: 6” W x 7” D x 7.5” H Free Sign: 3” W x 3” D x 2.25” H

Opening Reception

November 2, 2023

5:30 -8:30 pm / In Person / hors d’oeuvres

Welcoming remarks and artists talk at 6:30 pm

Kniznick Gallery, Epstein Building, 515 South Street, Waltham

Register here to join this event 

Supported by grants from Combined Jewish Philanthropies/CJP and the Mass Cultural Council. 

The first logo is circular image that says "Celebrating Brandeis at 75", the second logo is a linear image that says "CJP, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the third logo is an linear image that says "Mass Cultural Council"