06/13/2012
On July 1, 2012, The Kalamazoo Valley Museum will offer
refreshments, music, lecture and discussion for the opening of “Uneasy Years:
Michigan Jewry During Depression and War.”
There is no admission fee for the Museum, and these programs are free.
At 1:30 p.m., The Red Sea Pedestrians will play their
special brand of Klezmer music. They are a one-of-a-kind, full-blown,
instrument-swapping fusion between tradition and the here-and-now. The band is
a melting pot of six distinct singer/songwriters and multi-instrumentalists,
exploring a warped and beautiful blend of Klezmer, Greek, Gypsy, Celtic, Jazz
and American Roots.
A lecture and discussion at 3:00 p.m. will be led by Dr. Kenneth Waltzer, who is a Professor of
History in James Madison College at Michigan State University and Director of
the MSU Jewish Studies Program. He is
currently completing a book on “The Rescue of Children and Youths at
Buchenwald” and is serving as historical consultant for a feature-length
documentary film, “Kinderblock 66.” Dr.
Waltzer is co-curator for Uneasy Years and will focus his talk on Jews in
Michigan during the Great Depression and World War II.
Many in Kalamazoo’s Jewish community will be able to
relate to the events of this time period through their own experiences or from
stories passed down through their families.
KVM staff are collecting these stories and others and will share them in
video and as transcripts available online. Some of the oral histories gathered,
along with photographs and objects borrowed from Kalamazoo families, will be
incorporated into “Uneasy Years” while it resides at the KVM.
This traveling exhibit was made possible with financial
support from the Congregation Shaarey Zedek of East Lansing, Michigan State
University Jewish Studies Program, Michigan State University Museum, the
Michigan Humanities Council, the Ben Teitle Foundation, the Michigan Council
for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and private donors. All of today’s events are
free. Call, or go to www.kalamazoomuseum.org for
more information.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is operated by Kalamazoo
Valley Community College and is governed by its Board of Trustees.
