542 original paintings, drawings, charcoals, sketches, and historical documents
June 5, 2018 [St. Petersburg, FL] — The Florida Holocaust Museum (The FHM) recently received a large donation from Lillian Fluek Finkler, daughter of artist and Holocaust Survivor Toby Knobel Fluek. Finkler donated 542 original paintings, drawings, charcoals, and sketches, plus other materials that include historical documents and photographs from her mother’s wartime experiences, book manuscripts, and personal papers.
Fluek was born in Czernica, Poland, near Lvov. She and her family were driven out by the German invasion and forced into the ghetto in the town of Brody. She survived the Holocaust and came to the United States in 1949. Her paintings of her childhood are unique, as they provide not only a chronology of daily life in her village, but also some remarkable Jewish “still life” paintings of objects that are unique as Holocaust memories. Additionally, she published two books “Memories of My Life in a Polish Village” and “Passover As I Remember It” which include her illustrations, as well as personal stories.
“I have donated my mother’s collection to The Florida Holocaust Museum so that her story would be kept alive, even though she is no longer with us. I am excited that her artwork will be exhibited and shared by The Florida Holocaust Museum in their educational outreach as well as digitally and in museum exhibits. It is important that children, adults, museums and researchers all have access to this unique visual memory of my mother’s world. She would have been pleased and honored that her work is being made available to current and future generations,” said Finkler.
Through these pieces of art, documents, and photographs, Fluek illustrates a unique view of Jewish life. She introduces us to her village, to her family, to the people among whom they lived, Jewish and Catholic. She shows us what they did, how they lived, Jewish customs and holidays being observed. The viewer is invited to learn about this long enduring small town life and how it was disrupted and shattered by World War II. We learn about her family through Russian occupation, the devastation wreaked by the Nazis and finally onto a new beginning in America.
“My mother had very vivid memories of her life before and during the Holocaust. She painted the happy memories of her village, her farmhouse, and her family before the War – baking challah, cooking, enjoying holidays, and even cleaning. Her work provides a taste of a world that is gone forever. Her artwork about her experiences during the Holocaust give a visual to her struggle to survive and the devastating loss of her family,” said Finkler.
Central to the mission of The FHM is the program to collect, preserve, and make available to the public the historical record and artistic and interpretation of the Holocaust and other genocides. The Museum collects and maintains the material that supports its efforts in the areas of research, exhibition, education, and commemoration. The focus of The FHM’s collecting efforts is on the policies, events, and experiences associated with the Holocaust.
Please stay turned for information on when the Fluek collection will be on display.
For donation inquiries, please contact Erin Blankenship, The FHM’s Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at eblankenship@thefhm.org.
The Florida Holocaust Museum is located at 55 5th Street S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
About The Florida Holocaust Museum
2017 marked a monumental milestone for The Florida Holocaust Museum (The FHM) as the Museum celebrated its 25th Anniversary. One of the largest Holocaust museums in the country, and one of three nationally accredited Holocaust museums, The FHM honors the memory of millions of men, women and children who suffered of died in the Holocaust. The FHM is dedicated to teaching members of all races and cultures the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides. For additional information, please visit www.TheFHM.org.
Photos and credits
“Yom Kippur in the Woods” (Charcoal on paper)
Photo credit: The Florida Holocaust Museum’s permanent collection, donated by Lillian Fluek Finkler
“The Seder” (watercolor on paper)
Photo credit: The Florida Holocaust Museum’s permanent collection, donated by Lillian Fluek Finkler
