NEWS
Shlomit is working on some visual art pieces and exploring ways to combine some of her creative writing with imagery. Some of the pieces will be available for purchase. Stay tuned!
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On Aug. 29, 2017, Shlomit shared two of her poems at the Shab-e She’r event in Toronto. This monthly event comprises engaging feature performers, as well an open mic segment. About 70 people attended the arts event on this night. Host Bänoo Zan has been passionate about making the event inclusive and welcoming for people of diverse backgrounds. Past participants have even shared writings and music in different languages such as French and Arabic
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On Mar. 6, 2016, Shlomit facilitated an expressive painting workshop for adults with developmental disabilities at the Kadima Centre in Toronto. The creative and colourful paintings are available for sale through Kadima’s partner organization Reena. They reflect the participants’ gratitude for the support and opportunities that these organizations provide them and for those who help keep their services going.
Later in the year, the Kadima members enjoyed crafting Mother’s Day cards, as well as creating multisensory gifts for a group of seniors with whom they put on a concert. They included words from the heart and were proud to share their diverse pieces with others.
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On Nov. 10, 2015, Ryerson University members of various backgrounds gathered at the Hillel student club in Toronto to learn about Holocaust survivor Andy Réti’s experience as a child in Hungary and his continued efforts to educate others through his talks and the Ride to Remember annual motorcycle rally. Shlomit also shared lessons from the Holocaust and additional survivors featured in the Marking Humanity anthology book. The group then participated in a discussion about discrimination, standing up to injustice, and peacebuilding. The students were encouraged to note some takeaways from the presentation in an expressive arts response activity. Reporters from Ryerson’s newspaper The Ryersonian featured more on Andy’s experience in this article and short video.
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Shlomit recently became a member of the Literary and Visual Arts Laboratory (LaVaLab), and in February 2015 LaVaLab honoured her as its featured literary artist on the Markham Arts Council website. The feature includes a short interview about her creative interests.
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Shlomit’s poem “Getting Past the Mounds” has been published in volume 11 of the literary journal Women in Judaism. She was inspired to pen this piece while working on the Marking Humanity anthology book featuring others’ writings on the Holocaust.
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Marking Humanity: Stories, Poems, & Essays by Holocaust Survivors is now available in EPUB and MOBI eBook formats! Visit the Soul Inscriptions Press website to check where you can order copies today. Discover what really happened during the Holocaust, in the survivors’ own words, and how you may help future generations learn the true meaning of “never again.”
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On May 7, 2013, Shlomit performed one of her poems and read one by George Scott from the Marking Humanity Holocaust anthology book at the first Women’s Open Mic event hosted by the Mizrachi Bayit in Toronto. It was a fun night complete with dance, words of wisdom, and comedy.
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On Apr. 14, 2013, Shlomit performed a few of her poems along with a song she wrote at the Fireside Arts Fundraiser event for The CREATE Institute in Toronto.
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Shlomit enjoyed sharing some of her poetry as part of a talent night for the local chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada at Toronto’s Free Times Café on Jan. 10, 2013 and meeting other talented people.
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To help people remember and raise awareness in preparation for Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) that began on the eve of Apr. 18, 2012, Shlomit did an interview on the Marking Humanity Holocaust book on the Tamar Yonah Show on Israel National Radio (Arutz 7). She touched on some of the book’s lessons, examples of people who rose above the hatred and tyranny of Germany’s Nazi regime, and how the challenging experiences affected the survivors. Near the end, she read an excerpt from a moving and inspiring poem by survivor George Scott (originally Spiegel), who had been in the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in Poland. You can listen to the interview on the Soul Inscriptions Press website at this link or view a video version of the interview here.
The following week, Shlomit spoke about Marking Humanity’s content and purpose on The Authors Show with host Don McCauley. That interview was broadcast and available for replays throughout May 21 and 22, 2012.
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Shlomit connected with a mixed audience at Toronto’s Barbara Frum Library Nov. 30, 2011 for the latest Marking Humanity Holocaust book event, which also featured survivors John Freund and Ghita Malvina. Both survivors faced extremely difficult situations at various concentration camps and witnessed the brutal murder of many others. They have remained resilient and are spreading lessons from the Holocaust and messages of peace to others. In the words of 91-year-old Ghita Malvina, “Love, freedom, and friendship are the most important things in the world. Each person on earth can and has to contribute something good in order to make our world safer.”
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On June 26, 2011, Shlomit was featured in a profile on the How She Hustles facebook group, dedicated to dynamic women of diverse backgrounds who are making their mark in various ways.
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On June 21, 2011, an audience at the Sephardic Kehila Centre in Thornhill, Ontario, beared witness as Shlomit and two of the survivors featured in the book Marking Humanity, Andy Réti and Sophie Soil, gave an intimate presentation about the Holocaust and its lessons at an event held by the Iraqi Jewish Association of Ontario. Both Andy and Sophie were young children during the Holocaust and have remained particularly struck by how the Nazi-perpetrated atrocities affected their parents. Andy showed a photo of his late mother, Ibi, as well as the wedding ring from Ibi’s first marriage to his father, who he never got to know. Although the Nazis confiscated jewellery and other valuables from the Jews, Ibi had managed to save the ring by hiding it in her baby’s diaper.
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On June 2, 2011, Shlomit and one of the Holocaust survivors from Toronto featured in the book Marking Humanity, George Scott, a survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in Poland, were interviewed on the Liquid Lunch show on ThatChannel.com in Ontario, Canada.
Follow this link for more information and to watch the interview.
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On May 1, 2011, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Shlomit and three of the survivors included in in the book Marking Humanity – Helen Drazek, George Scott, and Simcha Simchovitch – were featured presenters at an annual commemoration ceremony held by the Aish Thornhill Community Shul in Ontario, Canada. They educated and inspired the audience of about 250 people as they shared personal experiences and writings as well as some thoughts on the meaning of Never Again.
The Jewish Tribune included mention of this event in an article published June 7, 2011.
Follow this link to watch some highlights from the presentation.
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Shlomit received an Honourable Mention for her poem “The Real Me” in the 2011 Markham Arts Council Poetry Contest. She read this poem and a piece from the Marking Humanity Holocaust anthology book at the council’s Open Mic Night, held in partnership with the Markham Village Writers, on Mar. 24, 2011.
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Shlomit rocked people’s senses as she presented several of her poems and some of the pieces by survivors featured in the book Marking Humanity: Stories, Poems, & Essays by Holocaust Survivors at the Feb. 20, 2011 That’s Women’s Work Arts Network’s “Overtime – Time and 1/2” all-day arts show in Toronto, Canada.
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On Jan. 24, 2011, Shlomit and two of the survivors featured in the book Marking Humanity, Helen Drazek and Renate Krakauer, spoke at a Toronto, Ontario, chapter of Na’amat Canada. The all-female audience was very curious to find out about the survivors’ experiences during and after the Holocaust, while also discussing reflections on the past and its relevancy to the present.
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The Jewish Tribune featured an article on Shlomit and the recent passing of her grandfather, Kusha Kriger, on Jan. 20, 2011. Shlomit had dedicated the book Marking Humanity to Kusha in honour of his service in the Soviet Red Army during World War II and in memory of his parents, siblings, and other relatives who were murdered in the Minsk ghetto in Belarus.
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On Nov. 14, 2010, Shlomit and Holocaust survivor Helen Drazek, whose poems are included in the Marking Humanity Holocaust anthology book, appeared on the Israeli Network’s “Together with Gila Yefet” talk show based in Toronto, Ontario. Helen shared some of her Holocaust experiences as a child in the Warsaw ghetto in Poland and having later lived in hiding with a Christian family that helped her family. She also read excerpts from her writings. The women then discussed the relevancy of the lessons from the past to today.
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Shlomit gave a presentation at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, on Remembrance Day, Nov. 11, 2010, and led a discussion with the students on some of the topics that were raised in her talk and some of the Holocaust survivors’ pieces in the book Marking Humanity.
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Shlomit and one of the Holocaust survivors from Toronto, Canada, featured in the book Marking Humanity, John Freund, a child survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, were interviewed on the radio show “Perspectives with Barry Shainbaum” on Nov. 7, 2010.
Click here to check out the interview.
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Shlomit and some of the survivors from Toronto, Canada, featured in the book Marking Humanity — Renate Krakauer, George Scott, Simcha Simchovitch, Helen Drazek, and Frieda Traub (joined by her daughter Debi Traub) — connected with audience members ranging from youth to the elderly at two events in October 2010: at the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies and at The House (as part of the Toronto Holocaust Education Week).
They moved and inspired the audience with pieces from the book and discussions on what people can learn from the survivors and the Holocaust. Shlomit touched on some of the core issues that still affect people’s own communities today and emphasized that every person helps to shape the world and everyone can work on bettering themselves and their communities.
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The Toronto Quarterly featured a review of Shlomit’s Holocaust anthology book, Marking Humanity, in September 2010.
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Check out a review of Shlomit’s Holocaust anthology book, Marking Humanity, in the Aug. 27, 2010 issue of the Baltimore Jewish Times.
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Shlomit presented one of her poems as well as some of the bios and poems of the survivors featured in the book Marking Humanity at the 2010 Patio Plays summer arts festival in Toronto, Canada.
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In July 2010, Soul Inscriptions Press released a book that Shlomit compiled and edited titled Marking Humanity: Stories, Poems, & Essays by Holocaust Survivors.
For more information visit www.SoulInscriptionsPress.com.
The Thornhill Liberal featured an article about Shlomit’s work on this anthology while she was still collecting submissions in 2009 and again when the book was released in July 2010.
There were also early reviews of the book in the Midwest Book Review and the San Diego Jewish World.
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Shlomit shared some of her poems as part of the 2009 Patio Plays arts festival in Toronto, Canada.
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“Be the change you want to see in this world.”
– Mohandas K. Gandhi
