Pursuit of Paper
Sacred and secular documents of our lives.
1001 Cranes Wedding Picture
California, USA
Laura and Neil P
The origami cranes used on this artifact were made by each member of both families before the wedding of my mom and dad, Laura and Neil. An artist created the artifact by putting the cranes together to form the picture.
The 1001 crane display is a cultural practice of the Japanese American community. In preparation of a friend's or relative's wedding, members of the wedding party get together to fold the cranes. Typically, the finished product is displayed at the wedding.
This framed picture created of 1001 origami cranes made by members of my blended Japanese and Jewish family symbolizes long life, fidelity, peace and good luck.
It was displayed at my parent's wedding reception on November 19, 1994. Today, it hangs in our living room.
Origami
New York City
Lisa P
Lillan Vorhaus Oppenheimer was a famous oragamist and my great-grandmother. She founded The Origami Center of America in her Gramercy Apartment Penthouse. She helped make decorations for the American Museum of Natural History Christmas Tree. She also helped to decorate the offices of Japanese Airlines.
She made origami for my dad whenever she saw him. At some point she gave this framed artifact which includes a frog from the Plagues of Passover, to my family before she died.It is a memory of her that we will cherish forever.
Pushcart License and Permit
New York City, USA
Grandpa Jack
Great-grandpa Morris S. came to the USA around 1907. He married Sarah in 1912 and they lived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. During the Great Depression he was a pushcart vendor in Lower Manhattan. He sold table linens from his pushcart. His youngest son, my Grandpa Jack, saved his pushcart licence and permit. This is important to my family because it gives us a connection to our ancestors.
It is very important to my grandfather to have something of his father's. It is very cool for me and my parents to learn about our family and the history of how they lived during the depression. It is also important for us to know how Jewish people lived in America when they immigrated from Eastern Europe before and during World War II.
Yossele Rosenblatt Record
Brooklyn, NY
Susan Kronish
Yossele Rosenblatt was a world famous cantor. On this record he sings settings of 11 liturgical texts from the Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah services. He was known as "the King of Cantors" and was among the best cantors of the Golden Era. Yossele created over 550 original settings of Hebrew Prayers.
Yossele Rosenblatt is my Great-great-great uncle. Both my grandfather and my great uncle had a chance to meet him. The record belonged to my grandfather, and was passed to my mother who lent it to me for this exhibition.