Context
The now non-existent Esther’s Square was, before 1939 and partly during the occupation, the center of Jewish life in Chrzanów (Poland). Its end came in 1943 with the liquidation of the local ghetto. In 1973, following a decision by the communist authorities, the still-standing Great Synagogue was demolished. In 2018, the willow tree that once towered over the hidden foundations of the synagogue was cut down.
In 2020, during the pandemic, three artists joined forces to restore the memory of the local Polish-Jewish history of Chrzanów through the spirit of green commemorations. The artistic trio – Katarzyna Sala and Marta Sala from Chrzanów, and Robert Yerachmiel Sniderman, whose ancestors came from Warsaw, Jarosław, and Rzeszów – initiated the Esther’s Willow project. Two years later, a silent march passed through the streets of Chrzanów, and in the place where the willow had been cut down and the synagogue had been demolished, a living memorial appeared: Esther’s Willow.
The exhibition held in 2024, titled Esther’s Willow, referred to these events, presenting the story of shared, intercultural, and intergenerational memory of the Chrzanów community, as well as the symbolism and properties of the willow tree, which had been used for medicinal purposes by both Jews and Slavs over the centuries.
Highlights
- Reintegrating the local community around a well-known, familiar commemoration project.
- Highlighting the long-term potential of projects celebrating the multicultural heritage of smaller urban centers.
- The interdisciplinary nature of the project engages various city institutions, local, artistic, and activist communities.
Challenges
- HOW to maintain interest in a long-term project related to local Polish-Jewish history?
- HOW to update the project’s message and internationalize its reach?
- HOW to reach a younger audience with a memory and artistic project?
Solutions
- Organizing an open, official event with the participation of the local community and municipal institutions.
- Expanding the existing Polish-Jewish context of the project to include references to other languages, cultures, and minority groups.
- Organizing a series of meetings for school youth to introduce them to the concept of green commemorations and encourage direct involvement.
Description
Between October 4 and November 31, 2024, the Esther’s Willow exhibition was presented at the Public Library in Chrzanów, dedicated to the green commemoration initiated in 2020 by Marta Stanisława Sala, Katarzyna Sala, and Robert Yerachmiel Sniderman.
The exhibition, documenting the project and presenting its artistic, historical, and social contexts, was enriched with additional multicultural references: a poster with the project title written in various languages, palimpsestic poems in multiple languages, a dedication referring to the tense geopolitical situation, and an artistic composition related to the willow motif. The latter was created on recycled fabric, previously used in Berlin during workshops with children who had refugee experience.
The exhibition opening became an opportunity for the reintegration of the Chrzanów community around the shared Polish-Jewish history of the city and its official celebration. The presence of both artists at the event added prestige and highlighted the personal nature of the project. Special lectures and two video materials (containing conversations with residents from the time of the project’s work and a message of thanks from the absent artist to all involved people and institutions) emphasized the collective contribution to the project and its significance, both regional and universal.
A series of meetings for school youth, consisting of brief lectures introducing the project and guided tours of the exhibition, allowed the younger generation to engage with the project. This approach also drew attention to alternative ways of working with local heritage and multicultural memory, apart from traditional history or museum lessons.
Conclusions
- Celebrating the multicultural heritage of smaller urban centers provides an opportunity to integrate the local community around the history of minority groups, fostering tolerance and mutual respect.
- Using already existing networks of local contacts and re-engaging proven partners strengthens existing collaborations and a sense of shared responsibility for the course of long-term projects.
- Special tours for young people allow for a deeper understanding of the project’s broader context, offering not only artistic value but also essential historical knowledge about locally executed initiatives and strengthening social competencies.
More Information
The project was co-organized by the Public Library in Chrzanów, with partners: the Irena and Mieczysław Mazaraki Museum in Chrzanów and the Municipal Center for Culture and Art in Chrzanów.
More information about the Esther’s Willow project: https://festivalt.com/project/wierzba-estery/
Project Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WierzbaEsteryEsthersWillow
Project Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/estherswillow/
Funding
The event was organized as part of the “MultiMemo: Multidirectional Memory, Remembering for Social Justice” project, co-financed by the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV 2021-2027) program.
Photos – Agnieszka Keska