January 2020 Portrait of the Month — Pinchas Schumacher

Pinchas Schumacher

This month we are featuring a beautiful portrait of Pinchas Shumacher. Pinchas did not survive the Holocaust, but we know about him because his granddaughter, Estera Ajzen, survived and kept her grandfather's memory alive. January 27th, 2020 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Every year it becomes more crucial for us to remember and tell the stories of those who can no longer speak for themselves. And with the increase of antisemitic attacks in the U.S. and around the world, it becomes more and more urgent that we cultivate the empathy that comes with telling these stories. Students around the world have drawn Pinchas' portrait and reflected on the experience of remembering through art:

"It felt nice to take time with a person who is no longer with us. It would be terrible to just forget about them, so this felt good and made me feel very happy."
—Jake L.

"It felt like I was creating a connection and the more you look at the photo it reveals more."
—Carmen L.

"[I will remember] looking into the eyes of this man and knowing his story, and everything he went through."
—Caleb A.