September 2017 Portrait of the Month - Edit Schechter

Edit Schechter

This month we are featuring a portrait of Edit Schechter, who was a member of a resistance movement in Hungary. Edit and other activists created fake papers and IDs for Jews in danger of being deported to concentration camps. They smuggled people across borders to areas not occupied by Germany, and they set up safe houses for children. Edit was in considerable danger for her work, and several members of her group were caught and sent to prisons and camps as punishment for their activism. Still, Edit and many others like her across Europe stood up to hatred and violence, to protect those in danger. Jessica B. in Lantana, Florida drew this portrait of Edit and reflected on the experience of drawing her, and learning her story:

How did it feel to spend so much time observing a photograph and then making art based on the photo?
It felt very relaxing spending so much time observing a photograph and then making art based on the photo. It was nice to be able to focus on one thing out of the many things we must usually focus on. But we actually didn’t have to focus!

Write a caption for the portrait that you made. It can say something about the person or something about your feelings making the portrait.
This is Edit Schechter. She was one of the many people that saved the lives of thousands of Jewish people. She was an Activist, she created fake documents such as birth certificates. She is one of the most courageous and un-selfish people I have ever learned about. She is someone I strive to be.