Dear Friends,
We wish you Happy Holidays with Mayer Kirshenblatt’s painting Hanukkah, in which he remembers celebrating the holiday with his family in Opatów (Apt) in the 1920s.
“This is Hanukkah at home with my father, mother, and brothers. We lit the candles and sang Maoz tsur (Rock of Ages). I painted a few notes to indicate that we were singing. It was a special day for us because we were let out of school early. Father gave me Hanukkah gelt, a few pennies for a present, in honor of the holiday. Mother cooked latkes, potato pancakes, which are very delicious. She grated raw potatoes, added eggs, and flour and fried the pancakes in shmalts, rendered goose fat. There was oil—it was expressed from sunflower seeds and rapeseed–but I don’t remember Mother cooking with it. We ate the latkes with a little sugar.”
Maybe these coming days give you time to watch or re-watch some of our past virtual events, like daughter Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett’s talk about Mayer Kirshenblatt on our YouTube channel @fritzaschersociety1130 and in our past events:
A big THANK YOU to all speakers, who shared their research and expertise with us and made this year’s events possible:
Do you have time to travel to beautiful Freiburg in Germany, or to read an inspiring new publication about Fritz Ascher? We are really excited about both:
LOVE AND BETRAYAL – The Expressionist Fritz Ascher from New York Private Collections is on view until March 2, 2025 at Haus der Graphischen Sammlung in Freiburg, Germany.
Influenced by the horrors of the First World War and the revolutionary unrest, the Expressionist Fritz Ascher (1893–1970) turned to Christian-spiritual themes, which he radically reinterpreted. From 1916 onwards he dealt with the theme of love and betrayal in intimate drawings. Impressive poems complement early charcoal, graphite and ink drawings as well as colourful gouaches with deep emotionality.
This beautifully illustrated publication is the first ever to focus on Fritz Ascher’s drawings and gouaches created before 1933. Thought-provoking essays and much new researchinspire a deeper understanding of the artistic temperament and vision of the artist. The German-language publication accompanies the Fritz Ascher exhibition in Freiburg.
Published by Michael Imhof Verlag in 2024.
