[Cz-L] cz visit

Dear Amigos Czernowitzers - it will probably take me some weeks and
months to digest this experience, develop my film and edit out the
meaningless from the meaningful - I have to date shot 20 rolls of
film - and since tomorrow I leave to Russia for the opening of my
exhibition and from there to Amsterdam - it will only be 30 October
before I can begin to deal with jetlag and film eveloping.

Most of what there is to say about the celebration and the opening of
the museum has already been ably said so I will not attempt to add to
it. I will only tell a little about the yesterday's Ghetto Walk which
was Cora Schwartz's idea, seconded by me and organized by Dr. Burzac
- a very moving event it was - only about twelv of us in attendance
gathered at the center for a prelminary conversaton about the
terrible event that we were gathering to commemorate, when fifty
thousand Jews were forcibly concentrated in a section of the city
that could barely house five thousand - leading to a larger
conversation about pre-war Jewish situation in Bukovina, Bassarabia
and other areas in the region, Ukraine, Romania and the rest of
Europe, all of which collaborated in the avalancheof hatred that has
come to be known as the Holocaust - except for indivdual kindness and
bravery in all the places that helped save many people, including in
Ukraine, Romania and Transnistria. Leading to a discussion about
ethnic hatred more in general and that while we say "never again" we
see similar vocabulary odf hatred and ethnic cleansing being used in
Bosnia, Rwanda and other places. The conclusion was articulated by
Cora who said that one can choose to spread love or spread hatred -
and of course easy to decide which choice might be the better one'.

On another subject - today I walked over alone for a second visit to
the cemetery taking picture that werer perhaps more concentrated and
in depth than the first time - I few might serve Mimi's need for a
study of vegetation - though I don't promiseit as the light was
f\very bright and contrasty and as stated above it will be several
weeks before any images will come from my way.

It's been great being here - meeting Cornel, Marsha, Charles (my
almsost twin brother) Cora, Kevin and many other people in depth or
in passing (like the elderly lady without a word of any language in
common who drew me a map to get to the cemetery) - dissapointing it
was that the photo lecture I was supposed to give at the university
"A Sense of Time and Place" did not happen because the young person
who enthusiasticall commited to organizing seemingly didn't organize
anything - but small potatoes in the larger scheme odf things.

CZ is looking greatly altered from when I was here in '96 - then it
was really a remote and backward place - now the global economy has
spread its tentacle - internet cafes abound and bankomats everywhere
(albeit all without money yesterday) - young people look good and
energetic and there is a buzz to the place that is quit new.

I wish you all all the best - health, happiness, Shana Tova for 5769

Sylvia

--
Sylvia de Swaan
1410 Genesee Street
Utica, NY 13502
(315) 732-5048
<http://www.sylviadeswaan.com/>www.sylviadeswaan.com
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Received on 2008-10-12 18:55:50