This exhibition documented, through photographs and texts, the lives and stories of forty-four survivors of the Holocaust and the soldiers who liberated them at the end of World War II. Focusing on those survivors and liberators who live in Tennessee, the exhibition was organized and funded in part by the Tennessee Holocaust Commission as a means of preserving this important part of history, conveying the human tragedy of each survivor’s experience, and celebrating their lives today, testaments to the power of the human spirit to triumph over the darkest adversity. The exhibition was created by photographer Robert Heller, an associate professor, College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee, and writer Dawn Weiss Smith.
Together, Heller and Smith traveled the state, interviewing and photographing people from Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.
The exhibition traveled across Tennessee following its presentation at the Frist Art Museum.
Programs held in conjunction with this exhibition included:
Films at the Frist: Living On: Tennesseans Remembering the Holocaust, a film by documentary filmmaker Will Pedigo. Pedigo followed photographer Robert Heller and journalist Dawn Weiss Smith as they collected the images and stories of Holocaust survivors and liberators living in Tennessee. More than just a documentation of the process this heartfelt film captures how these incredible individuals have lived with what they have experienced, and also carries their stories on for future generations.
