Website testimonial letters OR
Letter from David A. Poplack, Jewish Student Union, University of Oregon
Eugene, OR May 1999
On April 7th, 1999, the Jewish Student Union at the University of Oregon in Eugene had the honor of hosting A. K. Segan as the featured speaker of our annual Yom Ha’shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Week on the campus of the University of Oregon.
The presentation entitled “On the Wings of Angels:” History and the Redemptive Power of Art, addressed many of the concerns and intuitions of both academics and students concerning the transmission of images and messages of and about the Holocaust.
Segan’s presentation of the work of Holocaust survivor and artist Israel Bernbaum was a very moving and informative lesson on the history and struggles of the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto.
Segan’s own skillfully drafted work, as well as his deep reflections on the role of art in the remembrance of the Shoah, was very well received and the participants stayed long after the presentation itself ended to discuss the meaning of the material.
Segan’s presentation was later coupled with that of a Jewish artist in residence from Munich, Germany and the discussion which followed from their encounter was fascinating and wide-ranging, dealing with artistic approaches to Holocaust museums and memorials, the philosophy of aesthetics and the Shoah, and different ways to educate youth about the history of the Holocaust through art.
Segan was able to effectively speak to a diverse audience and our office was thanked generously for bringing him and his work to our campus. I highly recommend Akiva’s art and informative presentations to ANY AUDIENCE.
Letter from Doug Kelly, Teacher, Winston Church High School
Eugene, OR, January 19, 2000
My freshman Global Literature students at Churchill High School in Eugene, Oregon were studying Night, and I heard about an opportunity to have a speaker/artist come give a presentation.
Akiva’s presentation was done compassionately; he has a gentle disposition that puts the students at ease. The slide show and accompanying lecture were challenging for the students because Akiva asked them to compare and contrast two completely different ways of interpreting the events of the Warsaw ghetto in the 1940’s.
The first half of the slides were from Israel Bernbaum’s “My Brother’s Keeper,” and it was obvious that Akiva held Bernbaum in high regard because he explained the painting in great detail. Akiva marveled at the artistry, and I thinkstudents were impressed both with Bernbaum’s skills as well as Akiva’s respect for Bernbaum’s work.
Akiva’s own drawings in the slide show were called “Under the Wings of G-d,” and they were drawings he had done from photographs from actual people from the Warsaw Ghetto. He then led them through a discussion on how the two styles were different. Students were required to postulate and think.
Akiva brought several of his original pieces to the class and showed the students the process he follows for developing individual works as well as how he would put together an exposition of his work.
My students respected Akiva’s drawings and his style; they were quiet during the presentation and ready to ask questions afterwards.
Akiva would be a great person to have deliver a presentation on a number of topics: tolerance, racism and anti-Semitism. He speaks well. He has a wide array of visual stimuli. And, perhaps most importantly for young people, he is a warm and caring individual.