View from the Belarus Grove, The Martyrs Forest. נוף מחורשת בלורוס, יער הקדושים. 2011-2014 These three quick sketches were painted over 2 years, and sitting about 20 meters apart. The scenery is typified by a rhythmic repetition: Round hills; the horizontal stripes of abandoned agricultural terraces dating from the Second Temple period, 2000 years ago, following the contours of the hills; olive groves and vineyards; and of course, the reforestation projects of identical spaced and aged pine or cypress trees. The Martyrs Forest was planted in the 1960s. 6 million trees for 6 million souls. It is divided into groves, named for hundreds of murdered communities. The Germans moved so quickly in to Belarus, that less than a third of the Jews managed to flee eastward, with the retreating Soviet forces. 250,000 Jews living within the much smaller pre-war borders were murdered, including 100,000 in my grandfathers city Minsk. Tens of thousands from Germany were deported to, and murdered in Minsk as well. Almost all were shot in pits by the Einzatzgruppen, mobile killing squads composed of middle aged postal clerks. Married men. A plaque with the groves name is by the parking lot. Tomorrow, on Holocaust Memorial Day, elderly survivors will place candles or flowers there, in place of upon the grave stones that their parents had.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 13:41:24 +0000
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