KlezCalendar

Mayer Kirshenblatt was born in Opatów in 1916, which was known as Apt in Yiddish. He left for Canada in 1934. Mayer had always told his family stories about growing up in Poland. At the end they begged him to paint the stories. Mayer finally picked up his brush in 1990 at the age of 73 and to his own amazement the town of his childhood emerged in living colour.

12.00 – Welcoming address by the Prefect of the Opatów District
12.15 – Speeches by Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett and Mayer Kirshenblatt
12.45 – Special lectures:
‘Jews in Opatów in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1538-1795)’
Artur Lis, PhD. The John Paul II Lublin Catholic University
‘Discovering the history of the Jews as a theme in contemporary museums’
Jerzy Halbersztadt, Director of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews
13.45 – Official opening and visiting the exhibition
14.30 – Coffee and tea break

We will be speaking at the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival in the days that follow. Book presentation on July 5 at Galicia Museum. They Called Me Mayer July just won the Canadian Jewish Book Award. About our lectures: www.mayerjuly.com

Here are details about Opatow: www.opatow.um.gov.pl