Wolf Performing Art Center comes to our shul to present the play, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, based on the book about the children of Terezin concentration camp. Congregation Or Shalom’s religious school invite the entire community, Jewish and non-Jewish, to watch the one-act play and join in the 90 minute presentation on Sunday, January 6 at 9:30 am. A brief discussion with a Holocaust survivor or a liberator is part of the memorable presentation. Admission is free.

More than 15,000 children passed through Terezin Concentration Camp during the Holocaust; less than 100 survived. Wolf Performing Arts Center honors the memory of these children through The Butterfly Project with a touring production of the play, I Never Saw Another Butterfly by Celeste Raspanti, based on the book of the same name which contains artwork and poetry by the children of Terezin.

The Butterfly Project is educational theatre at its best; the cast of young actors serve as teachers of history and spread the message of hope and survival through art, poetry, music and live performance. This project illuminates vital lessons about diversity, the strength of the human heart, and the healing power of art.

The Butterfly Project began on Holocaust Remembrance Day 2012 with a premiere at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, followed by four additional performances open to the public. Wolf PAC is proud to partner with the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center for the duration of The Butterfly Project’s outreach, and thrilled to announce a partnership with The Kimmel Center for the 2013 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA).

The Butterfly Project will produce the final performances on Holocaust Remembrance Day in Philadelphia, during PIFA 2013.
 As the survivors dwindle and those who deny the Holocaust gain a platform, it is essential for our entire community to learn, remember and truly understand the importance of “Never Again.”

The Sunday morning performance is designed for students aged 13 and up who have previously studied the Holocaust in their regular classroom curriculum. Due to the sensitive content and graphic imagery evoked in the language of the play, it is not recommended for grades below 7th.

For more information about the play and The Butterfly Project, visit their website at www.wolfperformingartscenter.org/butterfly.project.php.