Chocolates from Tangier: A Holocaust replacement child's memoir of art and transformation

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 02 March 2023
Publisher: DoppelHouse Press

A second-generation Holocaust survivor skillfully weaves together fragments of her family's history and witness testimony, employing narrative and collage to create a powerful form of transformation and remembrance. Through her art, she explores her identity and the legacy of the Holocaust, using personal experiences and insights to shed light on the complexities of her family's past.

Chocolates from Tangier is a captivating and innovative ensemble piece that emerges directly from the artist's heart. Jana Zimmer employs a diverse range of visual elements, including illustrations, words, letters, poems, and her own impressive images, to bring her parents' Holocaust story to life in a deeply moving and meaningful way. The result is a beautiful and evocative work that captures the essence of her family's experiences.

For fifty years, Jana Zimmer followed her mother's directive, respecting her wishes and keeping the details of her family's past a secret. However, when her mother passed away, leaving behind a treasure trove of family photos and documents, mostly in Czech, along with a few cryptic notes as explanation, Zimmer felt compelled to unravel the family's history. Late in her life, Zimmer discovered her passion for visual art, and this book serves as a testament to her journey of understanding and reconciliation.

The words and images in this book convey Zimmer's journey to understand her parents and their experiences in the Holocaust, filtered through her own discoveries decades after returning to her birthplace, Prague, and to Terezín, where her family was first interned. Zimmer's artwork, showcased in exhibitions in 2007, both in Prague and at the Terezín Ghetto Museum, was primarily inspired by her half-sister, Ritta, who tragically perished in Auschwitz before Zimmer was born, and by her father's profound grief over that loss. Ritta's drawings made in Terezín, now preserved in the Prague Jewish Museums collection of children's artwork from the ghetto, populate Zimmer's book alongside spare photographs and mementos that reflect her internal world—that of a "Holocaust replacement child."

In 2015, an exhibition in Germany provided Zimmer with an opportunity to delve deeper into her relationship with her mother's experiences. Through her art, she explores the complexities of identity, loss, and resilience, creating a powerful testament to the enduring impact of the Holocaust and the resilience of the human spirit.

Chocolates from Tangier is a remarkable work that offers a unique perspective on the Holocaust and its aftermath. Jana Zimmer's art is a testament to the power of storytelling and the ability of art to transcend time and distance, connecting generations and fostering understanding and empathy. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in history, art, and the human experience, and it serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of remembering and honoring the victims of the Holocaust.

Weight: 572g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781954600102