Educational Media Reviews Online

The film's subtitle, "Paintings and Memories of Mayer Kirshenblatt," accurately reflects the program's content. While continuously painting on canvas in what appears to be his studio, Mayer Kirshenblatt recalls growing up in a Polish Jewish community (a shtetl) prior to the Holocaust. He carefully depicts daily life, with detailed accounts of his home, family, school days, and employment, as well as the general contrast of poverty and affluence in his community. Kirshenblatt's paintings are interspersed throughout the program, providing personal illustrations to these stories and contributing detailed accounts of all aspects of daily life in this particular shtetl. The various trades of the community, including butchers, bootleggers, water carriers, and shoemakers are described. Jewish religious beliefs and customs are depicted from both a child's and a young man's point of view. The program provides a very personal account of the day to day activities and culture in what appears to be a typical community of this kind and time period in history.

The program has good quality in both its visual and audio components. It flows effortlessly from beginning to end, moving from views of Mr. Kirshenblatt working on his painting, to close-ups of finished works. There is a relaxed quality about the program which adds to the personal nature of it. Mr. Kirshenblatt is very articulate and provides clear illustrations of his memories through a variety of verbal and visual images. It would be helpful to have more introductory information about Mr. Kirshenblatt and his art, including aspects of his adult life. While providing an interesting "visual oral history" of the early 20th century in Eastern Europe, the program leaves the viewer in 1942, when the Jews were forced out their shtetl.

Because of its specific focus, the program would be most useful to students of related historical subjects, fine arts studies, oral history, and storytelling. It would also be appropriate for general audiences interested in European personal histories from this time period.