The Art of Testimony: The arts as a Form of Children’s Testimony

Esther Gonzales

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: The College of Health Professions and Human Services

Major: Holocaust and Genocide Studies (M.A.)

Faculty Research Mentor: Adara Goldberg

Abstract:

There is power in the written word and creative expression. Child Holocaust and genocide survivors have historically used art mediums to document and share their testimonials. These testimonies range from writing diaries and memoirs, to expressing their experiences through poetry, visual art or photography. This raises important questions: How were mass atrocities and human rights violations expressed from a child’s perspective? How did the arts serve as a platform for children to express what was happening and serve as a means to document their daily life? And how are these sources used in contemporary New Jersey K-12 classroom as tools for teaching about the Holocaust or prejudice reduction?This research is multifold. First, it highlights the voices of children who have survived genocides and look at specific aspects of their testimonies during and after the event which unfolded. Next, it engages case studies to analyze testimonies from child Holocaust survivors, children in concentration camps who used art and poetry, and refugee children from twenty-first century atrocities. Lastly, it critically examines how students in New Jersey K-12 classrooms use creative writing and visual arts to connect with this history and evaluate the importance of the arts as a means of testimony.