Selected Events 2006

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August 3, 2006. Ambassador and Mrs. Timken along with Cultural Affairs Attaché Claussen participated in the opening performance of the cultural and youth outreach project “Dances for the Blue House” taking place in the southwest German cities of Breisach and Freiburg since mid-July. The Blue House in Breisach was the center of the city’s local Jewish community before its destruction during the Holocaust.

Jonathan Hollander and Aviva Geismar, two Jewish-American choreographers, and their New York-based dance companies Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action had worked with some 150 local German high schools students and dance groups to create new dance pieces that respond to the tragedy and commemorate the Jewish history of the town. Together they have forged a joint approach to the exploration of a universal issue: how do the next generations of Germans and Americans respond to the Holocaust?

In his remarks to the participants, German and international guests, some of them descendants of Jewish families in Breisach, the Ambassador emphasized the importance of “building a bridge between yesterday, today and tomorrow for coming generations.” He commended the dancers on their efforts to foster mutual understanding with this exchange project that uses the power of dance to confront history.

Jonathan's and Aviva's initiative and work was honored by Eveline Metzen of Koerber Foundation who awarded them with the USable Transatlantic Idea Prize.

More about the Blue House Project