Physical Description
Pastel and ink drawing on brown paper with uneven edges depicting a large tree trunk shaped statue with several cut off limbs and Hebrew text. It is outlined in dark blue ink, colored with white and blue mottled pastel, and gradient shading that darkens on the right side. In the center is a rectangular block with a brown plaque with Hebrew and Romanian text. It rests upon a large rectangular base. On either side of the base are scribbled lines that suggest plants. To the right is a black ink drawing of 2 leafy branches, tied together with striped ribbon. The artist’s signature is on the statue base. The drawing is adhered to a modern black backing board with an offwhite mat with a margin so that all the drawing is exposed. The paper is discolored, has tears and deep creases, with tape on the back.
Dimensions
overall : 16.500 x 13.000 in. (41.91 x 33.02 cm.)
pictorial area : 11.625 x 8.125 in. (29.528 x 20.638 cm.)
Materials
overall : paper, pastels, ink, adhesive tape
Signature
front, bottom, cursive, black ink, : M Gellhager
Inscription
front, on tree, black ink : פינ
front center, black ink : דוד שלמה / בר משה הל / גארעכשטיין / נפיכא אלדל תשיב / תי כי צי בי תי
front, center, black ink : AICI SE ODIHNESTE INGERASUL NOSTRU / SCUMP / Dady / Gorenstein / RÂPIT DE LANGA NOI: LA VÂRŚTA DE / 5 ANISORI. NOI NU TE VOM, UITA NICI- / ODATÂ, MAMA TA, TATÂL TÂU BUNICATA, / BUNICII TÂI, MÂTUSILE UNCH(I?) SI CEI CE / TE-AU CUNOSCUT TE VOR PLÂNGE / TOATÂ VIATA LOR. [Here lies our precious angel Dady Gorenstein taken from us at the age of five. We will never forget you, your mother, your father, your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and those who have known you will weep all their lives.]
Contributor
Subject:
Dady Gorenstein
Biography
Dady Gorenstein was born on October 19, 1937, in Craiova, Romania, to Moritz and Laura (Lora) Brauman Gorenstein. He had one brother, Harry, born January 17, 1940, also in Craiova. Moritz was born on March 4, 1908, in Noua Sulita, Romania, to Marcus (Max) and Sima Gorenstein, and had a sister and brother. Laura was born on September 14, 1910, in Focsani, Romania, to David and Eva Goldenberg Brauman, and had two brothers. After Moritz and Laura were married, they moved to Cernauti (Chernivtsi, Ukraine) and Laura attended school to become a pharmacist. They moved to Craiova, where they had their children. Dady’s paternal grandparents and great aunt emigrated to the United States in the 1930’s, possibly 1937.
On June 28, 1940, Romania was forced to cede parts of northern Romania to the Soviet Union. On November 20, 1940, Romania formally joined the Axis alliance. In June 1941, Romanian partook in the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Romania took back their lost territory and obtained new territory, Transnistria. The Romanian government under Antonescu was violently antisemitic and massacred 1000s of Jews throughout the country. In fall 1941, Romanian authorities began deporting Jews to Transnistria. In October 1941, Dady and his family were put in the Cernauti ghetto in northern Romania. In November, they were moved to the Mogilev-Podolski (Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Ukraine) ghetto, which was devastated by typhus, as well as severe food and fuel shortages. There was a German Army unit and an Organisation Todt (OT), the Nazi civil and military construction and engineering corps, stationed in the city. Moritz was taken as a forced laborer for the OT. In 1942, 5 year old Dady died of typhus in the ghetto. On March 20, 1944, Mogilev-Podolski was liberated by the Soviet Army. Moritz was released from his labor brigade in April 1944. Laura and Harry remained in Mogilev-Podolski until May 1944. The war ended when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945.
The family returned to Craiova and had another son, Michael. In 1946, they left for Prague, and then Paris. In February 1949, they boarded the MS Sobieski and sailed to America. They settled in New York and had a daughter. Moritz Americanized his name to Morris. Morris, age 84, died on July 6, 1992. Laura, age 92, died on May 18, 2003. Harry, age 73, died on September 15, 2013.
