“[His] first painting depicts the hope of creation and it is inspired from the Kotel. It stands as a reminder of humanity’s eternal quest for optimism, brotherhood and fraternity. The second painting depicts an image of destruction – the necessary antithesis upon which lies the necessity to remember our history in order not to repeat it.
“It has drawn the attention of a lot of people, not only for what it symbolizes, but also because of its aesthetic. It is a very delicate piece reflecting the artist’s deep sentiment and devotion to peace and creation.
“We are truly grateful for Mr. Sherman’s generous donation and the message it sends. In a country so beautiful, yet facing such multiple challenges, Mr. Sherman’s resolve to promote the cause of peace and fraternity among peoples, stands as a beacon of hope in the difficult times we are facing in this corner of the world.”
Serbia The Serbians are known for the high number of insurgents who fought against the Nazis. The Serbian ambassador in Israel proudly related that his grandfathers had fought against the Nazis, knowing they were evil. The mother of the embassy’s secretary had been recognized by Yad Vashem as a righteous gentile; and she expressed gratitude for Yosef’s gesture.
India Yosef presented a painting to the Deputy Chief of Mission at The Embassy of India in Israel in honor of Indian soldiers serving in the British Army during World War I. Indian regiments fought a critical role in the British success in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign against the Ottoman Empire. The impact of this leaves a chilling reminder how it could have been otherwise, when we consider the close relationship to The Mufti of Jerusalem and Hitler.
Slovak Republic The ambassador of the Slovak Republic, Peter Hulenyi, immediately hung Yosef’s painting on the wall of his embassy in Israel and noted that “Joseph Sherman’s painting begins at uncertain edges and stormy blues. Sherman pulls the viewer into a peaceful center with his wide brushstrokes. It is an analogy for righteous Slovaks who responded to the horrors of war by saving lives.”
“There were more than 70,000 Slovak Jews murdered during the WWII in concentration camps,” said the ambassador. “But at the same time, more then 20,000 survived, many of them thanks to deeds of brave Slovaks. Slovakia has the highest number of Righteous among the Nations per capita and we are very proud of that. I am deeply convinced that the tragedy of Slovak Jews should not be forgotten as well as the courage of those who help saving other lives. Therefore, I highly appreciate the initiative of the Holocaust Art Institute.”
Having recently worked in international aid in Africa, the ambassador spoke about the blending of government institutions and NGOs, with social entrepreneurship. Yosef, whose studies and fellowship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill were about this very subject, enthusiastically revealed Judaism’s long history of balancing private enterprise with charity support. He talked about tzedakkah and the Rambam’s eight levels, which Yosef said is the secret ingredient of Israel, since the “startup nation” (as the ambassador referred to Israel) is based on micro-lending and gemachim that help people transform their ideas into reality.
Kenya, Hong Kong, Dallas Kenya, though not affected by the Holocaust directly, is a friend of Israel. Yosef wanted it to know that its friendship was appreciated. He has donated paintings to their government, to the Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre, the Dallas Holocaust Museum, and just completed a piece for Odessa Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center.
Let’s hope that we should never need the help of those gentile nations that Yosef Yehuda Sherman has connected with, but since history has continuously borne out the need of those heroic gentile souls, let us be grateful that Yosef has found a way of showing our gratefulness – as one of us.