Holocaust Museum L.A. to Host Panel Discussion on ‘Jewish and Armenian Legacies After Genocide’

In honor of Armenian Heritage Month, the Holocaust Museum LA is hosting a conversation with grandchildren of Armenian Genocide survivors and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. Titled “Building Bridges: Jewish and Armenian Legacies After Genocide,” the event will be held on April 3, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Holocaust Museum LA, located at 100 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

How does the physical displacement and emotional trauma of genocide shape cultural identity? This question defined a significant portion of the twentieth century for both the Armenian and Jewish communities in Los Angeles. Join the panelists for a meaningful dialogue as they explore this in depth with descendants of Armenian Genocide and Holocaust survivors.

Current panelists include Ara Oshagan, Jack Hadjinian and Jenna Schweitzer. Other panelists will be added shortly.

Ara Oshagan is a diasporic multi-disciplinary artist and curator whose practice explores collective and personal histories of dispossession, legacies of violence, identity, de-colonization and (un)imagined futures. Oshagan is a descendant of survivors of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 who were deracinate from their indigenous land of Western Armenia. He was born in diaspora and was himself displaced due to war as a youth. Oshagan works in photography, collage, installation, film, book arts, public art and monuments and has published four books of photography. He has had solo exhibitions and public art installations in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Armenia, Morocco, and South Korea. His work has been featured on NPR, LA Times, Hyperallergic, Mother Jones, Art Papers among others. Oshagan is an Artist-in-Residence at the 18th Street Art Center in Santa Monica and curator at the City of Glendale ReflectSpace Gallery.

Jack Hadjinian, former mayor and city councilmember of Montebello, California, currently works as a commercial real-estate agent. His grandfather survived the Armenian Genocide and was deported by the Nazis during World War II to a forced labor camp, where Hadjinian’s mother was born. He is a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy, and has served as the Chairman of the Montebello Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, and member of the Investment Committee. Hadjinian is presently a member of the Montebello Board of Realtors, a member of the executive council of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Church of North America, and serves as a Los Angeles County commissioner on the Drug and Alcohol Commission.

Jenna Schweitzer is the maternal granddaughter of Holocaust survivors from Czechoslovakia/Hungary who lost many of their close relatives, including parents and siblings. After the war, they immigrated to the United States, where they rebuilt their lives from nothing, carrying forward the resilience and strength that shaped their family’s story and identity. She serves on the board of 3G@HMLA, the Museum’s group for grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, and is an active participant in the Descendants of Remembrance program, sharing her grandparents’ story with students both at the Museum and in schools. She is deeply committed to educating the next generation about the Holocaust and ensuring that these stories are never forgotten. With so few survivors left to bear witness, Schweitzer feels a profound responsibility to continue her grandparents’ legacy and be a voice for the next generation. She was born and raised in Los Angeles where she currently runs her own business as a graphic designer specializing in brand identity design. She helps purpose driven businesses craft meaningful and impactful visual identities.

To RSVP, visit the website.