Newton Teen In Premiere Of Holocaust Remembrance-Themed Performance

NEWTON, MA — Newton teen Eden Menipaz is dancing in the premier of Hidden, a Holocaust remembrance-themed performance that will run from Oct. 20-22 at Boston Center for the Arts.

Hidden is the latest in Boston-based contemporary dance artist Rachel Linsky's choreographic series ZACHOR, which seeks to preserve stories of WWII Holocaust survivors through dance.

Hidden is inspired by the story of Holocaust survivor Aaron Elster, who at 10 years old was hidden from the Nazis in a Polish family’s attic for two years. As an adult, Elster returned to the space and gained an appreciative perspective for the situation that felt like punishment to his younger self. Elster died in 2018, leaving a remarkable record of his experiences through interviews, writings, and oral histories. Linsky and her dancers are working with Elster’s son, Steven, to keep his testimony alive.

“We are living in a pivotal time, where few living survivors are left to tell their stories first hand,” Linsky said in a statement. “We have a shared responsibility to take action and to figure out the future of Holocaust education. My hope is that audiences can connect with Aaron’s journey one emotion at a time and find ways to apply his messages to their contemporary lives.”

The performances include a short piece by a cohort of teenage dancers who took part in ZACHOR's free, week-long “Embodied Holocaust Education Workshop” series this summer.

During the intensive, the teens created an “ending” for the performance after reading and reflecting on Elster’s memoir and interacting with a holographic interview of Elster created through the USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony initiative.

As a descendant of WWII survivors who emigrated from Vienna and rarely shared their stories, Linsky says she is inspired by her family history and exploring the actions that the phrase “Never Again” demands of future generations.

Hidden was first presented as a dance film that premiered in September 2021 and included a Q&A session between audience members, artists, and Steven Elster.

Tickets for Hidden are $25 for general admission and $20 for students and artists. They are available at BostonTheaterScene.com.