Page 33 - Centrum Dialogu im. Marka Edelmana w Łodzi. Artur Szyk, Man of Dialogue.

Album-ksi„¿ka_ASzyk_wANGIELSKA.qxd 2012-05-27 20:07 Page 33
3
In 1943, Artur Szyk created a
made in 1943 on
moving drawing dedicated to the
a cover of a post-war
Jews of Łódź. It shows the city's
magazine "Our Łódź"
coat of arms with oars destroyed Artur Szyk's drawing 3 33 BIOGRAPHY
by a knife with a swastika. The
work was dedicated to the Book
of Remembrance of Łódź, which
was published in New York by
the Committee for Aid for the
City of Łódź. The work was also
reproduced on the cover of the
book "Unser Lodz" (Our Łódź)
in 1950.
The biblical Psalm 130 "From The Book of Remembrance
of Łódź, New York 1943
the depths I cry to thee, O Lord"
is often sung at funerals or
during solemn ceremonies. It is
a cry of despair but also hope.
Szyk used the quotation to
illustrate the depths of despair –
we see Jewish martyrs, women,
children, old people murdered,
with more bodies in the
background. Among them is an
old man, still holding the Torah,
but also Christ crowned with
thorns, who is holding a tablets
with the Ten Commandments,
including the fifth: Thou shalt
not kill. The question: "Cain,
where is Abel, thy brother?"
remains unanswered. However,
the artist uses symbols. A
swastika is inscribed in the initial
of Cain, while the star of David
is inscribed in Abel's name.