Samovar Stories: A Storytelling Event

A very special Thank you to Yuula benivolski, to all the participants from The Ocean Between Us, and especially to Alice Lehrer, Rose Simon-Shwartz, Perla Muyal, Vivian Silver, Gladys Mooalem, Sonia Zylberberg, Gigi Bitton, Lisette Shashoua, Georgette Bensimon, Sami Sourani for sharing their experiences at Samovar Stories!

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Discover the diverse and compelling stories behind the Museum of Jewish Montreal’s current exhibition The Ocean Between Us.

Join us for an intimate Sunday afternoon of tea, treats, and storytelling as we call special attention to the experiences of Montreal’s Jewish immigrant community. Featuring participants who were interviewed and photographed by Yuula Benivolski for The Ocean Between Us, this event will present stories centered around immigrant experiences, building connections, and art as healing. In addition, the artist Yuula Benivolski will introduce the event by talking about the process behind her artistic practice, her motivations for creating the project, and her own family’s immigration story.

— About The Ocean Between Us —

Russian-Jewish artist Yuula Benivolski has interviewed and photographed Jewish immigrants in Montreal from eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East —documenting stories, heirlooms, letters and photos of their family members who never made it across the ocean. Touching on themes of diaspora, inter-community connections and intergenerational folklore –The Ocean Between Us creates physical and psychic threads between those who left and those who stayed. By exploring collective memory and identity through a lens of perseverance and humour, Benivolski’s work employs the immigrant narrative to break down stigma, to build and strengthen intergenerational ties, and to create a sense of belonging.

— About the Artist —

Russian Born Toronto-based Artist Yuula Benivolski’s multidisciplinary practice spans photography, video and installation. Her work explores aspects of collective memory and identity using strategies of visual archiving, storytelling and autobiography. She received an MFA from Concordia University in Montreal and has recently exhibited at Trinity Square Video, Art Metropole and the Vancouver Art Book Fair.

Entrance for this event is pay what you can.