The International Quilt Study Center and Museum will offer a unique program about a quilt made to honor Holocaust victims as part of First Friday activities on Aug. 7.

Peter Fischl is the author of the poem, “To the Little Polish Boy Standing with His Arms Up.” Fischl was a young boy in Hungary during World War II, and unlike his father and millions of others, he survived the Holocaust. While living in the U.S. during the 1960s, he saw a powerful image in Life Magazine of a young boy in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943. Inspired by the image, he wrote his poem.

In 1999, fifth grade students at Ella Barnes Elementary School in Corpus Christi, Texas, wrote their own responses to Fischl’s poem and the photo. They inscribed their words on a quilt, which was sent to Fischl in appreciation for his work. Fischl donated the quilt to the International Quilt Study Center & Museum in 2014. It will be on display in conjunction with the program.

“This quilt is an important donation because of its significance in representing victims of the Holocaust,” said Carolyn Ducey, curator of collections. “Peter Fischl’s work reminds us of the horrors of World War II, and in particular the many losses families experienced. This piece shows how quilts can be a tangible reminder of social issues and events.”

At 5:30 p.m., Fischl, Ducey and Katie Wisian, one of the students who contributed to the quilt, will give a presentation on the poem. Documentarian Peter Musurlian will be filming to include the event in a feature about Fischl’s life.

The lecture, and admission to the museum, will be free from 4:30-7 p.m.

The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported this arts event through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature, Nebraska Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

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