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Poster Commentary
"There are stars whose radiance is visible on earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark."Hannah Senesh
Poster design:Rosalyn Schanzer

Commentary

 
by Naomi Korb Weiss
 
Hannah Senesh will never know that when I was twelve years old, I spent my bat mitzvah money to buy Blessed is the Match, a chronicle of her life and death. She will never know the impact and legacy she imparted on the world.
 
I remember years ago my mother commented wistfully about Hannah Senesh and Anne Frank: “Imagine what they would have created for the world had they survived into adulthood.” Immediately, her expression shifted as we realized that what they created in their short years was immeasurable—and that the nature of their death left a legacy that is unparalleled.
 
The world can be a dark place. Today, it feels particularly dark with acts of hatred and violence prevailing. But a single star, a single light will make the difference. It is up to us to create that light, and we will never know the brilliance that we radiate to the world.
 
What change will you create? Perhaps you will teach your children the importance of compassion and love. You might dedicate your career to helping impoverished youth, or volunteer your hours with the sick, or build great businesses to drive economic growth. Your acts then inspire others to act, and one light turns to many.
 
You must wish to be the change you see in this world. There is a reason you are on this planet, and there will be a reason you leave this planet. Start imagining the possibilities.
 
Naomi Korb Weiss is CEO of the PresenTense Group, overseeing programs and operations in North America as well as global organizational strategy. She has worked in experiential Jewish education at the Foundation for Jewish Camp and JEXNET. Weiss earned her MBA and MPA in business strategy and nonprofit management from NYU’s Stern School of Business and Wagner School of Public Service, where she was a Wexner Graduate Fellow and vice president of philanthropy for the Jewish Students Association

Conversation Guide

 
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
 
1. What are the different ways people can light up the world? What does Hannah Senesh mean that even those “no longer among the living” can continue to light up the world?
 
2. What star illuminates the world for you? It could be a person, an initiative, a feeling, or something else. How does it inspire you to be a star?
 
3. What is a change you want to create in this world? What is one step you are going to take toward that change?
 
 
 
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
 
1. How do the colors and style of the illustration contribute to the message of the quote?
 
2. Why do you think the artist portrayed pairs of people holding the lights, instead of individuals? Why do you think the figures are faceless?
 
3. The words “stars,” “people,” “bright,” and “dark” have been highlighted by their size. What does this add to the experience of the poster? Would you have
highlighted these same words or different ones?

 

Credits

 

Frames of Mind@2015, Rosalyn Schanzer, Quote: Hannah Senesh, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, West Springfield, MA