South Butler Library receives Holocaust memorial art display

December 11, 2024 Last Updated: December 10, 2024 10:10 PM Community

Amy Hinderliter paints a ceramic butterfly as part of South Butler Community Library's participation in The Butterfly Project, where ceramic butterflies are painted and displayed to honor the 1.5 million children whose lives were lost during the Holocaust, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at South Butler Community Library. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

SAXONBURG — The South Butler Community Library partnered with the nonprofit group The Butterfly Project on Tuesday evening, Dec. 10, to create a permanent art display which will serve as a memorial to the 1.5 million children who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

Dozens of children, teens and adults showed up at the library Tuesday night to paint ceramic butterflies, as part of a Holocaust education program. According to the website for The Butterfly Project, the inspiration for the project was a poem entitled “The Butterfly,” written by a young prisoner at the Terezin concentration camp. The project began in 2006 at a Jewish school in San Diego, Calif., as a new way of educating children about the Holocaust.

“They’re trying to give those 1.5 million children a voice through butterflies, which is a symbol of freedom,” said Michelle Lesniak, director of the South Butler Community Library. “And so painting the butterflies is one way to pay tribute to those that died.”

Before the painting exercise began, those who showed up were shown a brief video explaining The Butterfly Project’s mission to pay tribute to the children. In addition, at each work station was placed the story of a child who was lost during the Holocaust.

“I came here for the cause … the idea that we’re working together to create something beautiful for lost children,” said Kathy Trimmer, who showed up to paint butterflies.

Lesniak says The Butterfly Project was brought to her attention by the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh.

“I had received an email about the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, who was promoting this Butterfly Project, and they were also promoting speakers for the Holocaust Remembrance Day that happens in January,” Lesniak said.

It just so happened that Knoch High School, located less than 2 miles away, had also taken part in the project recently.

“We were displaying their butterfly projects that they had already completed,” Lesniak said. “The ninth grade down there at the school had actually taken part in this project. So, I said, ‘Hey, can we do this, too?’ And so they put me in touch with The Butterfly Project. It took some time, but we were able to acquire a kit that allows us to participate.”

A typical butterfly kit includes 36 ceramic butterflies, 36 paintbrushes, nine sets of glaze and 36 biography cards of children who lost their lives during the Holocaust. These kits can be ordered online from The Butterfly Project’s website by schools and other organizations.

The library aims to use the finished butterflies to set up a permanent art display in its main room which pays tribute to the children killed during the Holocaust.

“We’re gonna choose a wall in our main room here,” Lesniak said. “So, in the room we're standing, I probably will pick a wall, and we’ll start our display and hopefully grow it through time as we introduce more students and teens and adults.”

Kathy Trimmer paints a ceramic butterfly as part of South Butler Community Library's participation in The Butterfly Project, where ceramic butterflies are painted and displayed to honor the 1.5 million children whose lives were lost during the Holocaust, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at South Butler Community Library. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Audrey Weleski, 9, paints a ceramic butterfly as part of South Butler Community Library's participation in The Butterfly Project, where ceramic butterflies are painted and displayed to honor the 1.5 million children whose lives were lost during the Holocaust, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at South Butler Community Library. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Bridget and Audrey Weleski, 9, get a picture taken with their painted ceramic butterflies after taking part in The Butterfly Project, where ceramic butterflies are painted and displayed to honor the 1.5 million children whose lives were lost during the Holocaust, which the South Butler Community Library participated in on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Bridget Weleski paints a ceramic butterfly as part of South Butler Community Library's participation in The Butterfly Project, where ceramic butterflies are painted and displayed to honor the 1.5 million children whose lives were lost during the Holocaust, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at South Butler Community Library. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle