20222-23 Community Creative Fellow Rachel Linsky

Rachel’s Research

Enjoy an interview with Rachel Linsky led by JArts Executive Director, Laura Mandel.

Rachel’s Inspiration

Rachel’s inspiration comes from Mieczyslaw Weinberg, a Jewish-Polish composer who created brilliant classical-compositions with clear Yiddish and Klezmer themes:

“At 20 years old, when the Nazis invaded Poland, Weinberg fled to the Soviet Union and was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust. With his music, he kept alive a whole world of his family and culture that had perished. On account of anti-semitism, however, his work received heavy push-back, which prevented it from reaching the level of global recognition it should had.”

Rachel’s Capstone Project

For her capstone project, Rachel plans to create a dance film to one of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s works in order to honor his artistry and restore from deserved legacy to his name:

“I think the best way to do that is to create contemporary dance that celebrates those same Jewish influences.”

As Rachel continues to research Klezmer and Yiddish dance, she builds a contemporary movement language that will inspire her community workshops.

Follow Rachel’s Journey

Rachel is documenting her Community Creative Fellowship year through short-form video diaries posted to social media. Watch her journey by visiting her Instagram page, here:

Rachel in the News

“She’s found a new way to keep Holocaust stories alive — one step at a time” by Stav Ziv for the Forward

“Rachel Linsky is a Dance Artist and CJP Grantee” by Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) for JewishBoston.com

“Dance Interview: Rachel Linsky on Taking Holocaust Education Outside of the Jewish Community” by Thea Singer for the Arts Fuse.

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