Learn About The ‘Real’ Monuments Men Thursday

You’ve likely seen the promos for The Monuments Men. Perhaps you’ve even seen the movie. Our neighbor and famous American filmmaker, Aviva Kempner, is moderating and hosting a discussion about the “real” Monuments Men this Thursday, April 24th at the DCJCC.

Aviva and her brother Jonathan sponsor this and other cultural events at the JCC in honor of their parents, Helen (a Holocaust survivor) and Milton Covensky. From Aviva, here are the details of Thursday’s panel discussion:

The Real Monuments Men: Holocaust Art Restitution Yesterday and Today
Thursday, April 24, 7:30 pm at the DCJCC at 16th and Q

Join Marc Masurovsky, co-founder of the Holocaust Art Restitution Project, Rafael Medoff, director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies and L. Eden Burgess, attorney at Cultural Heritage Partners, LLC for a discussion on the legacy of the Monuments Men and the ongoing efforts to return stolen art to its rightful owners.

During World War II, that Allies feared that Western culture’s great treasures, mostly monuments, were being destroyed by war. This led to the creation of the Roberts Commission, which was based at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and staffed by museum directors, art historians and curators. Its representatives followed the US Army into the various zones of military operation to assess damage done to historical and culturally-significant monuments and structures.

When the Allies uncovered the scope of the Nazis’ systematic campaign to loot and plunder art from Jews and others in the occupied countries, the mission of these cultural advisers changed. They became known as the “Monuments Men,” a uniquely qualified group of men and women from 13 countries whose mission was to protect the world’s cultural treasures. They eventually succeeded in saving some of the world’s greatest works of art.

The Helen and Milton Covensky Fund helps the DCJCC present a number of unique programs throughout the year.