Art Reception: Ha'Or Zikaron

About the Event:

Join us at Upside Down Gallery to celebrate the opening of an art exhibition by Clifford Lester & Jake Rosen, "Ha'Or Zikaron: Honoring Survivors of the Holocaust"

Featuring:

• A curated art exhibition featuring artist talk
• Open coffee bar, refreshments, and drinks

About the Exhibition:

“Ha'Or Zikaron: Honoring Survivors of the Holocaust” is an exhibition of works by artists Clifford Lester and Jake Rosen. Lester and Rosen, two second generation Holocaust survivors, share the stories of their parents and other individuals through intimate unposed portraits and moving biographical paintings. On the 20th anniversary of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and with the backdrop of rising antisemitism, this exhibition bears witness to the enduring strength of survivors who have built lives of meaning and joy in the wake of incredible suffering and loss. On view from January 25, 2026 to March 15, 2026, both the works of Lester and Rosen stand as a testament to the well-documented, yet too often unacknowledged part of our history with a call: to cherish the humanity of every individual, to bring light from darkness, and to look to hope for renewal.

Learn more about this exhibition on our website.

About the Artists:

Ha’Or Zikaron: Jake Rosen

Jake Rosen was born to Holocaust survivors in Marçeille, France. His family emigrated from France to live in St. Louis, MO where he grew up. He and his wife, Jeanne have 2 children who have recently had their own daughters.

He has done art since he was little and refined his figure drawing and sculpting skills by attending the Art Students League of New York. He also graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BFA in Painting.

Professionally, he has freelanced as an illustrator, pastored an Evangelical Church and led a Messianic Congregation during his career in St. Louis. Jake has shown “The Vision of Isaiah” series in various St Louis galleries and in New York City. This is a series of monumental paintings which depict the poetry of the prophet Isaiah. Recently he has been investigating personal aspects of the Holocaust in his painted work and has also been able to present his mother’s story of survival in Los Angeles.

Ha’Or Zikaron: Clifford Lester

Clifford Lester is a 2nd generation Holocaust Survivor. Clifford’s mother Ursula grew up in Amsterdam with Anne Frank and is mentioned in her diary. His father Harry, witnessed Kristallnacht from his bedroom window in Berlin.

At the present time, after a career of 27 years as a studio advertising photographer, and recently retired after completing his 20th year of teaching at Cypress College, Clifford has been committed to perhaps his most meaningful project, photographing Holocaust Survivors and documenting their life experiences.

Clifford says that the goal of his portraits is to “capture the Faith and courage of those who survived, and to honor the memory of those loved ones lost, so the memory and lessons of the Holocaust will never be forgotten.”

To witness more of his portraits, please visit: www.remembertheholocaust.org.

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We here at Upside Down want everyone to feel like they can come and be a part of our Upside Down community, which is why most all of our events are free to the public! If you feel led to donate to help us cover the costs of the event, you can do so here: https://upside-down-coffee.square.site/event-donation.