Revolving Doors Exhibit at Chatham University

Reserve timed tickets: Monday-Friday, 12pm, 1pm, and 2pm

You may park in the library parking lot, which can be accessed via Chapel Hill Road or Murray Hill Avenue. Speak to the valet before parking. Click here for a campus map.

This exhibit displays a curated selection of artwork and artifacts from the collection of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. It juxtaposes Jewish cultural life with persistent antisemitism across time; the devastating impact of the Holocaust on Global Jewry; and antisemitism today, including artists’ responses to the attack on the three congregations in the Tree of Life building on October 27, 2018. It pays tribute to victims while honoring survivors and their resilience.

The name of the exhibit, “Revolving Doors,” is inspired by a series of collages created by artist Man Ray in 1916-1917. One of the pieces from that series is on display in this exhibit. The term “Revolving Door” is used idiomatically to indicate a situation where solutions to problems last for a short time only, and then the same problems occur again. Therein lies the mission of the Holocaust Center; to recognize patterns of the past in today and suggest alternative courses to break generational cycles.

It is interesting to note that the word “Door” is also a homonym of the Hebrew word “Dor” (דור), which means “Generation” and derives from the word meaning “Circle”. A central saying in Judaism is “L’dor V’dor,” meaning “From Generation to Generation,” which relates to the value of learning our ancestors’ stories and traditions and continuing to pass them down to future generations.

The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh connects the horrors of the Holocaust and antisemitism with injustices of today. Through education, we address these injustices and empower individuals to build a more civil and humane society. The Holocaust Center was established in 1980 by Holocaust survivors and their families as a living memorial to the Holocaust, and has been active in the community ever since. As of 2021, we call Chatham University our academic home. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh is part of the new Tree of Life. Learn more at RememberRebuildRenew.org