by Cecelia Margules
Approximately 30 years ago I commissioned Ann Froman, a noted sculptor, to fulfill a vision of a butterfly wrapped in barbed wire atop a granite pedestal containing the poem “The Butterfly” by Pavlov Friedman an inmate of Terezin concentration camp, who perished in Auschwitz in 1944. “The Butterfly” graced the courtyard of Shulamith Yeshua for 30 years till the school relocated. This began my search for a new home for “The Butterfly”. I contacted a number of museums and organizations but was unsuccessful. On a trip to Los Angeles, I visited the Simon Wiesenthal center. While browsing in the bookshop I saw the DVD “Paper Clips”, a well-known story of a school in Whitwell, Tennessee that undertook an amazing project of Holocaust Remembrance. Even more amazing, the school population is Protestant. The address of the school is “1 Butterfly Lane” and has butterflies embedded in the cement walkway. I knew immediately that my butterfly had a home. I spoke to the principal about my idea and she immediately agreed. Recently, “The Butterfly” monument arrived in Whitwell and now graces the front of the school. On September 18, a dedication ceremony will be held for the school and community. “The Butterfly” at last, has a new home, where it can spread the message of “The Butterfly” to the world.