Survival and Intimations of Immortality

The Art of Alice Lok Cahana, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, and Kitra Cahana

January 26 – May 25, 2025

Survival and Intimations of Immortality: The Art of Alice Lok Cahana, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, and Kitra Cahana is a unique and powerful exhibition that explores the role of art and creativity, bringing the past into the present by focusing on three generations of artists from the same family. Alice Lok Cahana (1929-2017) was a Holocaust survivor who pledged she would become an artist if she survived the war. Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, Alice’s oldest son, is a poet and survivor of a major stroke. Kitra Cahana, Ronnie’s daughter, is a filmmaker and photographer. This exhibition reveals how the tragedy of the Holocaust impacted multiple generations of a family and how each member transformed the destructive trauma of the Shoah into acts of intense creative accomplishment, taking their own path to provide a through-line to preserving the memories, culture, and identity of their shared family and the Jewish people.

Guest curated by Ori Z Soltes. In cooperation with The Fritz Ascher Society, New York. Funding has been generously provided by the Craig E. Wollner Exhibition Fund, the Arnold and Augusta Newman Photography Fund, and the Judy Margles Education and Culture Fund.  

Exhibition Related Events

• Survival and Intimations of Immortality: Artist and Curator Talk

  Join curator Ori Z Soltes, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, and Kitra Cahana for a conversation about Survival and Intimations of Immortality: The Art of Alice Lok Cahana, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, and Kitra Cahana moderated by Rachel Stern. This unique and powerful exhibition explores the role of art and creativity, bringing the past into the present by focusing on three generations of artists from the same family. The artists and curatorial team will share their insights about the work in the exhibition, how the show was made, and the impact it had, and share more insight into the remarkable life and work of Holocaust survivor Alice Lok Cahana. We will send a link to the zoom webinar 24 hours before the event and monitor any new ticket purchases periodically leading up to the 4:30pm start time.

  March 27 | 4:30 – 6pm | Location: Zoom | Watch the recording of this program HERE

• Inherited Trauma: Lecture and Discussion with Dr. Kent Thornburg

  Join Dr. Kent Thornburg and OJMCHE’s Director of Education, Beth Lilach, for a presentation and discussion about epigenetics: the study of how cells control gene activity without changing the DNA sequence. Dr. Thornburg will explain the scientific understanding of how trauma is transmitted between generations, then will join Lilach in conversation about the ways epigenetics are felt across diverse communities, especially amongst Holocaust and other genocide survivors.

  April 9 | 5:30 – 6:30pm | Location: Zoom | Watch the recording of this program HERE

• The Last Days Film Screening

  In late 1944, even as they faced imminent defeat, the Nazis expended enormous resources to kill or deport over 425,000 Jews during the “cleansing” of Hungary. This Oscar-winning documentary focuses on the plight of five Hungarian Jews who survived imprisonment in Auschwitz, including Alice Lok Cahana. Though these survivors recount the horrors they witnessed and endured as a result of the Nazis’ “Final Solution,” their individual triumphs are a testament to hope and humanity.

  May 5 | 7 – 9pm | Location: Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209 | Tickets on sale now

• From Ashes to Rainbows: A Conversation with Michael Berenbaum and Rabbi Michael Cahana

  Join Dr. Michael Berenbaum, renowned Holocaust historian and Project Director who oversaw the creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, in conversation with Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana about the life and legacy of Holocaust survivor Alice Lok Cahana. The two will discuss the lasting impact of Alice’s artwork and experiences, the compelling work of teaching Holocaust history through art, and how memory is shaped and shared across generations. 

  May 22 | Doors open at 5:30pm; talk and Q&A from 6 – 7:30pm | $15 for general, $10 for members with code on back of membership card. Purchase ticket.

• Survival and Intimations of Mortality Public Tours

  Survival and Intimations of Immortality: The Art of Alice Lok Cahana, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, and Kitra Cahana explores the role of art and creativity, bringing the past into the present by focusing on three generations of artists from the same family. Join us for a dynamic tour of the exhibition led by the museum’s volunteer educators. 

  March 15, April 5, and May 10 | 12pm – 1pm | Included with admission, free for members. RSVP preferred but not required

• Survival and Intimations of Mortality Public Tour with Cahana Family

  Survival and Intimations of Immortality: The Art of Alice Lok Cahana, Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, and Kitra Cahana explores the role of art and creativity, bringing the past into the present by focusing on three generations of artists from the same family. Join us for an intimate tour of the exhibition led by Rabbi Michael Cahana and/or Cantor Ida Rae Cahana. Rabbi Michael is Alice Lok Cahana’s son and Rabbi Ronnie Cahana’s brother. 

  March 26, April 16, and May 21 | 11:15am – 12:15pm | Included with admission, free for members. RSVP preferred but not required