Artist, gallery team up to add ‘János Book’ to Jewish museum

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2009-05-14T00:00:00

23 Sandy Gallery and Alex Appella want to donate a copy of Appella’s powerful family history, “The János Book,” to the Oregon Jewish Museum.

“The János Book” is on display in the gallery through May 30 during a show of Appella’s art.

When Appella found a childhood photo of her great uncle and his siblings, she was shocked to see a third brother, someone unknown to the family then. She sought out János, the youngest of the four siblings born to her great-grandparents and the only surviving relative who could answer her questions.

János revealed secrets of the family’s hidden Jewish ancestry in a fascinating story of a plan for survival after the Holocaust. This inspired “The János Book,” a handmade, limited-edition work of art.

Appella grew up in Salem, where her grandfather, one of the brothers in the book, lived.

Appella writes and binds books at her home in Argentina. Her artist’s books can be found in numerous private and public collections throughout the United States and beyond. You can learn more about her work at www.transientbooks.com.

Gallery hours are Thursday-Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. The gallery is located at 623 NE 23rd Ave.