ANGEL PACHECO, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

"Mis Tres Caras" are the personal stories of Hispanic Youth as they participate in a dialogue with local Holocaust survivors in a panel discussion. About 100 people attended the reception. Maria Segal, left, a Holocaust survivor, talks with David Nunez. Both were members of the panel discussion.     About 100 people attended the reception for Mis Tres Caras, the personal stories of Hispanic Youth, as they participate in a dialogue with local Holocaust survivors in a panel discussion. THOMAS KELSEY/NEWS-PRESS  

 

June 29, 2009 7:04 AM
Goleta's at-risk youths and Holocaust survivors may not appear to be a likely pairing, but the fruits of the two coming together went on display Sunday afternoon during the "Mis Tres Caras" pilot art project launch.
Also known as "My Three Faces" or "Shalosha Panim," the experience for about a dozen youths started at the end of the school year, when they began meeting with Holocaust survivors on a regular basis.
"The idea (was) that they would hear some of the the stories of the Holocaust survivors and then they would tell their own stories and how they got to where they are," said Ingrid Sarrat, of Collaborative Communities Foundation, which is one of the organizations behind the program. "Also, we encouraged them to express this in whatever way they wanted to -- either through an art project, photography or journaling."
It all came to a head Sunday evening at the Bronfman Family Jewish Community Center -- 524 Chapala St. -- when many of the participants showed a room filled with family, supporters and others what they had been working on.
Cesar Cruz, 17, created a trophy supported by cork bottle stoppers. He said they represented stages in his life and where he hopes to someday be. At the top stood a gold-colored baseball batter with a banner attached to the bat reading, "I am not the victim of the world I see."
Sergio Diaz and David Nunez collaborated in creating a painting of a crucified Jesus Christ. However, among this creation's distinguishing characteristics was that the hands and feet were missing, which the artists said represented their feelings of helplessness and going nowhere.
While the Holocaust survivors were very different in appearance and age, at the end of the presentation, the two groups embraced each other, posed for photos and chatted. During presentations of the projects, the young participants expressed desires about going on to college and leaving behind troubled pasts.
"There's a real synchronicity between these real at-risk kids and Holocaust survivors because a lot of the issues are the same," Ms. Sarrat said. "Hatred, intolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, anger management; all of those issues come to the forefront for both."
One of the Holocaust survivors who took time to speak with the participants in the program was Maria Segal, who after just a short time, said she feels as if she's known them all her life.
"Every time I came in they were hugging me," she recalled.
Although they may have come from different backgrounds, Ms. Segal couldn't help but finding parallels in her life with the youths.
"I'm a survivor and I also came to this country not knowing the language," she recalled. "When I listened to them, I realized that a lot of them immigrated from Mexico and other countries," Ms. Segal said. "They were probably young, but their parents went through where you have to learn a language and fit into society and it's hard. It's just like starting a new life."
The program is a collaboration by the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, Portraits of Survival Program, the Collaborative Communities Foundation and Art From Scrap.
The "Mis Tris Caras" participants will continue on into different projects; organizers are hoping to have six more groups of participants in the fall -- three for high school students and three for junior high students. However, organizers are looking for community help, and interested donors can contact the Collaborative Communities Foundation at 845-4638. For more information on the program, contact Ms. Sarrat at 455-4266.
e-mail: apacheco@newspress.com

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