SAILING HOME:
Reflections on the Exodus 1947 through Art

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The Exodus Memory Project is our way of remembering the journey of over 4000 Holocaust survivors striving to reach freedom in the land of Israel. Intertwining a learning of facts with personal testimonies from those who were aboard the ship, we invite you to create a watercolor resist seascape painting that reflects the hope for freedom of the Jews on board the Exodus, those on shore in Haifa, and those around the world - all yearning for the successful arrival of these few thousand remnants of European Jewry to freedom in Palestine.

The Sailing Home™ art activities are intended for students of all ages and developmental abilities to reflect on the human experience of this historic event and to learn how to express the emotions and thoughts that it arouses.

Included among our resources are lesson plans, an information booklet, personal testimonies, and a detailed supplies list to help you implement an Exodus 1947 art project. We also have provided discussion questions to help you expand the conversation beyond the art project, should that be of interest.

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Activity: SeaScape Watercolor Resist Painting

Objectives: To teach the history of the Exodus 1947 and to have students create their own artwork that reflects on actual images from the Exodus 1947.

Age Range: All ages
This watercolor seascape art lesson makes for a experiential learning project that doesn’t compromise fun or interest for simplicity, making it a great activity for kids. It gives artists of all ages and levels of knowledge and ability the opportunity to explore a new medium and a new approach to showcasing history.

About the art: The watercolor resist painting technique differs from a regular watercolor painting, in that it involves the application of oil pastels prior to applying watercolor paint. The artist draws/colors their images in oil pastels and then applies watercolor paint to their their paper/canvas. Since oil and water do not mix, the oil pastels fight the water and remain in the same condition as they were when applied; whereas the watercolor paint will be “watery and painty”.

Images of the Exodus 1947 ship are provided and should be printed out for the students to paste on top of their watercolor painting, allowing for a paper collage effect that can be very powerful. Images of the Haifa landscape are also provided to enable the participants to see what it looked like at that time.

Download The Full Project Outline

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JOURNEY TO STATEHOOD: EXODUS 1947

Learn more about The Exodus 1947 today!