I'm pleased to share that the exhibition book "Heroines: Fashion and Hope in World War II" is now available for purchase on the Museum's website at a special discount. The exhibition comes with a beautiful hardcover book (250 pages) that captures the essence of the visit and brings the full depth of the exhibition to life. It weaves together human stories of creativity and resilience with hundreds of historical photographs, images from the exhibition, specially commissioned essays, and memorable quotes. The book invites you to discover how clothing, fashion, and culture became sources of strength and hope during the darkest of times. This book is very close to my heart, and I genuinely recommend ordering a copy while they're still available. We have a limited print run, and exhibition books like this tend to sell out quickly.

Your discount code: ספר

I highly recommend watching Tarantino's 2009 masterpiece, "Inglourious Basterds." The story unfolds in occupied France and follows two parallel narratives: one about a unit of Jewish-American soldiers (nicknamed "the Basterds") hunting Nazis, and the other about a young Jewish woman hiding under a false identity who's planning her revenge against the regime that took her family. The two storylines converge on one dramatic night in a Paris cinema, a night that's about to change history in a way only Tarantino could envision. As I mentioned in the lecture, this film was one of my inspirations for the exhibition because of how it reimagines history and shows that stories can be more than testimony they can also offer a kind of historical repair.

It's considered one of the director's greatest achievements, with a remarkable cast including Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, and Diane Kruger. It manages to be funny, painful, and deeply moving, and above all, it reminds us just how much power a good story holds.

״Chutzpah Girls״ is an inspiring book by Tami Schlossberg and Julie Silverstein that centers on bold, creative, visionary Jewish women who have too often been erased from the history books. The book features illustrations by 12 Jewish women artists from around the world, each offering a distinct perspective on the collective story. Since October 7, women have shown remarkable strength and determination. At times, precisely because of that strength, they've been sidelined from the public conversation. Now, perhaps more than ever, it feels vital to highlight, honor, and share the stories of Jewish women from all walks of life.

DRESSED is one of my favorite fashion podcasts. It's hosted by fashion historians April Calahan and Cassidy Zachary, who explore the social and cultural history of something we all do every day: getting dressed. The podcast launched in 2018, and in each episode, they bring on creators and researchers for thoughtful, accessible conversations about clothing history and the contemporary fashion world. The episode "At War with Fashion: World War II" takes a close look at French fashion and resistance during the war, exploring the connection between personal style and defiance against Nazi occupation. I highly recommend it if you want to understand how fashion became a form of resistance and how women used their clothing to express inner strength during an incredibly difficult time.

Sometimes, to understand the power of fashion, you have to look at times of scarcity and constraint. In the wonderful book "Dressed for War," historian Julie Summers tells the story of Audrey Withers, editor of British Vogue during World War II, a woman who understood that style isn't a luxury, but a source of strength. Through Withers' life story, we're brought into an era when fashion design was under strict restrictions: How many buttons were allowed? How long could a hem be? How did women manage without stockings? But more than anything, it's a story about remarkable creativity, and an invitation to ask, even today: how do we create beauty in an age of sustainability and ongoing challenges?

I want to recommend two books that tell the extraordinary story of the women who sewed haute couture in Auschwitz. Lucy Adlington, a writer and textile historian, published "The Red Ribbon" in 2017, a novel based on a true story. In 2021, the nonfiction follow-up, "The Dressmakers of Auschwitz," was published, documenting Adlington's interviews with the women who worked as seamstresses in the elite sewing studio at Auschwitz and survived the horror. The studio was established by Hedwig Hoss, the camp commandant's wife, to serve the officers' wives. Twenty-three women worked there, and in February 2021, Bracha Kohut, the last surviving seamstress, passed away. Her testimony appears in the book. The prisoners were forced to use their skills to sew luxury garments from furs, clothing, and jewelry stolen from the camp's victims. It's an unimaginable story of courage, resourcefulness, and the role of fashion in the darkest of times.

The famous Rosie the Riveter poster, the woman with the polka-dot bandana and denim shirt who became a feminist icon in American culture, is instantly recognizable. Now it's time to meet the real Rosies. Rosie represents the women who entered the workforce due to labor shortages during World War II. That shift shaped their lives and challenged traditional gender roles. After the war, when men returned from the battlefield, many of these women were pushed back into their previous roles. Years later, for the first time, they received official recognition for their contributions and were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington. Around twenty women attended the ceremony, dressed in red outfits with white polka dots. I recommend reading the New York Times piece that documented the moment and interviewed the women, some of them over 100 years old, and watching the moving filmed conversation with one of them. This is also a perfect opportunity to recommend The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter, an excellent 1980 documentary by director Connie Field.

For those who visited the Heroines exhibition, you may have wondered how a street in 1940s Prague or a swimming pool on the second floor suddenly appeared inside the Holon Museum. Behind that magic is Shmuel Ben Shalom, an artist, creative director, and one of the most brilliant set designers working today. Shmuel lives in New York and creates unforgettable concepts for commercials, music videos, and international productions. In Israel, he's remembered as the chief creative director of Eurovision 2019, the production that captivated over 200 million viewers worldwide. With an impressive record of collaborations with names like Dita Von Teese, Vogue Hommes, and Samsung, Shmuel knows how to tell a story not only with words but with space, light, and material. His work is absolutely worth following; it's a feast for the eyes and the soul.

After two moving collaborations (“Not by the Book” and “When the Muses are Heard”), Oren Barzilay and I are working together again, this time inside the Heroines exhibition. Oren created a unique soundtrack for each space, music that connects visitors to the atmosphere, emotion, and story of every gallery. Have you visited already? I recommend listening to the exhibition soundtrack again and experiencing it all over in Hedy Strnad's atelier, or in the breathtaking swimming pool space featuring Leah Gottlieb's swimwear. In addition to the soundtrack, Oren also put together a playlist inspired by the exhibition, music that speaks to inspiration, memory, and hope.

When you get close to the dolls in the Heroines exhibition, it feels like they're almost alive. That magic is the work of the wonderful designer Vivi Bellaish, who brought women from the past back to life using sculptural and 3D techniques. Vivi, one of the most prominent and beloved voices in Israeli fashion, blends nostalgia with contemporary energy, bohemia with dreaminess. You can feel it in the delicate details, in the movement of the fabrics, and in the emotion that strikes right at the heart. I highly recommend following Vivi's collections.

Another artist worked behind the scenes on the Heroines exhibition: Moni Mednik, the wonderful costume designer who has been dressing Israel's stages for years. Moni, a graduate of Shenkar and a senior lecturer there, recreated 24 historical looks for the exhibition a process that required immense knowledge, meticulous precision, and a deep love for memory and detail. He has worked with leading theaters, taught countless designers, and received wide recognition. But more than anything, he brings a genuine love for fabric and for the stories he knows how to tell through it. I recommend following him and his work.

Idit Barak, a senior lecturer in the Fashion Design Department at Shenkar, brings a dedication to technology and fashion, along with a deep commitment to research, reconstruction, and the preservation of historical items. For the exhibition, Idit designed and created the surrounding corridor that takes us on an emotional journey into women's stories and fashion during World War II. Creating that corridor required meticulous and extensive research. Every project Idit touches is worth following. I'm also sharing the link to her Instagram account here.

Shaked Arkin, a fashion researcher and conservator at the Rose Archive for Fashion and Textiles at Shenkar, worked on preserving Leah Gottlieb's swimwear for the exhibition. Conservation work is a complex and fascinating craft; it demands tremendous sensitivity, careful thought, and a genuine love for clothing. On her Instagram and also on the Shenkar Rose Archive page, Shaked shares a personal, compelling look at her role as a conservator and at the moving, hidden stories that garments reveal.