SageArts
In 2018, Jen joined SageArts, a project that pairs songwriters with elders in the community. Formed in 2014 by Colette Ruoff, SageArts supports the power of story and the arts as a way to bring people together. Starting with the creative process writers, singer/songwriters, and filmmakers work with elders to create inspired works of performed art that reflect the richness of each elder’s life and character. We finish the process with a final performance and celebration, inviting the community to take part in a transformative experience to remember. Jen has worked with two elders as part of SageArts, both of whom were child survivors of the Holocaust. It has been her honor to spend time with each of them and to help bring their stories to life in song.
In May of 2019, the concert “We Remember: Songs of Survivors” was filmed by Ilene Cutler and Tim Miller. Ilene and Tim spent time throughout the entire process filming sessions with elders and songwriters and capturing the creation of each song, documenting the relationships that developed. It has now been turned into a documentary featuring four of the pairs. It aired on April 26, 2022, at 8pm EST on PBS. The trailer is posted below. Jen's song can be viewed at www.sagearts.org/videos.
The concert for 2021 was pre-recorded, with social distancing in place due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Jen’s segment, as well as the entire performance, can be viewed on the SageArts website, www.sagearts.org.
photo: Ilene Cutler