November 2019 Portrait of the Month — Dora Rivkina

Dora Rivkina

We are featuring Dora Rivkina this month in honor of her birthday; she would have been 95 on November 7th. Dora was a brave young woman who joined a partisans group (a resistance movement) at age 19. She fought and died defying the Nazis. This portrait was created at a workshop for high school students who were close in age to Dora when she joined the resistance. Though her story ends very sadly, her courage has touched and inspired many. Below are some reflections on the workshop, and on Dora's life:

“It is important to learn about the history of the Holocaust and to honor the victim’s stories by telling them truthfully."
-Natalie A.

“A courageous heart.”
- Ryan C.

“This person made a great effort to continue on with her life, and I also believe that it’s important to remember what she went through. She was a beautiful young girl who tried to push through despite the pain she was facing.”
– Anastasia V.

“It was really interesting to look at the little girl and try to put myself in her shoes.”
-Demi K.