The Life-Saving Art of Holocaust Survivor Trudie Strobel

A child survivor of the Holocaust, Trudie Strobel settled in California, raising a family and never discussing the horrors she witnessed. After her children grew up, the trauma of her youth caught up with her, triggering a paralyzing state of depression.  A therapist suggested that Trudie attempt to draw the memories that haunted her, and Trudie did--but with a needle and thread instead of a pencil.  Resurrecting the Yemenite stitches of her ancestors, and using the skills taught by her mother, whose master seamstress talent had saved their lives in the camps, Trudie began by stitching vast tableaus of her dark and personal memories of the Holocaust.  What began as therapy exploded into works of breathtaking art, from narrative tapestries of Jewish history rendered in exacting detail to portraits of remarkable likeness, and many of her works are now in public and private collections. Art saved Trudie; she recovered from depression and speaks frequently to schools, churches, synagogues and community groups about the lessons of the Holocaust.