Eva Unterman is a cornerstone of the Jewish community in Tulsa. Those who have heard her speak about her survival of the Holocaust know that she considers every American soldier, in fact, everyone who fought against the Nazis, to be her liberator.

On Sunday, January 14 a group of Eva’s closest friends and colleagues braved the freezing temperature and snow to gather in her honor, for The unveiling of The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art’s latest installation. Tulsa artist Zach Raw created a stunning and unique mural depicting the diversity of WWII American soldiers with his hand-drawn, computer generated, vinyl mural. The new mural is on display permanently on the first floor of The Museum.

“Eva has given so much of herself to the Tulsa Jewish community and greater community over the years, and I am thrilled to be able to honor Eva with her wishes for an exhibit that would honor those who liberated the camps,” stated Lori Frank as she began the dedication. Rabbi Michael Weinstein followed with his remarks about the significance of our responsibility to continue to educate on stories of the past. Finally, the highlight of the program—the unveiling with Eva given the honor of cutting the ribbon.

The mural is deeply reflective of the many faces shared by American service members ­­past, present, and future. According to artist Zach Raw, “This mural is a bit different from traditionally painted murals since it was created completely digitally. Everything from the rough drafts down to the coloring and lighting effects were drawn by hand on a digital cintiq tablet using Adobe Photoshop. The pros of working digitally are numerous, including the ability to make changes and updates in real-time, streamlining the creative process immensely. Once the illustration was complete, the file was sent to the printers where they produced the image on large rolls of special vinyl, which was then applied to the windows. This type of vinyl allows people behind the windows to see out, while on the front side, the viewer only sees the mural. Once printed, it was installed in about an hour and a half.” When asked how he felt about the mural project, Zach stated, “This project was delicate not only for the challenge of representing these troops with care and accuracy, but also ensuring their images were depicted in a respectful manner.”

The mural was a 2 ½ year project, completed with the generosity of both time and financial support from Lori Frank and LaVonna Reed. The Sherwin Miller Museum is grateful for the vision and support from lay leaders, who worked tirelessly to ensure the completion of this important installation.

Stop by The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art to see this new addition, located on the first floor next to the lobby.