Naomi Blake facts for kids

Naomi Blake (born Zisel Dum on March 11, 1924 – died November 7, 2018) was a British artist who created sculptures. Her art often showed her journey and feelings as a survivor of the Holocaust.

Her Life Story

Man against the odds by Blake at Tel Aviv University

Naomi Blake was born in a town called Mukačevo in Czechoslovakia. This place is now known as Mukacheve in Ukraine. She was born on March 11, 1924. Her parents, Elazer Dum and Chay–Adel Shlussel, were Orthodox Jewish.

Naomi was the youngest of ten children. Her first name was Zisel, which means "sweet." She changed her name to Naomi in 1948.

Surviving the Holocaust

As a teenager, Naomi survived the terrible event known as the Holocaust. Many members of her family died in Auschwitz, a very sad place. After Auschwitz, Naomi and her sister, Malchi, were sent to work in a factory that made weapons. This factory was in a part of Poland that was controlled by Nazi Germany.

In early 1945, the Red Army was getting closer. The German Nazi army forced the prisoners to march towards the Baltic Sea. This was a dangerous "death march." Naomi and her sister managed to escape. They bravely made their way back to Mukačevo. Before the war, in 1942, her family had 32 members. By 1945, only eight of them were still alive.

New Beginnings

After the war ended, Naomi tried to go to Mandatory Palestine on a ship. The British stopped the ship, and Naomi was held in a camp near Haifa. When she was set free, she joined the Palmach, a Jewish defense group. In April 1947, a British soldier shot her in the neck.

While recovering in the hospital, Naomi started carving small figures. This quickly became her passion. In 1948, she joined the Women's Division of the Israel Defense Forces. She served as a Sub-Lieutenant.

Life in London

Naomi lived in Milan, Rome, and Jerusalem for a while. In 1952, she married her second husband, Asher Blake. He was a German refugee. They made their home in Muswell Hill in north London. From 1955 to 1960, Naomi studied art at the Hornsey School of Art. This school is now part of Middlesex University. She took evening classes there.

Her Sculptures and Art

Refugee at Bristol Cathedral

Much of Naomi Blake's art shows her own experiences. However, her work is mostly hopeful and looks to the future. She wanted her art to help people remember the six million Jewish people who died in the Holocaust. She also wanted to bring different faiths together and help people understand each other. She always hoped for a better future.

Exhibitions and Displays

Naomi Blake started showing her art in 1962. Her sculptures have been shown in many art galleries in the UK and other countries. She had her own art shows at places like the Woodstock Gallery in 1972 and Norwich Cathedral in 1987. Her work was also part of the Chelmsford Cathedral festival in 1991.

You can find Naomi Blake's sculptures in many places permanently. Some are in London at Fitzroy Square and St Ethelberga's Church. Others are at the University of Leicester Scarman Centre and The Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire.

Her sculpture from 1980, called The Refugee, is in the garden of Bristol Cathedral. Another similar piece from 1985, called Sanctuary, is in the grounds of St Botolph's Aldgate in London. Important people like the Queen Mother and the Prince of Wales also own some of her works. Naomi Blake was a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors. Some of her sculptures are kept at the Ben Uri Gallery & Museum in London. Other pieces are in public places in London, Leicester, Bristol, and more.