Courtesy of Chari Pere.
Chari Pere poses with her JewCE Artist of the Year Award
By Julia Olson
Assistant Editor
Chari Pere, the illustrator who has provided her artwork for The American Israelite’s Kid’s Page since 2022, has been awarded Artist of the Year at the 2024 JewCE Awards. The awards were held November 10, at the Center for Jewish History in New York City. JewCE, the Jewish Comics Experience, hosts the awards annually and celebrates the best Jewish-themed comics and graphic storytelling. According to a press release about the award, “Pere’s work stood out among a strong field of nominees, reflecting her unique ability to blend personal narrative with universal themes of grief, healing, and identity.”
Peri won the award for her short film “Miscarried: An ‘Unspoken’ Cartoonmentary,” an exploration of pregnancy, loss and resilience through the lens of Jewish storytelling.
Roy Schwartz, JewCE Awards Committee Chair, said of Peri’s short film, “Competition was fierce this year, with many works of excellent quality by renowned artists vying for the award. That Miscarried: An “Unspoken” Cartoonmentary was selected is testament to its exceptional merit. Its depiction of taboo subject matter using minimal, simple lines gives it a jarring impact, much like Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus. It’s a testament to Ms. Pere’s talent, and her courage to use her talent to affect positive social change — perhaps the highest purpose of art.”
“Miscarried” is part of Pere’s larger series titled Unspoken, which has drawn widespread acclaim for its treatment of sensitive topics such as miscarriage, pregnancy reduction, and reproductive health.
The American Israelite is proud to showcase Pere’s work. More information about her Unspoken series, as well as the award winning cartoonmentary “Miscarried,” can be found on her website. She is a leading voice in Jewish and feminist art and we are thrilled that her work is part of The American Israelite repertoire.
