The Jared Branfman Sculpture Garden, located on the lawn outside Southworth Library, was dedicated in June of 2007, two years after Jared died. The sculpture was a gift from alumni, parents, friends, and the Class of 2007 Senior Legacy.
In September of 2005, Jared Branfman, a Thayer Academy alum, died after a long battle with cancer, at the young age of 23 years old. Jared graduated in 2000 from Thayer Academy where he was a three-sport athlete, a high honor roll student and an active, dedicated member of the community.
It is his love of and talent for the arts that most people think of when they remember him. Jared’s father, Steven Branfman, is a longtime Thayer faculty member, who has taught the art of pottery to many students, including Jared.
The sculpture shown above was created by Paul Chaleff, a world-renowned expert in the creation of large-scale ceramic vessels and sculpture, and close friend of Jared and Steven Branfman.
“I decided to use eighteen words in four languages, representing the idea of four pillars. I chose one contemporary language (English), one ancient (Hebrew), one that spans both and probably represents the future (Chinese), and one that employs a different way of thinking (Braille). The eighteen words are a reference to Jared’s Jewish ancestry, the number eighteen (Chai) being a Hebrew homonym for life.” – Paul Chaleff, artist
The 18 Words Appearing on the Sculpture
Achievement, Awe, Compassion, Conviction, Courage, Exuberance, Happiness, Humility, Imagination, Inquisitiveness, Inspiration, Love, Nobility, Passion, Perseverance, Resilience, Spirit, Tolerance