Jane Trigére Papers

Background on Jane Trigére

Jane Trigére was an active citizen of the Pioneer Valley. After moving to the area 1992, she became involved in a myriad of community organizations and projects; most of which involved the Jewish Community. Notably, in 1997, Trigére helped found the Hatikvah Holocaust Education and Resource Center and served as the first director. Trigére was also active in several Jewish schools and educational centers as both an instructor and a leader. She and her husband, Ken Schoen, lived and operated a rare Jewish Bookstore out of the old firehouse in Deerfield, Massachusetts. She was on several committees dedicated to the preservation of the town, such as the Deerfield Historical Commission and she helped to create other community organizations such as the Deerfield Arts Bank.

Jane Trigére’s life leading up to her time in Deerfield was filled with diverse experiences. Born in 1948 to Robert Trigére and Jane Ellis, Trigére grew up in New York City and Argentina. Her parents divorced when she was young and she remained close to both. Trigére attended the Lycee Francais de New York, a preparatory high school that taught in French. She was accepted to Sarah Lawrence College in 1969 which she attended for two years before transferring to the University of Boston to study Architecture.

Trigére married Larry Besserman and had two daughters. The family lived in the Adams House at Harvard University where Besserman was a member of the faculty. In the early 1980's, they moved to Kfar Giladi, a kibbutz in Jerusalem, Israel. While living in Jerusalem, Trigére learned Hebrew and became increasingly involved in the Jewish faith. Besserman and Trigére divorced and Trigére moved back to the US with her daughters. She worked as a writer, mostly for the publication, “Women’s News.”

Throughout her life, Trigére enjoyed a close relationship with her aunt, Pauline Trigére. Pauline and her Brother Robert (Jane Trigére’s father) founded a fashion house which became quite successful. Pauline Trigére was a notable fashion designer throughout her life.

In 1991, Trigére met and began a relationship with Ken Schoen who lived in the Pioneer Valley. She decided to move to the area to live with him and the two were married in 1994. Schoen had three children from a previous marriage. The two ran Schoen Books and were active members of the community.

Trigére attended the Jewish Theological Seminary from 2003-2005 and earned her Masters of Arts in Arts and Material Culture. Her studies focused on book binding and other arts related to books. At this point, Trigére began making several art pieces. The most notable of her projects is "Women of the Balcony" which was made in 2006. The project consisted of 3 works made from the fabric of cushions left on the balcony seats of a synagogue that had been closed. This series was featured in articles and displayed in several museums.

Trigére continued making art and being involved in the community. In 2016, Trigére was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and passed in 2018. Knowing she was near the end of her life, Trigére helped write her own eulogy. In it she referred to her treatment as a “negotiation” with cancer rather than a “battle.” She explained that she has never been trained in fighting, so in calling it a negotiation she thought she’d have a better chance at winning.