JThe Holocaust survivors I photographed gave me the gift of their openness and trust which made possible one hundred truly memorable encounters. It was the essence of these encounters, a deep sense of connection, an exquisite intimacy, if you will, that I felt, and that I tried to put into the images.
Without exception, the experience of meeting with and photographing these survivors is one which moved me to my core. I learned about their singular courage and steadfast determination to stay alive; I learned about their ability to deny death any sort of victory even though the prospect and possibility was ever present; I learned about their absolute faith, whether it was one in a higher power or simply their faith in themselves; whether it was a faith in God, in luck or in the possibility of a future – a strong faith that sustained them through one of the darkest times in human history; I learned what it means to struggle and to survive and to remain a human being.
The prophet Zechariah proclaims that the people of Israel will prevail “not by might, nor by power, but by spirit alone … will you survive.” Clearly, it was not by might, nor by power that they prevailed, but by the strength of their enduring spirit.
The photographs will be an exhibition and a book which will present the images alongside the survivors’ biographies which will detail some of what they had to overcome in order to reach the present day.
