Portraits of Survival – A booklet of black-and-white photographs of Holocaust survivors who lived in the Omaha community, photographed by David Radler, following a photography exhibition held at the Nebraska History Museum in 2008, which featured portraits of Holocaust survivors “who endured, survived, and built lasting communities in the Lincoln and Omaha areas.” Signed copy by the photographer.
The idea to photograph the survivor community of Omaha in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht arose from a desire to honor those who endured the horrific experiences of the Holocaust—experiences that forever altered their lives—and who, after the war, found their way to Omaha and rebuilt their lives in our community. The purpose of the project was not to ask survivors to revisit painful memories, but to capture each person as they are today, in a moment of quiet and calm. Thanks to the talent and sensitivity of photographer David Radler, viewers feel as though they are seeing into the very essence of each of our beloved members in this surviving community. Personally, this was one of the most meaningful projects I’ve been involved in since the Institute was established in 2000…”. (From the foreword by Beth Seldin Dotan, Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education)
The booklet includes 25 black-and-white portraits of survivors. On the facing page of each photo appears the survivor’s name, a brief account of their Holocaust experience, and in some cases, a quote reflecting a personal insight related to the Holocaust. Featured are survivors who spent many years in death camps, Auschwitz survivors and death march survivors, those who hid during the war years, survivors of Mengele’s selections, survivors from Bergen-Belsen, couples separated and reunited after the war, those who managed to escape to Japan, and survivors of Buchenwald, Dachau, and other camps.
On the cover is a photograph of “Yaakov, ” who spent six years in Siberia during the war, lost his entire family in the gas chambers, and arrived in Omaha in 1959, after spending three years in Israel. In Omaha, he resumed his work as a tailor.
Booklet: 26 × 18 cm. Very good condition.
