Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on January 22, 2016

The Birmingham Holocaust Education Center is proud to be able to loan Darkness into Life: Alabama Holocaust Survivors Through Photography and Art to your school, community or museum. This unique educational exhibit features the stories of 20 Alabama Holocaust survivors. It teaches the history of the Holocaust and offers a rich understanding of its impact on these individuals and their families.

History of the Exhibit

by Becky Seitel, photographer, 2009

In early 2005, my husband Alan and I were looking for a community project that would share our common interests. Alan is Jewish, I am Christian, and before we married, we committed to being supportive of each other's religion. But since we didn't worship together, we felt a desire to do something as a couple that would allow us to share a mutually-rewarding experience outside traditional spiritual settings.

I had recently re-discovered photography, so right away we had our method, but we talked for months about the message. We discussed current issues: breast cancer, AIDS, homelessness, and organ donation since Alan's son had recently undergone a successful liver transplant. But when we attended a local Holocaust Memorial Service and heard the first-hand accounts of the Holocaust, our message became clear. I had never met a Holocaust survivor, and had certainly never heard a first-hand account of that horrible time in history. I realized our grandchildren would be unlikely to hear these personal stories since many survivors were now in their 80's and 90's. As we walked to the car in stunned silence, I looked at Alan and said, "I think we found our project."

Additional weeks of discussion followed. Alan felt that we had to do something different from other Holocaust exhibits. We talked about the photographs we would shoot, how many (perhaps ten, we thought), where we would exhibit, but we knew there was something missing in our plan. During this time, we attended an art exhibit by Mitzi J. Levin. Mitzi, too, is Christian, and married to a Jewish husband. We had discovered the missing piece. We invited Mitzi to join us and paint the memories of the survivors: their childhood, imprisonment or hiding, and liberation. My photographs would capture them in the present and the result would be the stories of the lives of Birmingham's Holocaust survivors - how they prevented Hitler from winning by living happy, successful lives, how they travelled from Darkness into Life.

Our initial exhibit at Birmingham's Levite Jewish Community Center on April 1, 2007, drew 1,700 people on opening day. Staff members from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute visited the exhibit and invited us to show at the Institute. They also asked us to expand the exhibit to include all of Alabama.

The idea of ten photographs grew into a 78-piece exhibit featuring the stories of 20 Holocaust survivors from throughout Alabama. Created to educate, the exhibit was donated to the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center to help teach students about the Holocaust, genocide, and bigotry. And most importantly, to join together and say "Never Again!"

Exhibit Contents

Exhibit Manual

Detailed manual that borrower receives prior to receiving the exhibit.

Contains how to hang the exhibit, prepare publicity, educational materials, etc.

Survivor Biographies (19)

Survivor Artwork (78 photos and paintings)

Narratives (61)

Describes the picture, but also weaves in historical facts.

Maps (2)

Countries with Survivors

Cities / Ghettos / Camps

Descriptive Title Board

Introductory Video: "Why Should We Remember"

This 8-1/2 minute video is intended as a visitor introduction to the Exhibit.

Darkness into Life DVD: Interviews with Survivors/Artists

Features the survivors and artists talking about their experience and their artwork.

This 55-minute video loop can be run continuously during the exhibit.

CD of Reproducible Materials

Includes sample press releases, images for publicity, Exhibit Brochures to reproduce

for visitors, and educational materials.

Host Requirements

Exhibit Space

The full Exhibit requires approximately 2,200 square feet of gallery space.

Alternative display space such as free-standing peg-boards may be considered.

Hosts may choose to request only a portion of the Exhibit.

We are willing to work with those not able to handle the entire Exhibit.

An audio-visual space for the Darkness into Life video is also recommended.

Exhibit Period

Booking are recommended for a 2 month minimum.

A minimum of 2 weeks is required between bookings.

Exhibit Fees

No Entry Fees, above and beyond those of the host institution, may be charged for

this Exhibit.

All objects in the Exhibit must be displayed in accordance with the guidelines provided.

Educational / Public Programming

All Hosts are required to open this Exhibit to the public and encourage group tours.

The Exhibit was designed for education. Hosts are expected to further this goal.

The BHEC will be happy to consult on these programs.

Hosts are expected to provide free Exhibit Brochures for all visitors. Prototypes

will be provided by the BHEC.

Hosts are expected to provide educational materials to teachers. Some materials

will be provided by the BHEC. Additional resources can be found on the BHEC

website.

Hosts are encouraged to offer accompanying public programs / events during the

Exhibit period. This includes opening receptions, lectures, tours, or other

educational programs.

Security / Facilities

Host is responsible for insuring the safety of the Exhibit. Exhibit must be able

to be locked up after each day's closing.

Installation / Care

Host is responsible for installation and de-installation of the Exhibit.

Shipping / Condition Reports

Shipping will be arranged by the BHEC with an approved shipping company.

The Exhibit will arrive in wooden crates. Host is responsible for storage of these

crates for the duration of the Exhibit.

Host is responsible for completing condition reports upon unpacking and re-packing

the Exhibit.

Damages

Damages incurred while in possession of the host will be the responsibility of the

host.

Publicity

Host is required to promote the Exhibit to the entire community.

The BHEC must be properly credited on all publicity materials.

The BHEC will provide a sample press release and Exhibit photos/copy to aid

in this process.

Documentation / Assessment Reports

Installation Photographs & Publicity:

Host is responsible for photographing the completely installed Exhibit as

well as compiling all press and publicity (print and electronic) associated

with the Exhibit.

Associated Programming:

Hosts are required to provide the BHEC with detailed information regarding

Exhibit-related programming such as opening receptions, lectures, tours,

and educational programs.

Community Involvement Assessment:

Hosts are required to provide the BHEC with detailed information regarding

visitation statistics.

BHEC Support

The BHEC is happy to assist host venues in their presentation of this Exhibit.

Read the original post:
About the Exhibit - Birmingham Holocaust Education Center

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
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