FACES / PLACES / IDENTITY
Portraits of Jews, 1975–1995
from the Photo Collection of Beth Hatefutsoth
An exhibition entitled “Faces / Places / Identity: Portraits
of Jews, 1975–1995” opened at Beth Hatefutsoth on December 7, 2004. On
display are 65 portraits of Jews from all over the world. The portraits have
been selected from the Museum’s collection of photographs, which consists mainly
of items from temporary exhibitions, purchases and/or gifts from photographers,
and items drawn from visual documentation projects initiated by the Museum.
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Balai Milo, Ethiopian immigrant with her grandson Aptum
Immigrant Absorption Center, Kiryat Gat, 1985
Photo: Doron Bacher, Israel
Beth Hatefutsoth Photo Collection
Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center
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Molly Ingster at a gathering of Holocaust Survivors, USA, ca. 1985
Photo: Carol Bernson & Stephen Shames, USA
Beth Hatefutsoth Photo Collection
Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center
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The portraits are the work of some 20 photographers from
Israel and abroad, most of them Jewish. Some of them focus on “Jewish”
photography; for others this subject is a subsidiary part of their work. The
photographers emphasize their personal viewpoint, so their work represents a
broad range of artistic notions of documentary photography. Among the best-known
names are Mary Ellen Mark, Edward Serotta, and Joan Roth of the United States;
Frédéric Brenner of France; Stanislaw Markowski of
Poland; and Israelis Micha Bar-Am and Alex Levac.
Many of the portraits were taken for photo-documentation
projects of Jewish communities and include otherwise unknown persons individuals
alongside world-renowned figures and cultural icons. In addition to the human
faces, the photographs record various aspects of the Jewish experience and
reflect the trends and processes that characterized the Jewish world in the late
Twentieth Century.
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The Levi Couple, Rabat, Morocco, 1995
Photo: Alex Levac, Isreal
Beth Hatefutsoth Photo Collection
Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center
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Halevi family members, Sidon, Lebanon, 1982
Photo: Micha Bar-Am, Israel
Beth Hatefutsoth Photo Collection
Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center
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The Jewish community of the United States is the most
prominent in this exhibition, which includes selections from projects that
document various groups and emphasize socio-cultural aspects. Some of the
photographers have an anthropological focus. Some go in for photo-reportage,
while others search for the common denominator or the hidden thread that links
various Jewish images. Other items commemorate the Jewish image in places that
no longer have any Jews. Many of the photographers say that capturing Jewish
subjects is a means to examine their own link to Judaism and Jewish history; for
some, it is an odyssey in search of their Jewish identity.
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Mr Horowitz with his artwork in his apartment
Miami Beach, Florida, c.1985
Photo: Mary Ellen Mark, USABeth Hatefutsoth Photo Collection
Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center
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Saul Bellow, writer, NYC, 1995
Photo: Frédéric Brenner, France
Beth Hatefutsoth Photo Collection
Beth Hatefutsoth – Visual Documentation Center
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In its 26-year history, Beth Hatefutsoth has initiated
several photo-documentation projects of Jewish and universal importance. From
the outset it has been recognized as a meeting place for practitioners of
“Jewish” photography and has played a central role among museums that collect
and display photographs of Jewish subjects. The current exhibition is intended
to be the first in a series that will open the Museum’s unique photo collection
to the public.
Exhibition curator: Rachel Schnold
Designer: Rachel Lev
The exhibition is generously supported by
zimand.com, in memory of Anda.
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