For my Birmingham area readers, I will be exhibiting my Paris photographs at my church, Independent Presbyterian Church the month of March. This is in conjunction with our Religious Arts Festival's salute to France. Next Monday, 5 March, I will present a phototalk on Sacred Spaces of Paris. There will be wonderful events planned every day next week culminating with a concert featuring Notre Dame de Paris' organist Vincent Dubois on Sunday, 11 March. All events are open to the public and are free except for the banquet on Thursday evening. Reservations for this may be made through the church.

Family Matters

Last night marked the opening of Carolyn Sherer's second photography exhibit at the Civil Rights Institute.  Previously, her work Living in Limbo, featuring lesbian families in Alabama, was exhibited in 2012 and drew 17,000 visitors.  Wednesday evening Carolyn's newest work, Family Matters opened to a packed house. This exhibit will hang until June 9, 2014.

 "The exhibition is aimed at initiating a conversation about social change and the need for family acceptance for LGBTQ youth. LGBTQ youth who experience family rejection are at significantly greater risk for bullying, homelessness, suicide, and depression, among other challenges," a press release stated. 

 

BESA

BESA Muslims Who Saved Jews in World War II, is a photographic exhibit by photographer Norman Gershman.  His book by the same name contains portraits and and moving text by 65 Muslim families in Albania who saved Jews during the war.  The photographs are beautiful and the stories compelling. I don't know when I've been so moved by a book.  The exhibit is free if you do not wish to tour the rest of the Civil Rights Institute and runs through June.

BESA means promise or vow and the stories of how these Muslim families risked so much for  the Jewish people that they did not know,  is a moving and heartwarming story.  Gershman visited Albania many times to photograph and interview those who were directly involved or their families.

I quote from Hamdi Mece, the grandson of Sulejman and Zenepe Mece:
" We never took money from those we sheltered. We took them in under our Besa. We are true Muslims and God granted us the privilege of saving Jews.  All life is precious and given by God. To save a life is God's gift.  My  grandparents and my uncle were unafraid.  They had full consciousness of what they were doing. "