The Holocaust. A time in history whose story should be told…over and over.
It's been more than 70 years since the creation of the first Nazi concentration camps. Six million Jews died in those camps, as well as hundreds of thousands of others the Nazis considered socially undesirable.
From the terrible darkness of the Holocaust to successful lives in Alabama, 22 Holocaust survivors are now living in Birmingham six decades after the end of World War II. For them, remembering is always a journey of stories…some of childhoods past…others of grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters, lost friends,…some of despair and sadness…others of cruelty beyond belief…many of bravery…and others of the joy of liberation.
In Darkness Into Life, a sensitive exhibit of photography by Becky Seitel and art by Mitzi Levin, one is given very special glimpses into the private memories of some of Birmingham’s Holocaust survivors. Becky and Mitzi spent many hours visiting each survivor and listening to their stories. They started with their memories of life before occupation and imprisonment and continued to their lives in Birmingham. The exhibit features artwork and photographs of each survivor. Mitzi’s paintings focus on life before and during imprisonment or in hiding, as well as escape or liberation. Becky’s photographs tell stories about the survivors in a photojournalistic style. These are bold, thought-provoking, and heart-warming paintings and photographs accompanied by text explaining the story behind the art.
Darkness into Life debuted on April 1, 2007, at the Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Almost 1,700 people attended the opening reception.
Richard Friedman, Executive Director of The Birmingham Jewish Federation, wrote in the Birmingham Jewish Federation Update, "What began as a project became an insatiable quest, not only drawing on their considerable talents, but forcing them to reach deep within themselves as nine Jewish survivors entrusted to these two women their most precious possessions – the narrative of their lives. The end product is a remarkable mix of drama, darkness, poignancy and celebration – captured so well by the title of the exhibit Darkness into Life. The genius of Mitzi and Becky goes beyond their paintings and photographs. It is in their voices, in their ability to tell the story anew, especially to those of us who think we know it. Through Darkness into Life they have again reminded us of what really happened, when a third of our people, 20% of them children, vanished in an instant.”
James R. Nelson, visual arts critic for The Birmingham News wrote, “It is a testament to hope when there is none, an agonizing journey that recalls grief as a way of life and survival. There are more complete larger-scale exhibitions dealing with the holocaust, but I cannot imagine any that are more moving….the paintings by Mitzi Levin are gut-wrenching in their simple honesty. They are a salute to the will and hope of a people who survived hell with stoicism and ingenuity that exceeds the imagination. The photographs by Becky Seitel are straight-forward human interest studies that provide current images of some of the survivors who have found a life after the hideous experience of the Holocaust. The text that accompanies these photographs and paintings are simple narratives that describe the obscenities man can visit upon mankind. The words tumble out with numbing simplicity. The people interviewed decades after the fact seem to speak as the children and young people they once were when sent to the death camps. The clarity of terror and miraculous survival are in these words. This show must not be ignored. It carries for all people a timeless lesson to be learned by all generations to come.”
Becky and Mitzi donated the exhibit to the Birmingham Holocaust Education Committee for use in schools and community events throughout Alabama. It will be used to educate Alabama students and adults about the atrocities of the Holocaust so that such a tragedy will Never Again take place. For more information about the exhibit or to schedule a showing in your school or community, contact Darkness Into Life Coordinator.
The exhibit is presented by Brenda and Fred Friedman; The Birmingham Holocaust Education Committee, a Regional Division of the Alabama Holocaust Commission; Sterne Agee; Ronne and Donald Hess Foundation; and Gail and Jeffrey Bayer.
We hear the survivors' stories. We feel their pain. Most of all, we remember with them that, when one is a survivor, the stories of those who didn’t live are told, and, in listening, we all discover the message of memory… the message that one should never forget.
Please click on the links below to experience their stories.