Art News

Besa: Muslims Who Saved Jews During World War ll on View at SoHo Photo Gallery

NEW YORK, NY.- Soho Photo Gallery presents a special exhibition by guest photographer Norman H. Gershman entitled Besa: Muslims Who Saved Jews During World War II. Besa is a code of honor deeply rooted in Albanian culture and incorporated in the faith of Albanian Muslims. It dictates a moral behavior so absolute that non-adherence brings shame and dishonor to oneself and one’s family. Besa demands that one take responsibility for the lives of others in their time of need. This Islamic behavior of compassion and mercy celebrates the sanctity of life and a view of the other–the stranger–as one’s own close family member. Photographer Norman H. Gershman traveled to Albania over a seven-year period to speak with the people involved and to record their stories and their children’s stories. He photographed them as they appear today, along with the artifacts he collected, and presents an emotional and unprecedented wi