The Hevre (The Group)

On April 1, 2007, Darkness into Life: The Birmingham Area Holocaust Survivors Through Photography and Art opened at the Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham, Alabama. It depicted the lives of nine Holocaust survivors from the Birmingham area, The Hevre (The Group), who took a leap of faith and entrusted two novice artists to document their stories and share them with future generations.

Since then, the exhibit grew to become a state-wide endeavor, Darkness into Life: Alabama Holocaust Survivors Through Photography and Art. It currently includes twenty Holocaust survivors from throughout Alabama. The format for sharing the survivors’ experiences continued in the original format: art and photography depicting the stages of their experiences … all different … all important to the story of the Holocaust.

PICTURED: Ruth Scheuer Siegler, Max Herzel, Ilse Scheuer Nathan, Jack Bass, Henry Aizenman, Aisic Hirsch, Martin Aaron, Riva Schuster Hirsch, Max Steinmetz

“Life began again for these nine Holocaust survivors on their liberation day. Out of pain and sadness came a deep appreciation of life and the desire to reclaim their future.

“They shared their memories and asked that we never forget. Memory is powerful. It is the blueprint of consciousness, and to be conscious is to be awake to world events.

“We will never forget!”