During the Holocaust, there were a number of resistance movements with people who fought courageously and unrelentingly against the oppression of the Nazis. Among the ranks of these resisters were hundreds of Jewish women, some as young as sixteen years old, who risked torture, imprisonment, and death to save fellow Jews. They became couriers, medics, fighters, and saboteurs. In the end, some made it to safety, but many were captured or died in the process of trying to save others. The lives of these women remained largely untold until author Judy Batalion chronicled their remarkable lives in her book The Light of Days. Now, based on black and white photographs that have survived, artist Paula Blumenfeld is telling their stories visually, portraying in their faces their resolve, courage, selflessness, and dedication.
As part of the Museum's celebration of Women's History Month, Blumenfeld will be in conversation about her art with Dr. Irit Felsen, a clinical psychologist whose art has been featured in art exhibitions in Hamburg, London, and New Jersey.