Holocaust Museum Houston

“The Rescuers: Picturing Moral Courage” is based on the work of Leora Kahn, who researched and interviewed rescuers from theHolocaust and other genocides. Each person’s image and testimony that visitors encounter in this exceptional photographicexhibition reflect “ordinary” citizens, who, by choosing to rescue the “other,” becameheroes in a timewhen their countrywas committing acts of genocide. They came fromdifferent countries anddifferent times, and formany, this is the first time they have told their stories— some risking their lives again in the telling. Approximately6millionJewsperished in theHolocaustandat least200,000Romaweremurderedby theNazisand their collaborators. InCambodia, approximately 1.7millionpeopleweremurderedby thePol Pot regime. InBosnia, at least 200,000peopleweremurderedandmore than20,000womenandgirls rapedduring thegenocide.

More than2millionpeopleweredisplaced,mostlyBosnianMuslims. InRwanda, 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis andmoderateHutus, murdered, primarilywithmachetes.

Kahn is founderandexecutivedirectorofPROOF:Media forSocial Justice.Sheworks on global projects, partnering with organizations such as Amnesty International and theUnitedNations.Her 2007book “Darfur: 20YearsofWar andGenocide inSudan” is an award-winning effort, andHolocaust MuseumHouston’s exhibition of thiswork traveled throughout theUnitedStates. Kahn’s last book, “ChildSoldiers,” travelswith an exhibit she curated in collaborationwith theU.N.’sOffice onChildren andArmed Conflict. Kahn works with theGenocide Studies Program at Yale University, where she conducts research on rescuing behavior. She teaches on topics in human rights andphotography.

Kahn worked with four different photographers as she conducted research and curated this exhibition: RiccardoGangale (Rwanda), Nicolas Axelrod (Cambodia), Paul Lowe (Bosnia) and Sonia Folkmann (Europe/theHolocaust). Kahn said the exhibit is designed to raise awareness for the need to stand up to the injustices that are still happening around the world and to contribute to the understanding of peace.

Gangale, born in Rome, has spent years traveling throughout Africa working on projects. He now works with the Associated Press and lives in Kigali, Rwanda, publishing works in The New York Times, TimesMagazine, TheWashingtonPost and others. Axelrod, based in South East Asia, works as a freelance photographer. His work is found in various nongovernmental organizations, local and international magazines and private clients in his region.

Lowe is a senior photography lecturer at the University of the Arts, London. He covers breaking news all over the world and captures it through photography; healsoshareshispassion of photojournalismwith his students.

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