Cambridge, MA - The Cambridge/Bethlehem People-to-People Project is sponsoring an exhibition of historic images of Bethlehem paired with contemporary photographs that reflect current realities. The exhibition, titled “Views of Bethlehem: Then and Now,” opens at the Stebbins Gallery of First Parish in Cambridge with a reception on Sunday, November 15, from 3 to 5 p.m. The exhibition runs to December 4th.
The historic images have been made available for the exhibition by Jeff Spurr, former Islamic and Middle East Specialist and photo archivist at Harvard’s Fine Arts Library, who chose from among the many images of Bethlehem in the collections he managed. According to Spurr, “The original images range from 1868 to 1925, and include albumen prints, photochromolithographs, stereographs, gelatin silver prints (black and white), and early postcards.” A selection of the images was professionally reproduced for the exhibit.
The youth photography program at the Al-Rowwad Cultural Center in Aida refugee camp agreed to try to duplicate the perspectives of the historic images with 2009 photographs, in line with the Project’s mission “to foster deeper and wider awareness of the situation facing Greater Bethlehem through people-to-people contacts and exchanges.”
According to Phyllis Bretholtz, a member of the Project and photographer herself, the degree of change revealed by the image pairings varies according to the nature of the sites. “In looking at the pairs of old and new,” Bretholtz observes, “some of the interior images of the Church of the Nativity seem remarkably similar in marked contrast to the changes to the city itself. The presence of the separation wall which snakes in and around Bethlehem and military checkpoints has not only totally altered the landscape but has also prevented the photographers access to some of the vantage points.” Notwithstanding these challenges, the collaboration has produced a revealing series of paired images. Historical images that could not be matched with contemporary counterparts will be on view in the lobby of the gallery.
Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour, the director of Al-Rowwad, will be coming to Cambridge for the opening reception on November 15th. He and Spurr will also be presenting talks about the images – past and present – and the realities of life in Palestine at First Parish on Sunday, November 22, at 2 p.m.
The exhibition is co-sponsored by the Stebbins Gallery and the Justice in the Middle East Task Force at First Parish in Cambridge. Additional information about the exhibition and gallery hours is available via e-mail at bethlehemcambridge@gmail.com. Please also see the flier linked to this posting.
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Realities of life in Bethlehem, Palestine
A number of people who stopped in to see the exhibit during the opening reception on the 15th and over the last couple of days had no idea that the Palestinians of Bethlehem live under occupation and are denied many of the basic human rights we take for granted in this country. Some of the visitors to the exhibit had been drawn to the show initially because of their interest in Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus. One woman I spoke with, a Baptist, was shocked that the Palestinian inhabitants of Bethlehem were often denied access to their own surroundings, including their olive groves and sacred sites. "How can one people treat another people this way?" she asked, and then added, "Why don't more people know about this?"
The announcement by Israel today that they plan to expand settlements in East Jerusalem, coupled with the fact that Israel demonstrates no serious interest in limiting settlement activity, makes the situation for Palestinians more urgent than ever. The international community should condemn the actions of Israel and stand by the Palestinians in their quest to live in dignity and freedom. Where is the outrage? And why do Americans, who underwrite these abuses with their tax dollars, put up with it?
I hope more people will visit this beautiful and revealing exhibition of photographs in Harvard Square.
E. Mitchell