Work by New York-based photographer Zion Ozeri depicting the worldwide Jewish diaspora is now on display at Hostos Community College.
The opening reception, held March 5, celebrated the exhibit as part of CUNY’s Anti-Hate Initiative, a multi-year program that aims to foster mutual understanding and creative collaboration on campuses. In a time where the war between Israel and Gaza is tearing many communities apart, the exhibit seems all the more timely.
Ozeri’s black and white photos span the past few decades and depict the lives of Jews not only in Israel but in Argentina, India, Mexico, Uzbekistan and other countries around the world. The photos are arranged by themes common to all cultures such as Generations, Life Cycles and Sacred Space.
Through his work, Ozeri told the audience that he wanted to depict the diversity of Jews while also “affirming the unity of the Jewish people.”
Ozeri, born in Israel to Yemeni immigrants, has work in numerous museums and journalistic publications around the world, but he also frequently partners with the Department of Education on projects that highlight the Jewish experience.
One such project is DiverCity Lens, a curriculum he developed that allows students to use photography — their own, his and the work of others — to learn about themselves and their place in the world.
Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis said Ozeri’s photos are right at home at Hostos, a highly diverse campus with students speaking more than 50 languages. The pictures, she said, are “glorious proof of the richness and variety of the Jewish experience.”
Rabbi Ron Fish, who works with the Anti-Defamation League, told the audience that fighting antisemitism requires a strong offense as well as defense. Ozeri’s photos, he said, help to “let people know who Jews are, without apology.”
Fish pointed to a disturbing trend: antisemitism in America appears to be growing not amongst older people but amongst the young. For those who only read about the Holocaust in history textbooks, the Jewish experience can seem distant and unfamiliar — and therefore negative and scary to some.
Fish said recent research shows that 25 percent of Americans believe at least some antisemitic tropes such as “Jews are untrustworthy” and “Jews will only help other Jews.”
But work like Ozeri’s, which depicts common and shared experiences, can help increase empathy and understanding among those who see it, no matter their background.
“Jews alone cannot defeat antisemitism,” Fish said.
The exhibit at Hostos in the Research Center at 450 Grand Concourse runs through May 2.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
