The magazine of the art-form of the photo-essay
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
Aug 2014 back issue
by Nancy Baron
Into the Light is a series of portraits of Holocaust Survivors, now living in the desert cities of the Coachella Valley in
California.
I grew up in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, not so long after World War II. The predominantly Jewish
neighborhood was referred to as The Golden Ghetto. Although the Holocaust was often discussed in Yiddish to protect
the children, I occasionally heard English references to it. With so many questions, I researched the Holocaust at the
library, never sharing the horror stories that I discovered, keeping them to myself.
When I discovered that there was an outreach foundation, Sunshine Circle, for Holocaust Survivors near my current
second home in Palm Springs, I volunteered to make portraits of the participants, starting in May 2010.
It’s been a privilege to meet these amazing people, not only Survivors of the Holocaust, but also of a dwindling
generation of Americans. In conversations about The Holocaust they will often say, “I survived because I was lucky."
When listening to them tell their stories and, sometimes a great joke, I believe they are here because they are
survivors. Their strength, courage, wisdom, humor, and ability to reach for the bright desert light is hard to describe.
Hopefully you’ll see what I mean when you look at their portraits.
Edith & Max.
Ed.
Ella.
Eva.
Frances.
Goldie.
Gabrielle.
Hedy.
Henry.
Irene.
Irina.
Katherine.
Leo.
Kurt.
Lilli.
Mickey.
Minia.
Rickie and Joe.
Inge.
