...Life Go's on....

Thank you Gwen,Yes, life go's on despite all the horrors.

All versions have their own merits but I prefer to stare, in wonder, at yours.

Powerful image of a very sad situation worsened by politicians in both side.

How unjust is life!

Pnina, a beautiful and meaningful image. It makes us all think about life and death, joy, sorrow,injustice..... I love how you invite commentary on your images and so many people respond. You are an ambassador of thought and good will- not just for photography but human issues. You make PN a special place. Regards. Denise

Alberto, I will write you, thanks a lot!

 

Denise, Thank you so much, it is one of the most beautiful comments I have ever recieved at PN. and I apreciate it that you took the time to write me such nice words.

We have a photography forum where spanich speaking photographers, most of them friends from Photo.Net, meet and discuss. At a certain moment someone suggested that politics be not mentioned in the forum. The rest of all disagreed on the basis that, since we are all photographers, we continuously make visual statements full of political meanings.

In your case your statements are powerful. You defend life and understanding. And you hate the hatred instilled and publicized all around the world. The masses are the victims and the masses are manipulated by politicians that simply struggle for their own egotistical well being.

Very sad!

 

For writing me again here, you are so right about your assessment.

 

Human life in many places on the glob are manipulated by political leaders, human life are cheap. Wars, suffering, hanger and poverty are too common. We are not only photographers, we are, but we are as well citizens of that glob, how could we be silent? The camera is our tool to create, but an important tool to protest and shout as well.

 

Many of my family members were victimes of the Holocaust !

 

Thanks again Alberto !!I agree with your group's decision not to be silent!

Cornelis,Thanks again, I'm honored. Yes totaly agree with you, Love, friendship, understanding, thats what we need, and Hope! I wait to see your next uploads, and will be glad to keep in touch, I have friends in Holland, next month a Dutch woman will come to Israel( an international women ORG, we both belong to) and I will be the photographer of her visit.

 

I appreciate your follow up of my work.

... as you have worked through the issues, hesitate to make one more suggestion to this wonderful shot, but it jumped out at me. In this version, the headstones seem to loom more, which maybe emphasizes the cyclical nature of the theme.

Dennis, I did not understand very well your comment. Please explain again. This is one of my most cherished image, as many members of my family were lost in the Holocaust. Thanks for taking the time to look at and write, I appreciate it very much!

... what I meant is that life does go on, but so does death, as part of the cycle. That was what the looming of the headstones meant to me. I understand why you cherish this image, it is the reason that I have followed it for months.

Dennis, thanks a lot for explaining it again. you are right about the cycle, and I will tell you that the world did not learn the lesson, look at Rowanda, and many other places where human being life have no value, but for me, for my family and country LIFE GO'S ON! we are the evidence! and this image, life among the stones is a symbol that life are stronger!.

Is it like this /

In death's other kingdom /

Waking alone /

At the hour when we are /

Trembling with tenderness /

Lips that would kiss /

Form prayers to broken stone. /

 

The Hollow Men (1925)

Dennis, so beautiful! even poetry is hard to understand when your language is not the written poetry is, I understood it, and a very nice choice of yours. Thanks a lot!

This is a very strong and captivating composition. To me, the girl in the middle represents hope in the middle of a senseless and sad world.

Thanks a lot. This is my real significant photo, expressing exactly your words!

 

Thanks for your extensive visit!

So I was teaching Elie Wiesel's "Night" today, and a student asked a question of how people could still pray after Aushwitz. He is a quiet, gentle scholarly type of student--serious--and in a way, the book had cracked a part of his world, and he lost a sense of trust; his face looked angry and betrayed. Sort of reminds me of this young girl whose back is turned, but we cannot read the expression on her face. Because her face is hidden--perhaps like the hidden face of a more powerful force--she might be interpreted as symbol of youth meeting reminders (these gravestones) of so many hard-to-tell stories of mankind. I left class today wondering how my student would process the new information of Nazis dumping a wagon of babies into a fire. Would the rejuvenation of youth make him forget by the evening, or had today's information catalyzed a break in his faith and trust in the world. How does this girl process this? Of course if we don't tell the stories such as the Golem created by the rabbi of Prague and why he was needed or the tales of Teresenstadt, history will probably repeat. Red is often associated with blood and green sometimes with jealousy--a cycle on its own, or is the green symbolic of youth and new growth? I guess we'll have to look at the glass half full, Pnina, tell the stories and encourage the youth, like this girl, to try make a different world. Haunting, memorable, effective shot.

Donna, I will read it when I'm back, it is interesting. I'm on my way to the Galilee, don't delete!

Donna,Interesting comment and very difficult to answer your questions.I think that my answer on the "half full glass" letters is the only possible way to survive the painful History of our people.It is a good question about your student, and I hope that he will see that despite the horror of history, and especially the holocaust, Life go's on ! ours and many others that were victims to the cruel side of human being( if we can call the Nazis human being....)

 

There is in Israel a group of refugees from Darfur, we are helping them in their hard situation, me, my women org. and other Israeli's that are helping them in many ways to survive their horors.

 

Even we say the our poor people are first for getting our help, we can not forget the closed doors for many Jewish people that tried to escape the II world war horrors.

 

So Life Go's on! and there are still good human being on the glob , Donna.

Great photo, Pnina.... this makes me think of life and death! The long thread speaks itself how many viewers you inspired with this image.... My big Salute!

By Yehuda Amichai:

 

A Jewish Cemetery in Germany

 

 

On a little hill amid fertile fields lies a small cemetery,

a Jewish cemetery behind a rusty gate, hidden by shrubs,

abandoned and forgotten. Neither the sound of prayer

nor the voice of lamentation is heard there

for the dead praise not the Lord.

Only the voices of our children ring out, seeking graves

and cheering

each time they find one—like mushrooms in the forest, like

wild strawberries.

Here's another grave! There's the name of my mother's

mothers, and a name from the last century. And here's a name,

and there! And as I was about to brush the moss from the name—

Look! an open hand engraved on the tombstone, the grave

of a kohen,

his fingers splayed in a spasm of holiness and blessing,

and here's a grave concealed by a thicket of berries

that has to be brushed aside like a shock of hair

from the face of a beautiful beloved woman.

 

 

I did not read it before, thanks a lot for this, it is chilling. I read it again and again, and cry.. as my family members graves can be a part of them, as they don't have a known ones.....

This is a superb image both aesthetically and figuratively with the juxtapositionof the youth with the thombstones....I really don't see how cropping could improve it..your light desaturation of the container is enough for it to be discrete enough and not disturb the reading of the image...having the little girl in the middle fully embeded by the stones also participate to the mood "with lots of death symbols around but life still going on"....a superb image as is for me...

 

I feel that this is one of my most successful photos, and is my life philosophy. What is waiting for us on our way, we have to keep life even though death is part of it.

 

This cemetery in Prague is a part of my people's history which is not an easy one and has lots and lots of deaths along the years. This little girl is the sign that life go's on despite......

 

Thanks Laurent, I very much appreciate your comments, but this one touched me deeply.

 

Indeed, a strong and symbolic photo Pnina...a kid in a cemetery is not something we see often...

Thanks for showing this image to me. I see what you intended to accomplish. I like it. Your vertical approach combines very well with the presence of the young girl.

Please do check the image I've just upload that shows my personal interpretation of this powerful place.

Take care,

Mário