It is  difficult  to  portray  through words and images, the suffering and  ordeal of those human beings in search for survival. Nevertheless, we are here to remember, to bear witness, to not  forget, to teach and transmit to the world  those terrible killings that abated on our people. And in this respect I wish to underline the compromise to which another great philosopher of the XX Century, Emmanuel Levinas  leads us: ” The first lesson  when we think about the creation of the State of Israel, with its victories without peace and the insecurity of its inhabitants, does not  mitigate   the  situation, but infers the recognition of the alliance sealed with blood and tears, by all the present and future generations from Israel as well as from the Diaspora, with Auschwitz”.

We would not honor the reason of this exhibition  if  even for one moment we would observe the photographs and the video without taking into account the deep human significance that such a trip posed on its participants. There, as the artist describes, “within a dynamic short in time, but intense and spontaneous, a human fraternity was created, devoid of the differences generated by the every day world”.

Without any doubt, the visit to Auschwitz as well as this exhibition, are genuine ways for the mutual acquaintance among persons, because only in this manner, through courageous and sincere exchanges of views, the eradication of hate and discrimination among peoples will be achieved.

The Museo Sefardí de Caracas Morris E. Curiel  sincerely congratulates, in the first place, Lihie Talmor for the great work achieved, not only for the artistic contents but for the clarifying message.
A word of recognition for the curator, Ricardo Bello, for the designer and creator of the CDROM Catalogue, Ricardo Baez Duarte, and for Miguel Noya who especially composed the sound track  that  accompanies the installation of photographs and video.

Also to the  team of the Museo Sefardí de Caracas Morris E.Curiel, Priscilla Abecasis, Ana Caufman and Solven Astudillo and the personnel of the Asociación Israelita de Venezuela.
We wish to extend special thanks to:
The Blasini  Galery in the persons of Linda Serpa de Blasini, Isabel Perez Castro and Jose de la Rosa, for their professionalism and warmth as hosts of this project. Eyal Chipkiewicz for the graphic design of the cards, CDROM insert and show space texts. Rebeca Perli and Miriam Feil who translated the texts into English and Yafa Algom and Lihie Talmor for the translation into Hebrew.
Our sincere thanks to all the institutions and persons that gave their support to this project: the Venezuelan Committee of Yad Vashem Survivors of the Holocaust in the person of its President David Yisrael and the Board, the Mifael Hapais Foundation of Israel that awards resources of the National Lottery to educational and cultural projects and to Mauricio and Noemi Groshaus.

Abraham Botbol Hachuel
President
Museo Sefardí de Caracas  Morris E. Curiel