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Orna Raz

Day 479 of the War: ‘Local Testimony’ 2024

contrasting images from the exhibition 'Local Testimony' 2024, my photos
contrasting images from the exhibition 'Local Testimony' 2024, my photos

It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since I attended Local Testimony 2023, and yet we are still at war. Last year, much of the exhibition focused on the judicial overhaul, with the massacre of October 7 added later  https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/day-81-of-the-war-in-front-of-a-locked-gate/as part of a collage video. This time, the exhibition  Local Testimony 2024 is more direct and impactful, yet it remains curated with good taste and sensitivity.

As we entered the ground floor, we were greeted on the right by a huge wall covered in colorful notes where visitors could add their wishes for the future. Nearby, a film played, featuring several groups of young people: residents from Be’eri, young women who lost their partners in the war, soldiers who fought in Gaza, and the three daughters of hostage Ohad Ben Ami. They all spoke openly about their feelings and their losses. It was heartbreaking.

On the first floor was the main exhibition, showcasing photographs and videos by journalists and media reporters. The curation was strikingly effective. One powerful juxtaposition paired a photo by Amir Cojen of a herd of deer grazing on a green meadow outside the ruins of the Shejaiya neighborhood in Gaza with a photo by Micha Brikman of the burnt Kerem neighborhood in Be’eri. The exhibition was fascinating, without being voyeuristic. The photographs were raw and truthful. Yet the sadness was overwhelming—it was hard to breathe. The curator seemed intent on showing us the devastating cost of this tragedy, refusing to sugarcoat it.

My friend, who accompanied me to the exhibition, asked when and how I first heard about the tragedy on October 7. I told her that, although I heard sirens in Ramat Gan at 6:30 in the morning, I didn’t suspect anything unusual and went roller skating in the park. There, I heard another siren and noticed people in the park talking anxiously. That’s when I texted my friend Vivian Silver in Be’eri to ask how she was. Her reply was the first time I realized something terrible had happened https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/day-39-of-the-war-devastating-news-about-vivian-silver/. Even then, I had no idea of the full extent of the tragedy.

Today is International Holocaust Memorial Day. It felt like an appropriate day to visit the exhibition. On our way out, we saw a photo of the mailboxes in Kibbutz Nir Oz. It was shocking to see the small colored notes indicating who was murdered and who was kidnapped on October 7—a chilling reminder of a present-day Shoah

About the Author
I hold a PhD in English Literature from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, specializing in writing about issues related to women, literature, culture, and society. Having lived in the US for 15 years (between 1979-1994), I bring a diverse perspective to my work. As a widow, in March 2016, I initiated a support and growth-oriented Facebook group for widows named "Widows Move On." The group has now grown to over 2000 members, providing a valuable space for mutual support and understanding.
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