Keeping The Flame
Open Show LA presentation about the small Jewish community in Cuba
But I am Here 2020 The movie
Keeping The Flame
In Cuba, I was exposed to a small Jewish community, one of the smallest in the world. They serve as a proof that when a community sticks together, they can overcome anything. I realized then the importance of having a community as support, and this inspired me further to tell the story of the Jewish people and community. They showed me that even with limited resources, the importance that the Jewish traditions play in who they are and what they believe in. Furthermore, it showed me how vital it is for us, as a nation, to pass down our traditions even when it is difficult, because if not for us, they will not exist.
Keeping the Flame is a photographic exploration of a Jewish community in Cuba one that continues to exist quietly at the edge of visibility. Once vibrant and then silenced by revolution and exile, this community reawakens each Friday night, in kitchens and synagogues, through small acts of care and devotion.These images do not only document. They honor. Each photograph captures a fragment of a life rooted in tradition, even under the weight of scarcity and disrepair. What remains is not nostalgia but persistence. A woman braiding challah without proper flour. A rabbi who follows in his father's footsteps. A prayer book held by someone who cannot read its language, but holds it nonetheless. Through gesture, ritual, and light, this series reflects not what is lost but what endures.With the images from my project "keeping the Flame", I created a movie called, "But I Am Here". The movie examines the challenges of the Jewish community in Cuba and it is also a reflection on my journey of faith. A glimpse of the movie!
My goal is to write a book memorializing this community on the verge of decline, and to create an exhibit that could be shown in a museum or Jewish foundation. Contact info
A wiiner project at the Pollux Awards 2019.
March 4 -28,2020 Exhibition at the FotoNostrum Gallery in Barcelona.
December 10 2019 Bnai Brith - Magazine , Winter Cuba