I
metro
'BESA' Celebrated
Exhibit honors Muslim Albanians who
rescued Jews during the Holocaust.
W
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e are two women from
ties together.
radically different pro-
We received a call from Sheryl
fessions, backgrounds,
Olitzky who lives in New Jersey. She
cultures, ideologies and beliefs who
was starting Sisterhood of Shalom
share a passion to bring our opposing
Salaam, an organization to bring
communities together. When Stephen
Jewish and Muslim women together,
Goldman, executive director of the
and wanted some insight. She also
Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman
planned to present the documentary
Family Campus
film Besa-The
in Farmington
Promise at
Hills, called to
Rutgers with
say he secured
Norman
the "BESA: A
Gershman, the
Code of Honor"
photographer
exhibition from
and author, and
Yad Vashem
Majlinda Myrto,
(the Holocaust
one of the most
Memorial
renowned and
Center) in
important
Brenda Rosenberg
Jerusalem, we
leaders
of the
and Sarnia Bahsoun
were elated.
Albanian-
Special to the Jewish News
So few people
American com-
in either of our communities — the
munity in the United States.
Jewish community and the Arab-
Myrto was born in Albania and has
Muslim community — know the story lived in the United States since 1993.
of Muslim Albanians who rescued
She is the director of the Eye Contact
Jews during the Holocaust.
Foundation, an organization that pro-
According to Yad Vesham, "Besa
motes religious, political, cultural and
literally means to keep the promise. A
economic understanding and toler-
code of honor. One who acts accord-
ance among people worldwide. Her
ing to besa is someone who keeps his
in-laws are honored by Yad Vashem as
word, someone to whom one can trust Righteous Among Nations.
one's life and the lives of one's family."
Gershman spent four years photo-
The Albanians went out of their way graphing Muslim families who saved
to provide assistance, even compet-
Jews during the Holocaust. His pho-
ing with each other for the privilege
tographs can be found in many public
of saving Jews. Albania, the only
collections throughout the world. The
European country with a Muslim
four of us met last fall in New York City.
majority, succeeded where other
We saw how the Besa exhibi-
European nations failed, according to
tion and our Tectonic Leadership
documents from Yad Vesham.
model can work together to engage
"Almost all Jews living within
our communities. On March 9, we
Albanian borders during the German
are co-sponsoring, along with the
occupation, those of Albanian ori-
Holocaust Memorial Center, the ADL,
gin and refugees alike, were saved,
AJC Detroit, WISDOM and the Voice/
except members of a single family.
Vision Holocaust archive, the Besa
Impressively, there were more Jews
exhibition as well as our Tectonic
in Albania at the end of the war than
Leadership model for systemic change.
beforehand"
Join us and learn how our Tectonic
Besa mirrors one of the guiding
Leadership model pairs leaders from
principles of our Tectonic Leadership
across divides to face challenges
model, being committed to care
together and find solutions that benefit
equally about self and others. We
both communities by building social
began to think of ways it could be an
and business enterprises and creating
effective tool to bring our communi-
policies together.
❑
• The Tectonic Leadership presentation and roundtable discussion takes
place March 9 from 3-5 p.m. at the Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman
Family Campus. Admission is free; light refreshments will be served.
• The Besa photographic exhibit is on view until May 11 at the
Holocaust Memorial Center and is free with museum admission.
• The documentary film Besa-The Promise will be shown at 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 3. Free with museum admission.
16
March 6 • 2014