Photography exhibition to mark International Women’s Day 2024
SISTERHOOD
Women Heal the Fractures of War
Acclaimed Israeli photojournalist Avishag Shaar-Yashuv showcases nine relationships between women from The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror and women they helped during the war.
About the Exhibition
This portrait series showcases nine relationships between women from The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror and women they helped during the war.
These relationships were born in darkness and pain, in the wake of the Hamas terrorist organization’s surprise attack on October 7.
Among the stories in the exhibition, you will discover women who lost those dearest to them, alongside others who mobilized to help communities unspeakably harmed by the war.
None of the women who appear in the exhibition invited this sorrow
into their lives. They could not have imagined the agonizing journey that befell them from the moment the murderous terrorists put an end to everything. But out of the darkness there also came light – the light of the women of the Fund for Victims of Terror. This light does not have the power to remove the heavy darkness, but it offers comfort and support during the most difficult moments – and, as you will discover, it has often led to deep friendships.
About the Fund for Victims of Terror
The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror has worked for more than two decades on behalf of people who have been affected by
terror in Israel. The Fund accompanies those who lost their homes, were injured physically or psychologically, or lost their loved ones in a terror attack. The Fund is the first organization to provide support to victims, coming before the recognition and arrival of government support and benefits. It does so with sensitivity and devotion and continues to provide support for many years after an attack.
Since October 7, everything has become much more complicated.
In the decades since the establishment of the Fund for Victims of Terror, its staff have helped more than 9,000 households. Now, The Jewish Agency is helping those who have been affected by the attacks. Overnight, the job of the Fund for Victims of Terror nearly
doubled. Following Hamas's surprise attack and the ongoing war,
that ensued with Hamas, 8,500 families have been added to the
Fund’s circle of support. The women of the Fund for Victims of Terror work with great dedication to identify the many victims and to provide them with primary assistance and continued support.
The number of victims has made the mission especially complex, but the devotion and professionalism of the women of the Fund make it achievable.
About the Photographer
Avishag Shaar-Yashuv is an Israeli photo and documentary journalist.
Her work has been published widely in Israel and around the world.
Some of her images have gained iconic status, and she has won
the “Local Testimony” prize.
The choice to take the photos in the studio was not coincidental.
Amidst the chaos that dominates the lives of these women, we
wanted to create a feeling of control. The environmental elements, like natural lighting or the war context that was forced upon them, have been removed from the equation. The neutral background is
both controlled and empty, leaving the photographed women in the limbo that characterizes this period in their lives while leaving room for interpretation by the viewer.
With wonderful sensitivity, Avishag has rewarded us with a glimpse
of the women themselves, their facial expressions, body language,
and eyes, and the fact that they are exposed and damaged but also full of strength and compassion – and the emotional connection that was formed between them and the women of the Fund for Victims of Terror.