Leave a mark in Bat Yam

World War II broke out in Europe in 1939 and wiped out about half of the Jewish population. Some were sent to concentration camps, hidden in the woods, _ cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ fought with the partisans, joined the armies of the Allied forces or survived the siege of Leningrad, during which 750,000 people died of starvation.

While the evidence from the Holocaust was extensively documented, the Israeli public became acquainted with the heroic veterans mainly thanks to the waves of immigration to Israel in the 1990s, with the disintegration of the former Soviet Union and the breaking of the Iron Curtain. Since most of them did not speak Hebrew, their story was not revealed to the Israeli public. In collaboration with the Bat-Yam Municipality, we embarked on a documentary journey following the story of the heroes of World War II from its various sides. We met those who were then boys and girls, boys and girls, and who today chose to build their lives in Israel and in the city of Bat Yam and wanted to share their memories with the younger generation._ cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_

The evidence is harsh. Although the documented went through the war in different places, they all tell of hunger, cold, despair, hatred, loss and fear. They tell how the home front became the bomb-absorbing front. Some lost a mother or father, and found themselves alone. From these moments also emerges a spark of humanity, of help and hope. Created a survival that once in their hearts evoked hope to build a new and better life. A hope that became a reality when they immigrated to Israel. Among those documented are people who have crossed the age of one hundred, and their clear memory is inspiring.

This moving product comes to share their personal testimony about the historic event, and describes the heroism revealed in a time of difficulty and hope that was in their hearts for the day when the war would end._ cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ are our heroes.

The Autographers is an international artistic documentation project that aims to connect the community to its unique history. Sharing their personal story is our moral duty. "Remember and do not forget," says one of the documenters. "This is our will," they emphasize. "It is a mission to pass on these stories to the next generation, to keep our eyes open and remember what we have lost."

We thank the documentarians who shared with us their personal history, the talented documentarians and translators who helped bridge the language differences.