Chuck Fishman: Roots, Resilience and Renewal

Chuck Fishman: Roots, Resilience and Renewal—A Portrait of Polish Jews, 1975–2016, is on view at the Derfner Judaica Museum: September 17, 2017 – January 7, 2018

A Portrait of Polish Jews, 1975–2016 Opening Reception and Photographer’s Talk 1:30pm-3:00pm The exhibition is organized jointly by the Derfner Judaica Museum + The Art Collection at Hebrew Home at Riverdale, and Jewish Studies at Fordham University, with additional funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Joseph Alexander Foundation, the Jan Karski Educational Foundation, and YIVO. Admission: Free

From 1975 to 1983 Chuck Fishman traveled to Poland to photograph what was then a dwindling remnant of a once-vibrant Jewish community, a thousand years of history on the brink of extinction. After a 30-year hiatus, he has returned to witness and document a stunning reversal of history—a Jewish cultural renaissance emerging and expanding into the mainstream of 21st century society. 

Join us on September 17 for the opening reception of this exhibition, with a talk by the photographer, at the Derfner Judaica Museum.

Learn more about the exhibit.

About the Artist

Chuck Fishman has focused on social and political issues with a strong humanistic concern. His work has been extensively published, exhibited and collected worldwide, and has earned him prestigious World Press Photo Foundation medals four times. His photographs have appeared on the covers of Time, Life, Fortune, Newsweek, The London Sunday Times, The Economist, and numerous others, and have been selected for publication in the American Photography and Communication Arts juried annuals. Fishman’s work is included in the collections of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery; the United Nations; POLIN: The Museum of the History of Polish Jews; The Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona; The Studio Museum in Harlem; and Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University, among many others, as well as in private and corporate collections. Fishman’s first monograph, Polish Jews: The Final Chapter, was published in 1977 in the United States. He has worked on book projects for publishers worldwide, from France to Singapore to Papua New Guinea. Exhibitions of his work include solo shows in the U.S. and Europe, and influential group exhibitions globally, including the International Center of Photography in New York City and the Pingyao International Photography Festival in China. He lives in New York with his wife, Susan.