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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 9 augusT 2018
Photo exhibit documents revival of Polish Jewish life

By VANESSA GERA 1975-1983, often to cover
Associated Press other historical events, like
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — the first visit of Polish Pope
American photographer John Paul II to his home-
Chuck Fishman was just 21 land in 1979 and the rise in
when he began traveling the 1980s of Lech Walesa's
behind the Iron Curtain in anti-communist Solidarity
1975 to document a Jewish movement. On those trips
community on the verge he also turned his camera
of dying out after centu- on Yiddish-speaking Holo-
ries of existence in Poland. caust survivors who gath-
He couldn't have foreseen ered in derelict buildings to
a Jewish revival that came pray together. At the time,
after the fall of communism Jewish life took place in pri-
in 1989. vate because of fears of
A new photo exhibition discrimination.
opened this week in War- In some cases he managed
saw that brings together to capture those praying
Fishman's early documen- during Sabbath services.
tation of a melancholy and While some opposed him
declining Jewish world with Visitors look at photographs on display documenting Jewish life in Poland from the 1970s, in taking pictures on the Sab-
the revival of traditions by Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. bath, a violation of Jewish
the third and fourth gener- Associated Press law, Fishman recalled that
ation after the Holocaust, a others were willing to over-
transformation that left him Fishman, now 65, told caust, Polish Jews num- "It was supposed to be the look it. "I was this nice Jew-
astounded. The Associated Press on bered around 3.3 million, last of 1,000 years of Polish ish boy from America," Fish-
Titled "Re-Generation: Jew- Wednesday that his moti- the largest community in Jewish life. That's what ev- man said, recalling how the
ish Life in Poland," the ex- vation for documenting Po- Europe. Most were killed by eryone was saying — ev- sympathetic worshippers
hibition showing at the land's Jews in the 1970s and Nazi Germany, while post- eryone," Fishman said. "And with non-verbal language
Jewish Historical Institute in 1980s was to document his- war violence and an anti- if it was not for the fall of seemed to be saying:
Warsaw will run until Oct. 28 tory before the centuries- Semitic campaign by the communism, it would have "leave him alone. What's
and then go to the Galicia old Jewish community died Polish communist regime in been the end." the difference? When
Jewish Museum in Krakow out completely. 1968 forced most of the sur- Fishman did five report- we're gone there's nothing
for several more months. On the eve of the Holo- vivors into exile. ing trips to Poland from here."q

Oscars add popular film category, sets earlier 2020 date

By LINDSEY BAHR 92nd Academy Awards
Associated Press to earlier in the year. The
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 2019 ceremony will still air
Oscars are adding a new on Feb. 24, while the 2020
category to honor popular show will move to Feb. 9.
films and promising a brisk The addition of a popular
three-hour ceremony and film category caused the
a much earlier air date in most chatter Wednesday
2020. morning, as a clear effort
John Bailey, the newly re- to attract a larger audi-
elected president of the ence by honoring bigger
Academy of Motion Pic- and more seen films. Bailey
ture Arts and Sciences, and and Hudson said eligibility
film Academy CEO Dawn requirements will be deter-
Hudson said in an email mined at a later date. It
to members Wednesday wasn't specified whether
morning that the Board it would be added for the
of Governors met Tues- 91st Academy Awards this
day night to approve the February.
changes. Oscar viewership is often
Ratings for the 90th Acade- tied to the box-office mus-
my Awards fell to an all-time cle of the big nominees.
low of 26.5 million viewers, The 2018 best picture win-
down 19 percent from the In this Feb. 21, 2015 file photo, an Oscar statue appears outside the Dolby Theatre for the 87th ner, "The Shape of Water,"
previous year and the first Academy Awards in Los Angeles. had grossed $57.4 million
time the glitzy awards cer- Associated Press in the United States by the
emony had fewer than 30 time the awards aired and
million viewers since 2008. "We have heard from many In an effort to keep future mined at a later date, but $63.9 million total. The big-
Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, of you about improvements ceremonies to three hours, the winning moments will gest Academy Awards au-
the ceremony also clocked needed to keep the Oscars the awards will be present- be edited and aired in a dience on record came in
it at nearly four hours, mak- and our Academy relevant ed live and during com- later broadcast. 1998, when the blockbuster
ing it the longest show in in a changing world," Hud- mercial breaks. Specific The film academy is also "Titanic" was named best
over a decade. son and Bailey wrote. categories will be deter- shifting the date for the picture.q