The Cambridge/Bethlehem People-to-People Project (CBPPP) was formed in 2007 to find a human way to address the circumstances facing Palestinians. Bethlehem was chosen in response to a specific call from its citizens, facing tremendous social and economic isolation, to "re-open Bethlehem" to the global community.
Views of Bethlehem: Then and Now - An exhibition of historical images and contemporary photographs
CBPPP recently sponsored an exhibition of historic images of Bethlehem paired with contemporary photographs reflecting current realities. The exhibition, titled “Views of Bethlehem: Then and Now,” was on view at the Stebbins Gallery of First Parish in Cambridge from November 15 through December 3, 2009. See the exhibition flyer for additional information.
The historic images were made available for the exhibition by Jeff Spurr, former Islamic and Middle East Specialist and photo archivist at Harvard’s Fine Arts Library, who chose from among the many images of Bethlehem in the collections he managed.
Bethlehem, c. 1880 - photochrom, Photoglob Zurich (Courtesy of the Fine Arts Library, Harvard College Library)
According to Spurr, "The original images range from 1868 to 1925, and include albumen prints, photochromolithographs, stereographs, gelatin silver prints (black and white), and early postcards.” A selection of the images was professionally reproduced for the exhibit.
The youth photography program at the Al-Rowwad Cultural Center in Aida refugee camp agreed to try to duplicate the perspectives of the historic images with 2009 photographs, in line with the Project’s mission “to foster deeper and wider awareness of the situation facing Greater Bethlehem through people-to-people contacts and exchanges.”
According to Phyllis Bretholtz, a member of the Project and photographer herself, the degree of change revealed by the image pairings varies according to the nature of the sites. “In looking at the pairs of old and new,” Bretholtz observes, “some of the interior images of the Church of the Nativity seem remarkably similar in marked contrast to the changes to the city itself. The presence of the separation wall which snakes in and around Bethlehem and military checkpoints has not only totally altered the landscape but has also prevented the photographers access to some of the vantage points.” Notwithstanding these challenges, the collaboration produced a revealing series of paired images. Some historic images that could not be matched with contemporary counterparts were included in the exhibit while others were on view in the lobby of the gallery.
Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour, the director of Al-Rowwad, traveled to Cambridge for the opening reception on November 15th. He and Spurr also presented talks about the images – past and present – and the realities of life in Palestine on Sunday, November 22, at Helverson Parlor of First Parish. Both the reception and exhibition talks drew large audiences, and the exhibit generated great interest. An hour-long television feature on the exhibit will soon air on Arabic Hour (CCTV, Channel 22). A link to the program via www.arabichour.org will be posted on this page as soon as it becomes available.
The exhibition was co-sponsored by the Stebbins Gallery and the Justice in the Middle East Task Force at First Parish in Cambridge. The exhibition was free and open to the public. Additional information is available via e-mail at bethlehemcambridge@gmail.com.
Creating Exchanges
In 2007, CBPPP's first delegation was welcomed by a variety of civic, educational and human rights groups in Bethlehem (including independent and parochial elementary and secondary schools, Bethlehem University faculty and students, Chamber of Commerce, Rehabilitation Hospital for people with disabilities, the Maher Center for Children's cancer project, the Al-Rowwad Cultural Center's youth theater and photography/video projects, women's economic development cooperatives and human rights NGOs). Since then, we have been fostering on-going exchanges (through email, Skype, teleconferencing and future delegations) with Cambridge counterparts. Our report-back at the Cambridge Senior Center was a vibrant event drawing over 100 participants. View the flyer here.
Some members of the original delegation made follow-up visits to Bethlehem in 2008, further developing partnerships formed the previous year. This is turn helped pave the way not only for the Al-Rowwad Center to send a youth theater troupe to perform in Cambridge and tour the Northeastern U.S. in 2009, but also for the current CBPPP-Al-Rowwad collaboration in "Views of Bethlehem: Then and Now."
Plans are currently under way for a delegation in 2010. For additional information on the upcoming delegation, please contact us at bethlehemcambridge@gmail.com.
Presentations
Members of the original delegation are available to share their experiences with organizations. If you would like some of us to come to your school/organization/community, etc., please email us at bethlehemcambridge@gmail.com.
More about the Cambridge/Bethlehem People-to-People Project
Bethlehem is a place known throughout the world for its historical, religious and cultural significance. Greater Bethlehem (which includes Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour and smaller villages) is losing contact with much of the outside world, creating a dire economic and humanitarian crisis and a profound loss of hope for the future. Tourism, one of the keys in welcoming people to the significance and beauty of the area, has ground to a halt, forcing many to leave the area to survive. The construction of the wall and by-pass roads inside the area have cut many of the local people off from access to their own schools, health care and olive groves, furthering poverty and despair. The people of Bethlehem (those still living there and the diaspora) have reached out to the international community to help end this social and economic isolation, inviting communities from around the world to establish and maintain relationships with the people and organizations of their area and help to "re-open Bethlehem" to the global community.
In keeping with Cambridge's identity as a city of many cultures and many communities with a strong history of building peace through relationships with peoples and organizations around the globe for the purpose of understanding, mutual exchange and humanitarian response, we have initiated connection of Cambridge with Greater Bethlehem. The goal is to foster deeper and wider awareness of the situation facing Greater Bethlehem through people-to-people contacts, to promote mutually beneficial exchanges and to extend humanitarian support in this time of grave difficulty.
Cambridge/Bethlehem People-to-People Project intends to bring people together for direct communication and learning about one another, the sharing of cultural expressions among all age groups and a process of mutual education. It will build on and expand existing relationships between people and organizations in both communities such as cultural and arts centers, universities, religious/faith-based/spiritual centers, peace/conflict resolution groups, educational institutions, women's cooperatives, youth groups, healthcare facilities, and media outlets.
