Besa: Muslims Who Saved Jews During The Holocaust

When post-World War II Europe found itself devastated by the loss of its Jewish population, Albania was the only country to boast a larger number of Jews than it had prior to the Holocaust. Over 2,000 Jews from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Poland and Serbia were hidden in the homes of Albanian Muslim families during the war.

Norman Gershman, an American photographer fascinated with these stories, traveled to Albania and Kosovo to chronicle the tales of the righteous Albanians and their devotion to and dedicated practice of Besa, an Albanian Code of Honor. Besa means “to keep the promise” and is a fundamental guideline of life.

In Gershman’s meetings with Albanians, many of whom have been named Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, each person referenced his or her Besa—faith, honor, a promise to act on beliefs—as the source of personal courage in rescuing Jews during the Holocaust. As Basri Hasani, a Righteous Albanian, said: “My door is always open to someone in need.” It is the Besa of the Albanian people that Gershman captures in his photographs.

Gershman’s portraits represent the depth of character of each narrator while also serving as a documentary of the Albanian Resistance. Each portrait, which often features an artifact relating to the narrative, is accompanied by a personal statement of the individual’s honorable and heroic act and relationship with the Jews who were hidden and protected.

Twenty-seven of Gershman’s photographs are on exhibit, and each photograph is numbered. Use this guide to read and learn more about each of these Albanian heroes.