HE LONKA PROJECT is named after Dr. Lonka (Eleonora) Nass (1926–2018). Lonka survived with her mother Fella the years of the Holocaust in the Krakow Ghetto and the concentration and extermination camps Plasz?w, Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and Terezin. Her father, a baby brother and extended family members perished. For 70 years she was married to Dr. Yanek (Jerzy) Nass (1927–2021). Yanek survived with his parents first in an underground bunker in the Polish town Jawor?w, today Ukraine. He witnessed the atrocities committed by the Nazis and their Ukrainian collaborators. He was one of a small group of boys who fled briefly to the forests after joining Artek Hener. Most of the boys were killed. Lonka and Yanek immigrated to Israel, where they rebuilt their lives. THE LONKA PROJECT is a photographic tribute to the last Holocaust survivors around the world. Since 2019, hundreds of professional photographers, many world leaders in their respective fields, volunteered their talent not only to capture the human subjects artistically, but also to draw lessons and serve as memory keepers for tomorrow’s generations who will never know a Holocaust survivor. For the participating survivors around the world who generously opened their homes and hearts to the photographers, The Lonka Project carries their global message for tolerance, humanity and compassion in a world not rid of antisemitism and ethnic hatred. The rhythms of life do not mitigate the horrors of the past, yet the survivors continue to stand as a symbol of optimism. This book celebrates resilience and the power of life. We participating photographers believe it is our duty to shine a spotlight on the last living witnesses of the Holocaust, because truth cannot be defeated.
