Good news (let’s hope it continues). The Newton Free Public Library in the Boston area hosts my photographic exhibit, The Ongoing and Relentless Nakba-the Palestinian Catastrophe of 1948.
May 2-30, 2024
Reception: May 9, 6:30-8 pm. Unfortunately, all will be onsite only, not zoom.
330 Homer St, Newton Center, MA 02459
Phone 617-796-1360 for hours, directions, parking and other information about the venue.
I write “let’s hope” because Newton has a sizeable number of supporters of the Israeli government and, given the inflammatory atmosphere around Gaza enveloping the United States, with claims of genocide and antisemitism hurtling against each other, I expect challenges to me personally and my photography. 
You can contact me about the exhibit thru the comment section of this post.
If problems emerge with the show, please watch for my news on this blog.
Political domination, climate, war and other forms of violence, and economic conditions, especially gentrification, forcibly, frequently violently, displace more and more people worldwide. This affects many of us directly or indirectly; we’re either personally uprooted from our homes, or experience population pressure because of newly arrived people. This problem is especially vicious for Palestinians.
In 1948, Israel expelled some 750,000 indigenous Palestinians to clear the land for Jewish settlement, leading to the foundation of the state of Israel. Thus the Nakba (in Arabic), or Catastrophe, parallels Israel’s War of Independence. Some 5 million Palestinians now live in the West Bank and Gaza—the “internally expelled.” (According to the UN refugee agency, in 2019 nearly 6 million live in the diaspora, nearly one third in refugee camps, constituting one of the largest and longest-lived diasporas in recent history.)
Since 2018, I meet the refugees, now often living in refugee camps in the Occupied West Bank of Palestine, interview and photograph them, and return to their destroyed ancestral homes (now in Israel) to photograph. I include photos of where and how they live currently in internal diaspora to contrast with their earlier, often pastoral lives, in their former villages and towns. Eventually, I’ll add archival photos of their regions before the expulsion.
Major questions: how do they look now, thru my lens? How do people forced from their homelands presently live compared with Israelis in those former Palestinian homelands? What happened during the expulsions? What were the lives of the refugees before the Nakba? How did people travel to sites of refuge, what could they bring with them, have they ever returned to visit? How are the stories transmitted thru the generations? Do people wish to return, under what conditions? Generally, how might the right of return for Palestinians work?
Please consider locating future venues for my exhibit.
Skip Schiel & Teeksa Photography 
Bravo and love from Anne
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Thank you so much for this message…and especially for the years of “work” connecting with many people and their places and losses. This is very important — and I’ll be watching for updates on the current situation re reception and exhibit (will it happen? where?). This is so important. Carry on! Suzanne
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ever wondered why hundreds of thousands of Jews were expelled from all surrounding Arab Muslim nations to live in peace in Israel? Muslims are welcome in Israel except those intent on destroying Israel and all Jews. Shame on you for the distorted narrative of Arab victimization.
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Your people lost your genocidal war against the Jews in 1948. It’s been over for 76 years. Your lives will not improve until you accept that and move on.
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Exactly right. History is being twisted here to make it seem like Israel was aggressive in taking this from “Palestinians”. Nobody owned it. Israel won. Time to move on
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Thank you for all of your thoughtful work to document this history and humanize the Palestinians facing this continued catastrophe. I live in Newton and read about your exhibit in an email from the mayor tonight (I thought the email was terrible, but I’m grateful it put your exhibit on my radar and prompted me to search for your site). I will absolutely be visiting the exhibit asap and look forward to learning more from the experience. Thank you again.
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This is very shameful for newton public library.
Do not let this happen on May 9.
we are going to come and protest.
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more than 500,000 Arabs decided to stay in Israel land
they are good citizens of Israel as anybody else living there
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I’m sorry, but the description of reality is unbalanced and does not reflect the suffering of both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
There is no description of the many attempts Israel has made over the years to reach a political settlement with the other side. An arrangement that is always met with refusal.
There is no description of the conduct of the Palestinians people and their leaders throughout the years, to support terror organizations who murder israeli kids, women, men and elders during so many years.
Sorry, but that doesn’t reflect the whole reality.
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I second what Dana has said, but I am not sorry.
Skip Schiel’s description stating that “Israel expelled some 750,000 Palestinians from their homes” is presented as fact, and it is not. There is no documentation to back this claim. Unfortunately, too many people will read his words and believe them. They fit a popular narrative that it’s all Israel’s fault.
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Read Bennie Morris or any of the other current historians who acknowledge the expulsion but say it was necessary to establish the state of Israel.
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Skip- Your exhibit couldn’t be more relevant. Your work is channelled to the essence of this struggle, showing us the people victimized by 20th century tragedy. What did the Palestinians have with the genocide in Europe anyway? I look forward to being with you at the reception on May 9th.
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The Palestinians have received billions of dollars over the years.
Instead of investing them in people, education, children and the future. They invested them in terrorism, building tunnels, bombs and killing people.
When these are your priorities you have no future.
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There was a tragedy. There were several tragedies. But your simplistic and distorted summary only pushes us further away from truth, and from any real solution. I hope your images are more precise than your words.
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i encourage all—especially those commenting to my blog—to see my exhibit, ideally before you comment, after if more convenient. please also write in the comment book the library provides after you’ve viewed my photographs. i feel some of you are basing your remarks on hypothesis, what you suppose my politics are, rather than what i strive to convey thru my photographic tools, a more human dimension, the light within people and places.
please attend my reception on may 9, thursday, 630-8, at the library. introduce yourself, state your views.
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I saw your exhibit and loved the way you portray the simplicity of life in the West Bank. Thank you for your courage and artistry. My family and I were met with right-wing racists who essentially took issue with the fact that your installation made Palestinians look like they actually are– like human beings. It runs counter to their frankly b.s. narrative that we are all terrorists hell-bent on destroying Israel.
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exactly: human beings. why are some human beings unable to recognize the humanity of others? an evolutionary flaw? perhaps ultimately fatal for our species.
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I just wanted to correct something here. I’m not sure what the people you saw specifically said to you, but I can say with confidence that the vast majority of the Jewish and pro-Israel community in Newton does not think anything of the sort. We very much mourn the tragedy happening in Gaza and loss of innocent human life and have a great deal of humanity and empathy for the Palestinian people.
Again, not sure what these specific people you saw at the exhibit said, and it’s possible they were a minority of truly hateful people, but again – most of the Jewish community here values this type of exhibit and are solely upset at the incorrect wording Skip has used to describe the Nakba that we feel fuels antisemitism. There is also frustration with the Library for allowing such inflammatory and untrue statements can be displayed, while understanding that this is free speech. Even if you disagree with what was said to you, I hope you can understand that it is likely coming from a place of hurt rather than a place of bigotry (but again, without knowing exactly what was said, I can’t say with certainty).
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Kudos to you for displaying such powerful photographs in a hostile place like Newton. Just so you know, this Reddit post has been largely supportive of your exhibit and appalled by the Zionists’ ridiculous reaction to it: https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/1cj8kuy/newton_residents_lose_their_minds_after/
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Skip – I am unable to attend the reception but next time I am at the Library I will look for it. I want to assure you that the vast majority of the Jewish community in Newton has absolutely no problem with your work, and in fact finds it very worthy of attention. What we are upset about, and rightfully, is the description of your work that accompanies the photographs, particularly the line that says “To create its new state, Israel forcibly removed some 750,000 Palestinians”. This is incorrect, and the accusation that the Jewish people did such a heinous thing is so deeply hurtful and does nothing but further fuel antisemitism (and yes I am aware of the few locations where forcible removal did unfortunately occur after the war). I think there are many other more accurate ways you could have phrased this that wouldn’t have caused such pain to our community without compromising the premise of your work, which sounds very interesting. I hope you can try to understand that any “challenges” to you or the exhibit are likely rooted in words you have chosen to use, not to the exhibit or its content.
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Thank you so much for shedding some of the genocidal acts palistanian has been through for the last 75 years. Palistine was one of the few places to welcome jews when they were getting killed in Europe and discriminated against in the U.S. Unfortunately, those zionist using Judaism to claim their 3000 years right! and they have nothing to do with the religion. It is a brave act from you and Newton public library where the rest of the country including the media under AIPAC control.
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Skip – I am unable to attend the reception but next time I am at the Library I will look for it. I want to assure you that the vast majority of the Jewish community in Newton has absolutely no problem with your work, and in fact finds it very worthy of attention. What we are upset about, and rightfully, is the description of your work that accompanies the photographs, particularly the line that says “To create its new state, Israel forcibly removed some 750,000 Palestinians”. This is incorrect, and the accusation that the Jewish people did such a heinous thing is so deeply hurtful and does nothing but further fuel antisemitism (and yes I am aware of the few locations where forcible removal did unfortunately occur after the war). I think there are many other more accurate ways you could have phrased this that wouldn’t have created such division or caused such pain to our community without compromising the premise of your work, which sounds very interesting. I hope you can try to understand that any “challenges” to you or the exhibit are likely rooted in words you have chosen to use, not to the exhibit or its content.
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Skip, your map reminded me of another one I’ve seen–showing the number of Jewish refugees (800,000+) chased out of Arab/Muslim lands who found refuge in Israel, the single, tiny Jewish homeland. Please consider a future project showcasing this “catastrophe” or any other of the number of population displacements that occurred after WWII.
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Skip, on behalf of the Wampanoag and Massachusett tribes, I’d like to formally recognize you for donating your home and the land it sits on in Newton back to the native people who it was stolen from. Oh wait…
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Skip,
thank you so much for your brave work documenting the lives of Palestinians relegated to refugee camps after the Naqba 76 years ago and the lands that they previously called home. Shining through is the humanity of these strong, resilient, beautiful people. I really appreciate being able to view your work at the library in Newton. I’m very sorry for the hostile reception and hope that the administration will not cow to the threats and bullying and will allow your work to be displayed for the time intended.
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