Return, return Contemporary Judaism in Colombia ISBN: 978-1-7353995-9-1 63 Pages Photographs by Laurence Salzmann Download a PDF Contact laurencesalzmann@gmail.com for details. Volver: Contemporary Judaism in Colombia continues my lifelong work seeking to understand communities and their ways of life through photography. An overview of my work spanning the past 60 years, A Life With Others by Jason Francisco, published by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, provides insight into my nearly sixty year career andphotographic approach.

Volver: Contemporary Judaism in Colombia builds on my previous documentary work on Jewish communities in the 1970’s and 1980’s in Romania and Turkey. In Volver, I explore and historical and cultural connections between Jewish communities in Colombia and their ancestral ties to Spain. Jews and so-called secret Jews—conversos in Spanish—played a role in the founding of Medellin in the 16th century, and more than 500 years after the Jewish diaspora spread to these regions, the echoes of these migrations remain visible in daily life, traditions, and identities. My artistic approach involves collaborations with scholars, historians, and community members, and builds on my fluency in Spanish (as previously the connections made possible by having learned Romanian, German, Turkish, and Ladino). My goal, as ever, is insight into the intersection of everyday life, tradition, and identity.

For more information, contact Laurence Salzmann at LaurenceSalzmann@gmail.com.