@ Judy Glickman Lauder (American, b. 1938). *Harbor, Gilleleje, Denmark.* Archival pigment print. Courtesy of the artist. © Judy Glickman Lauder

Text by Max Wiener

At Rochester’s Eastman Museum, black-and-white photographs of seemingly ordinary senior citizens adorn the walls, looking at you with the pondering curiosity that many older folks seem to have. Their eyes gaze upon yours, and you meet them, and after a brief moment of silent interaction, you move on, looking for the following subject to catch your eye. It is only after reading about these people - these heroes - that your attention is demanded, and you return to their now supernatural gaze. These are not just ordinary people. These are some of the Danish citizens who sheltered and protected Jews during the Holocaust, and without their efforts, the haunting death toll would be immensely greater than it already was. Judy Glickman Lauder’s stunning new exhibition is aptly titled Resistance and Rescue: Denmark and the Holocaust. Opening on June 10, it is scheduled to run until October 1.

@ Judy Glickman Lauder (American, b. 1938). *Jens M*ø*ller, Gilleleje, fisherman and rescuer*. Archival pigment print. Courtesy of the artist. © Judy Glickman Lauder

Lauder is Jewish herself, and her efforts in photographing these incredible individuals come with a personal mission to tell their stories of courage. Her mission began in the 1990s when she first began to capture the mundane nature of these people with Marvel Superhero-like stories. These specific photographs have been a part of two world-traveling exhibitions, where the faces of these incredible people, and the stories of their heroism, have been felt by thousands.

@ Judy Glickman Lauder (American, b. 1938). *Karl Egon Petersen, Gilleleje, fisherman and rescuer.* Archival pigment print. Courtesy of the artist. © Judy Glickman Lauder

While their stories may be heroic, Lauder’s work behind the lens does a fantastic job of highlighting the everyman nature of these individuals. There is no fancy set or wardrobe department - just people living their lives and doing their part in helping a community that so desperately needed it. One of her subjects, Karen Lykke Poulson, is a sweet old lady who puffs her cigarette with a youthful flair. Behind her charming eyes - and through Lauder’s storytelling - we find out that she was a major organizer of the Communist Party in Denmark and helped coordinate the transport of hundreds of Jews to their safety. She, like Batman or Superman, saved hundreds of lives. Still, her everyday nature makes her much more important in the lexicon of our modern heroes. What Lauder’s photograph highlights, as well, is what looks like resistance to the limelight, almost as if she does not want to acknowledge the incredible sacrifice she made for the world. She is not lit brightly nor posed for a cover shoot; she’s just there. Her humility seeps through the confines of her portrait and soaks right into our hearts and minds.

@ Judy Glickman Lauder (American, b. 1938). *Karen Lykke Poulsen, organized resistance efforts.* Archival pigment print. Courtesy of the artist. © Judy Glickman Lauder

Lauder’s other subjects present the same mentality, like Dr. Ole Secher, a Danish doctor who, at Copemhagen’s Bispebjerg Hospital, went through triumphant efforts to rescue Jewish lives, including staging a fake funeral. His heroism requires some immense chutzpah, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that as he peers into your eyes. His shirt is normal, pressed neatly, and his hands are folded, almost inviting you to start a conversation about him. His image tells you, “I did what I had to do, and I don’t need recognition.” In an age where people constantly need to put their lives on social media for validation, perhaps a lesson from Dr. Secher could benefit us all. The things we do for others should not require approval from anyone except for the self. It’s a profound lesson to learn from an even more profound individual.