Pictures from Sarajevo: A Hadassah-Bosnian Calendar
The Hadassah-Bosnian Story
While the world watched in horror, the Bosnian War exploded through our television sets and into our living rooms. Few stepped forth as the war escalated into the civilian community. Elsie Roth, a nurse and activist from St. Louis, Missouri, conceived the idea that four nurses would go into Sarajevo, a city under siege, to do a needs-assessment and then approach Hadassah, the largest Jewish women’s organization in the world and a designated humanitarian and activist group. They succeeded.
During their time in Sarajevo, Roth and her companions saw people brought to their knees through ethnic cleansing, rape, and concentration camps. The circular population barely had food, water, and heat. There were not the bare necessities of life. At great personal risk, the nurses did their assessment with the help of the remnants of the small Jewish community of Sarajevo that chose to stay behind rather than seek safety in Israel. They are called La Benevolencija, which means ‘The Benevolent Ones’. They chose to remain in order to help their Muslim, Croatian, and Serb fellow citizens. Pope John XXIII has since awarded them an international Peace Prize for their valor. La Benevolencija then became the designated organization to receive and dispense supplies for Hadassah.
Elsie Roth and Sherry Hahn, a Hadassah volunteer, returned to Sarajevo in February 1995 with some 33 tons of supplies; then again in April of 1996 with 75 more tons, totaling 108 tons of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, new warm clothing, and toiletries valued at more than 10 million dollars. It was one of the largest shipments of the war next to that of the United Nations.
These pictures were drawn or painted by eight- to twelve-year-old children in Sarajevo. The months of January through May were drawn in 1993 during the early phase of this brutal war. These children attended the Saburina School and were sent as a thank you for the supplies sent to them from Crestview Middle School, in St Louis, Missouri. The months of June through December were drawn by children attending the Isak Samakovlija School, where they were asked to draw ‘A wish after the war.’ They were drawn in March of 1996, three months after the war, and were a gift to Elsie Roth when she returned to visit them at that time.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: January
Snipers were positioned in the hills surrounding Sarajevo. They often killed people as they rode buses to work. One sees two armored personnel carriers escorting the buses for protection.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: February
Water was available only twice a week for only two hours each day. One had to walk long distances to a few outside spigots while carrying heave [sic] containers in order to have a water supply at home. Bath tubs were used as storage tanks for drinking water. Notice the UN tape on a broken window to prevent the glass from shattering.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: March
Many people were killed in the streets and buried in yards in front of their houses in the city. Notice the man heading toward a grave holding a prayer book and flowers. Beloved pets starve in the streets.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: April
This child simply drew horrors seen throughout the war. Many children are permanently traumatized.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: May
Burning buses, buildings and cars are the background for people, all civilians, killed by bombing and mortar fire. The detail seen and drawn by such a young child is tragic.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: June
This young girl could not envision a wish after war. She can only see herself running through the street, barefoot during the shelling.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: July
A wish after war. Most of the ancient bridges were destroyed. These children see blue skies when in reality they are grey due to burning garbage and fires from mortar shelling. Notice the big green trees. There are no trees in Sarajevo because they were used for fire wood during the freezing winters. These children wish for flowers, balloons and to visit with one another. Notice the dove at the top of the picture.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: August
These children wish for what they didn’t have for almost four years. Simply kicking a ball, jumping rope, walking their beloved dogs, seeing the sun shine and their homes not destroyed.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: September
This drawing was drawn by a nine year old girl. All she wished for was to see a clown.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: November
Sarajevo was the site of the 1984 Winter Olympics. Everyone participates in winter sports. This ten year old boy wishes to ski again.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: December
This child wishes for what all of Bosnia Herzegovina prays for…Peace.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: Supplement 1
This is one of three pictures included in the collection that was not used in the calendar.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: Supplement 2
This is one of three pictures included in the collection that was not used in the calendar.
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Pictures from Sarajevo: Supplement 3
This is one of three pictures included in the collection that was not used in the calendar.
