Sacha Bodner
Director of Community Partnerships
Q: You love photography, and humans are one of your favorite subjects. What is it about people that draws you in and results in a great portrait?
Photography essentially boils down to two things: being in the right place at the right time and being prepared to catch that moment. I believe that every person has a moment or a story somewhere in their vast collection of experiences that we can all somehow connect with if we are simply able to recognize it.
What I love about portrait photography is that it offers the chance to get to know someone a little better; the opportunity to not just snap a picture but actually spend time talking with someone, and intentionally capture a moment that elevates them, honors their truth, shares their story, and displays their humanity.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, “Many things on earth are precious, some are holy, humanity is holy of holies.” Photographing people serves as a bridge – a place for me to leave my world and meet another person in theirs. And as Heschel taught, it helps remind me of the holiness of humanity.
Q: Your family now lives in the Boston area. What have you found to be the best part of living in this area of the country?
What I appreciate so far about being in Massachusetts is the pace and space of life. Nature does wonders for the soul, and seasons help highlight the fact that everything is constantly evolving. This moment (and temperature) is different from last month and likely different from how it will feel next month. And that has served as a nice reminder for my family to look back with appreciation and forward with anticipation.
Moving from Houston to Boston during a global pandemic has been amazing and challenging, especially with two children. Yet overall, it’s pretty incredible to experience a different part of our beautiful country. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to live on the east, west, and southern coasts of our great nation throughout my life. I’ve witnessed and participated in the many different ways people build community. There may be a different pace, a unique drawl, or a little more hot sauce on the beans, but the values are pretty much the same when you boil it all down. We all want to be treated with dignity. We all care about the people in our circles. We all want the chance to pursue a life that brings us happiness. People in Boston want that, just like the folks in Houston.
Q: What made you decide to join the One America Movement team?
I have been so inspired by the work of the One America Movement and the diverse team that helps bring folks together across divides. More than any other time in my life and perhaps our nation’s history, people need a way to unite. I first encountered our organizational model after 2017’s devastating combination of hurricanes left the communities of Houston and Puerto Rico decimated. So many ordinary heroes stepped up and lent a hand in the aftermath of the disaster. Mr. Fred Rogers’ mom inspired her son to “look for the helpers,” and Rabbi Tarfon wrote that “it is not up to us to finish the work of improving the world, but neither are we free to neglect it.”
In both Houston and Puerto Rico, I saw neighbors from different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and communities sharing stories and building relationships. Working alongside Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and Christian volunteers, I saw neighbors asking how they could help and then trying their best to address the needs of those being served.
None of us single-handedly took on a project from start to finish, yet all of us carried the baton further than any one of us could have on our own. And because of all these seemingly minor acts of helping – the compounding collection of community contributions – we were able to make a difference and help others get back home. That glimpse of what we as a society could accomplish together when we unite and emphasize our humanity over our differences gave me so much hope in people and our country. It made me want to spend my days bringing more folks together.