Razieh Alba, "Bittersweet: Esther Raber," 2021. Digital Print.
In Bittersweet: Esther Raber, Alba contrasts the beauty and joy of the youthful Raber as she swings her arms, coat flying free around her, with the horror of the war that surrounds her. Sergeant Raber served in the Royal Canadian Air Force Women's Division, working as an administrative clerk at Air Force Headquarters in Ottawa. Alba is inspired by the strength of Jewish Canadian servicewomen and their reasons for enlisting. She wants her work to rectify the lack of recognition these women have had for their service. She comments that "the undercurrent of antisemitic racism and societal pressures to conform to established gender roles prevented servicewomen from gaining the recognition they deserved.”
For more information on the featured servicewoman see
Esther Raber (Nobleman), She Also Serves Website