Judaism

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ISRAEL. Jerusalem. 2004. Morning mist between the Har Hamenekut cemetery and the Harar Dar settlement built on land confiscated from Palestinians after the 1967 war. | License

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ISRAEL. Jerusalem. 1995. At dawn Ahl-e-Kitabis pray to Jeovah while their twice daily offering of flour and oil burns on the altar stone. The name "Ahl-e-Kitabi "(People of the Book, in Arabic) was given by the photographer and adopted by two American families of Christian origin who follow both the Old and the New testatment to the letter. They dress, feed and worship according to their interpretation of the Book. They live under tents in an olive grove on Mount Zion, hoping they will be called upon by Jeovah to build his Third Temple. They believe Moses' fourth Commandment "Thou shall not make any idol" includes photography. | License

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UKRAINE. Uman. 2015. Jews celebrate Rosh Hashana (the religious New Year) by a pilgrimage on the tomb of Rabbi NACHMAN of Breslov. An old Jew reads religious texts. | License

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UKRAINE. Uman. 2015. Jews celebrate Rosh Hashana (the religious New Year) with a pilgrimage to the tomb of Rabbi NACHMAN of Breslov. A follower of the Na Nach sect shaves other Jews' heads for a small fee, leaving only the side curls. | License

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ISRAEL. Jerusalem. The Western Wall. A young Orthodox Jew takes photographs of adults. | License

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ISRAEL. Meron. 2016. Shrine of Rabbi SHIMON BAR YOHAI. Orthodox Jews celebrate with dances. | License

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ISRAEL. Jerusalem. 2016. The Jewish sect of the BELZ celebrate Purim with a 'tish' – a symbolic partaking of bread and fish in a large stadium-like room under their synagogue. | License

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ISRAEL. Jerusalem. 2016. The Jewish sect of the BELZ celebrate Purim with a 'tish' – a symbolic partaking of bread and fish in a large stadium-like room under their synagogue. | License

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UKRAINE. Uman. Jews celebrate Rosh Hashana (the religious New Year) by a pilgrimage on the tomb of Rabbi NACHMAN of Breslov. Pilgrims pray under the shade of a tree. | License

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ISRAEL. Jerusalem. 2015. Mea Sharim neighborhood. Orthodox Jews celebrate, with carnival-like costumes and masks, the Jewish festival of Purim, when Queen ESTHER of Iran saved her people from being murdered. A Hassid in an advanced stage of ebreity; his young wife is vastly amused. | License

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UKRAINE. Dnipropetrovsk. 2015. Morning prayers in the Golden Rose Synagogue which was given back to the community after being used as a stockroom by the Communist regime. The Torah scrolls are brought out to be read. | License

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USA. Los Angeles. 2015. Orthodox Jews pass in front of a mural of the American Eagle on the national flag. | License

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ISRAEL. Tel Aviv. Gay Pride. 2015. A drag queen. | License

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ISRAEL. Jerusalem. 2016. Secular Jews, in fancy costumes, celebrate Purim. A sad young soldier in uniform. | License

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ISRAEL. Jerusalem. 2017. Mamilla shopping center. Two Arab women cross young Jews in front of huge poster of sportspeople. | License

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UKRAINE. Dnipropretovsk. 2015. A Jewish wedding takes place in the Menorah Jewish Center. The bride tries on the nuptial veil. | License

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ETHIOPIA. Gondar. 2015. A Jewish family which, after having abandoned its good village life, is still hoping to emigrate to Israel. They are called "Falash Mura". Three generations of women drink coffee in the grandmother's hut. Incense is burned. | License


My first stay in Israel dates back to 1973, during the Yom Kippur War for some, and Ramadan for the others. I did a lot of reporting in Israel then, often in the Occupied Territories and Gaza, and then in Palestine, when the Palestinian Authorities took over.
After a long crossing of the lands of Islam, then of the Christians, the polytheists, the Buddhists and finally the Hindus, it was natural that I turned my camera to the Jews. Should not the first be the last?