Mount Sinai . August 1968 (low resolution) A ten-day field trip with Neot Hakikar through the entire Sinai Peninsula one year after the 1967 Six Day War brought my group of fifteen travelers from the Suez Canal to the foot of Mount Sinai, where w
Beit Guvrin . July 1973 Located Southwest of Jerusalem, in the Judean foothills, Beit Guvrin was a prominent city in the period of the Second Temple. The region abounds in caves which were originally quarries for a special type of chalk much used i
Church of the Dormition • Tower of David • Dome of The Rock
Church of the Dormition . December 1977 The Roman Catholic Church of the Dormition on Mt. Zion stands, according to Christian tradition, on the spot where the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, lived and fell into an eternal sleep “(dormitio)”. The mona
Dome of The Rock, Old City . January 1973 The most eye – catching structure on Haram al-Sharif (The Temple Mount) is The Dome of the Rock. It is a shrine, not a mosque, built over a sacred stone or boulder called the Kubbet es-Sakhra. This is the s
Tower of David, Old City . December 1974 Jerusalem’s Citadel or Tower of David stands on the site over which Herod the Great built his palace at the turn of the first century BCE. The tower and walls have been repeatedly built and destroyed over th
Sderot . October 2004 This resident of Sderot continues to smile despite frequent rockets from Gaza, a mere three kilometers from the border with Israel. The town is notable for having been the major target of Qassam rocket attacks launched by
Jenin, West Bank . September 2012 Access to The West Bank in 2010 was restricted but could be arranged privately through intermediaries. My wife and I traveled to Jenin with two guides so she could conduct her “Bead for Peace” workshop for a select
Netanya . July 1973 Muslim women are forbidden to bare their extremities in public, but these visitors to the beach at Netanya from the West Bank city of Tulkarem do not often have the opportunity to enjoy the Mediterranean. Their exuberance is cle
Mount Sinai . August 1968 • Safed . April 1970 (low resolution)
Mount Sinai . August 1968 (low resolution) In the Judeo-Christian region of the Middle East, Mount Sinai is revered according to Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition as the peak where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The most famous pilgrims
Safed . April 1970 (low resolution) The Galilee, a mountainous region in Israel’s north, is a multi-cultural area: it is home to different Arab denominations such as Druze, Muslim and Bedouin in addition to Christians. According to Jewish tradition
Old City walls • Western Wall & Dome of The Rock • Jerusalem, January 1973 
Old City . January 1973 Snow touches the ramparts walkway atop the Southeastern wall of the Old City between the Zion and Dung gates. Construction of the city walls was began in the mid-sixteenth century, commissioned by the Turkish Sultan, Suleima
Western Wall & Dome of The Rock, Old City . January 1973  One’s first glimpse of Jerusalem’s Old City whitening under the year’s first snowfall is a moment filled with powerful contrasts. One thinks of the city under a perpetual summer sun
Old City . January 1973 An almond tree peeks from behind the Old City wall of the Armenian Quarter, a symbol of watchfulness and promise due to its early flowering, heralding the beginning of spring. Almonds are mentioned in Scripture, most notably
Peki’in . September 2006 • Kibbutz Adamit . September 1974 (low resolution)
Peki’in . September 2006 (low resolution) Aristotle wrote over 2,300 years ago, “Unlike the young, the old have lived long. They have often been deceived. They have made many mistakes of their own. They have seen the pain caused by positive men,
Kibbutz Adamit . September 1974 (low resolution)
Gaza . August 1968 (low resolution) Years before Gaza became an area that one did not just casually visit, like New York’s Central Park at night I felt a distinct sense of unease as I strolled the streets. I did not belong there. Once part of The
Fureidis . August 2007 • Rechov Yaffo, Mahane Yehuda Market . June 2007
Fureidis . August 2007 A house-warming in Fureidis, an Israeli Arab town south of Haifa, adjacent to Zikhron-Ya’Acov. The name is believed to come from the Arabic word “firdawsi,” meaning “Little Garden of Eden”. A long-time friendship with Ibtisa
Rechov Yaffo, Mahane Yehuda Market . June 2007 Baby carriages, baby strollers, back-packs and shoppers fill Jerusalem’s main streets on a Friday afternoon. Flowers to grace the Shabbat table sell briskly in the Mahane Yehuda Market, which dates bac
Sinai . August 1968 (low resolution)
Sinai . August 1968 (low resolution)
Sinai . August 1968 (low resolution)
Daliyat al-Karmel . June 2007 (low resolution) An inter-faith peace conference held in Israel’s Northern district town of Daliyat al-Karmel, 20 km Southwest of Haifa, brought together many participants, including Ibtisam Mahameed (right) and frie
Kisra-Sumei . June 2007 (low resolution) (Left Photo): One does not often meet a Sheikh, but I was fortunate to be granted an audience. This gentleman is the titular leader of an area of the Galilee including Kisra-Sumei and Peki’in. (Right Photo
Kisra-Sumei . June 2007 (low resolution) (Left Photo): Druze are similar to Jews: Everything revolves around food. (Right Photo): An assistant to the Sheikh – just as worldly (and a penetrating glance at the camera).
Mea Shearim . July 1974
Mea Shearim . July 1974 You enter into a world apart. A venerable corner of Jerusalem, the name was chosen due the founder’s devotion to Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. The numerical value of the words “Mea Shearim” equals 666, which has esoteric and
Mea Shearim . July 1974 Israel is as good a place for children to live in as any in the world, and they are, in a way, the only privileged class in the country. Even now, when Israelis look at their children, they are reminded of a dark past. PLO a
Ancient Synagogue, Peki’in . April 1970 (low resolution) Now mainly Druze, the village of Peki’in in the Northern Galilee claims an impressive Jewish history. The Druze coexistence with their Christian Arab neighbors and the Jewish community who
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