Bicentennial Israel

In 1976, I attended the Summer in Israel program of Temple University School of Law. The program was directed by the late Professor I. Herman Stern.

Israeli pop culture copied America, though about five years behind and slightly warped as in a Batman episode.

Israel was short on consumer goods. Daily life looked Spartan. I arrived days after the July 4 Entebbe raid, in which Israeli commandos freed hostages held by Palestinian terrorists in the airport in Uganda.

These photographs are dedicated to Lyn Weinberg, Esquire, a steadfast friend, who shared a refrigerator with me (separately) on the summer program.

Solstice magic. That was the surprise I experienced in December 2004, as I toured Israel with a group sponsored by Germantown Jewish Centre, of Philadelphia. Rabbi Leonard Gordon led the tour.

It was the week after winter solstice. I planned to celebrate the sharp, bright seasonal light, and long, dark shadows. To my initial disappointment, Jerusalem was in the rainy season. When I developed my film, I discovered reflections and rain.

During three days, I broke free from the tour and did urban photography of Jerusalem. Time being limited, I spent two mornings in Mea Shearim and the Bukharian Market.

On Sunday, December 26, I walked from the King Solomon Hotel on King George Street, crossed Jaffa Road, where it became Nathan Strauss Street, until Mea Shearim and the Bukharian Market.

Imagine a village in pre-war Poland. You are in Mea Shearim. The ultra-Orthodox men have long beards and wear long black coats and handsome black hats. The residents do not like to be photographed, recalling the prohibition in the Ten Commandments against graven images. I saw a lot of new construction in Mea Shearim, mostly yeshivas (religous schools), all built with classic Jerusalem stone.

Next to Mea Shearim is the Bukharian Market. The shopkeepers are members of families who migrated from the Caspian sea region. The shop keepers wear contemporary clothes. Most of them are clean-shaven. Their features are swarthier than the residents of Mea Shearim. Many of the Bukharian Market people do not like to be photographed. Many Mea Shearim residents shop in the Bukharian Market.

I returned on Friday, December 31. I hit the peak time for people going to work. The streets were crowded. I photographed people on King George Street, going to work.

December 31 was sunny. Being just before the beginning of the Sabbath, this Friday was hopping. Lots of people on the streets. Lots of shopping. It was prime market day. People lined up for bread at a bakery and bread stand in the Bukharian Market. About noon, the tempo changed. People were on their way home to prepare for the Sabbath. A shopkeeper of religious gear said he closes at 2 p.m. I sensed a rush.

On Sunday, January 2, I broke from the tour and explored the Old City. January 2 was the day of the monsoon. Twenty-five years ago, I visited Jerusalem and found the shouk (traditional Arab shopping mall) booming with shops, stalls and stands. However, in January 2005, business was bad. Many shops were vacant. Shopkeepers complained of the poor economy.

Despite the monsoon, it was a rich day for photography. We photographed rain pouring off roofs. I walked the ramparts from the Jaffa Gate to the Western Wall. At the Jaffa gate I witnessed three near-auto accidents, blowing umbrellas, and excitement from a heavy rain. I stood under a ledge next to the Citadel of David, trying to avoid the rain. Suddenly, a crowd poured out of the post office across the street. Police were everywhere. I never learned what had happened. Minutes before, I had been in that post office.