Masked Shelter
Part of life in a Kibbutz commune 9 miles from the Gaza Strip means regular short range missile attacks. Bomb shelters, such as this, are scattered throughout the small community - due to the extremely close proximity of the Kibbutz to the border, residents only have 30 - 60 seconds to seek shelter. When we visited, one of the community members was praising God that the strikes were easing up - going from almost daily near the beginning of the summer, to bi-weekly...
Normalizing Aggression
When missile strikes are a normal reality, innocence must be imaginatively maintained.
Prior to the introduction of Israel's Iron Dome short-range missile defense system, this town was one of the most frequently attacked. However, once under the protection of the Iron Dome, shelters such as these haven't been used in months... the inside smelled of urine and alcohol - a good sign, according to our guide, for it denoted the shrinking importance of these shelters in the lives of the community. During times of frequent strikes, such shelters would have been kept in pristine condition, reflecting their importance to the people who need them.
Left of the Line is Life
Within the children’s snake bomb shelter, there are shrapnel scars and a yellow line… Those left of the line will live.
Reflections on Atrocity
A maze of stone pillars and walls stands outside of Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust Museum.
Inscribed on each towering wall, are hundreds of cities completely decimated by the Nazis… there were 104 walls.
Warsaw
"From here, my family fled..." - Israeli Woman outside Yad Vashem
Everyday Shelter
“We use art to depict and defy our reality.” - Israeli Kibbutz artist
The broad face of the bomb shelters are a suitable canvas upon which many community artists create images, often reflective of the communal experience. It was a rare sight to see a "naked", unmarked bomb shelter. For many Israelis, especially within the Kibbutz communities, art is a powerful way to process and imagine their reality.
Frontal Graffiti
“Solomon” is a local graffiti artist commissioned by shop owners to enhance their locked-up storefronts in the alley markets of Jerusalem.
Storefront
Shop owners often choose images or figures important to their Jewish identity.
Storied Halls
Each storefront carries with it a story. Some are stories of Jewish triumph or resilience, others depictions of trial and suffering, Yet, regardless of the face, event, or symbol depicted, each an integral part to the Jewish legacy and identity.
Beyond the Mount of Olives
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. – Luke 22:39.
As I gazed upon the Old City, my mind was aflutter, filled with thoughts of thousands of people before me as they ascended to Jerusalem - that this was hallowed ground, a place of divine shelter for those who seek it - a place for the Muslim, the Christian, and the Jew to come and find peace.
