The Israel Lens

Traveling to Israel for our participants is a once in a lifetime experience and can be difficult to explain to friends and family upon returning from Israel.  How can you put into words your first experience at the Kotel or the magic of the Shuk on Friday afternoon? In order to give our participants a better way to tell their Israel story we incorporated a new curriculum called the "Israel Lens" a project of renowned photographer Zion Ozeri, founder of The Jewish Lens.  This project helps teens understand the power of photography and gives them the tools to tell their stories through pictures. 

The following pictures are just a few of the stories and moments from Shorashim 2010. 

Kayla Kroot

When I took this photo, I did not realize that my reflection in the mirror was visible in the frame; I solely intended to capture the light of the candles, reflected thousands of times, to represent the children of Israel. When I saw the photo, myself a part of it, I recognized the idea that we are the children of Israel; we are here to discover the land that is our home and that the people that surround us, not the sights, are what make Israel what it is. This photograph portrays me (and indirectly, the group) both as a tourist and not, simultaneously. The camera in hand shows that I am here to take a picture and move on, but by including myself, the picture demonstrates that I am a part of what surrounds me. Part of the goal of Shorashim is to connect to Israel in a way that makes us feel like we belong, that this is our home and that we are not tourists. To me, this photograph captures that message.

Nathan Fertig
This picture was taken outside of the tent for Gilad Shalit, a prisoner of Hamas, after his family and many supporters had completed a 12-day march from his home up north to a spot near the prime minister’s residence. This woman standing on the road was handing out neon bands to whoever would take them in an effort to raise awareness about Shalit’s situation and their continuing struggle to bring him back. Most of the drivers passing by in their cars took one and so did the majority of the Shorashim participants, many of whom kept the band with them through our entire time in Israel. I thought that this picture represented the fact that as much as there is disagreement and conflict in Israel, the country still maintains a strong bond and a sense of caring and community, a feeling which was echoed in our trip.

There was a wide range of emotions playing across the faces of our little group when we first went to the Western Wall in Jerusalem; tears leaked down cheeks, foreheads furrowed, the corners of mouths tugged up in slight smiles. Each and every person reacted differently to his/her first encounter with the most Holy place to all of Judaism. This picture sticks out in my mind because of how different this woman's reaction to the Western Wall was compared to my own. I remember being absolutely fascinated by her tears, jealous of the deep, draining connection she felt to this ancient pile of stones. I think that, in this sense, this picture is a truly great representation of the whole Shorashim experience: one in which participants were forced to turn away from the personal and confront the ideas/emotions/experiences of others.