Wow, what a year! My photo take on 2020

I can’t explain how exactly this happened, but the “stay-at-home” year for me became the most fruitful*, creatively fulfilling, and diverse one, ever. Seems like the global crisis that put our resilience and flexibility to test, forced me to work harder than before, and I was blessed to collaborate with people with a similar mindset.

* With 32.000 frames of stills and roughly 500 hours of video footage.

Choosing the images that would summarize my 2020 wasn’t an easy job. I laughed a lot, I sighed a lot as I was going through the images reliving all the joy and the sadness and the stress of this unusual year.

I’m inviting you to join me on my photographic journey through 2020.

January 11. Jerusalem. Tali and Naomi

The first photoshoot of 2020, in Jerusalem museum. I wanted to make this composition, but had no idea that it will become so symbolic for the whole year

Germany, Bacharach

In January we traveled to Germany. All those small touristic towns along the Rhein were proudly empty - all the businesses traditionally closed for a “winterpause”. Silent and deserted, they looked so wild to us! In just 2-3 months all major capitals of the world looked exactly the same.

Germany, Heidelberg

Israel, Jerusalem. Lena

Israel, Jerusalem. Naomi

Naomi is the daughter of our friends. She is a young, talented dancer with endless energy. On that day we went to the Israeli Museum campus to see how we can use the structures on its lands to create some interesting frames

Israel, Jerusalem. Tali and Naomi

Israel, Har HaTayasim (Pilots Mt.). Lily, Mark and Sasha

January 19. Jordan river. Epiphany Day

The high water level on Epiphany day forced authorities to deny access to the riverside for the public, making traditional baptismal ritual impossible, to a huge disappointment for hundreds of pilgrims arriving from all corners of the world

January 19. Israel, Jordan river. Epiphany Day

Plastic pipes were installed for the Epiphany day as a workaround that let pilgrims pour on themselves water from the Jordan river without actually entering it

Jan 19. Judean desert

Jan 19. Israel, Jerusalem Hills

It takes about 40 minutes of driving to get from the Judean desert (on the previous picture) to Jerusalem Hills. These two radically different landscapes are located in two different biomes. The city of Jerusalem is located on a diving line between them. I used to live both in the Judean desert and in Jerusalem, now residing amidst Jerusalem hills.

January 29. Jerusalem. Elem shelter for youth at risk.

The shelter stirred a lot of emotions and thoughts in me. Young women I met there went through the darkest period in their lives, being homeless, addicted, abandoned by their families. The shelter gave them much more than just a roof and food. It became their true substitute home. The staff members of the shelter are not just caring - that’s obvious. They are socially and politically active, they fight for their girls and their rights.

The picture is made on assignment of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

January 27. Ben Gurion airport.

Israeli student greeting new immigrants from Ukraine.

The picture is made on assignment of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

January 30. Pardes-Hana. Neve Michael children's village

Hava Levene, the fabulous director of Neve Michael children’s village - a home for kids whose parents were deprived of parental rights.

The picture is made on assignment of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

February 4. Israel, Avivim village.

A soldier of Israel Defense Army in Avivim, a village next to the Lebanon border.

For me, Israel often feels bitter-sweet exactly in this way.

The picture is made on the assignment of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

February 8. Israel, Kisalon

Stuck at home on weekend because of bad weather. Little did we know then about being stuck at home!

February 8. Israel, Kisalon. Lily

February 8. Israel, Kisalon

Stuck at home on weekend because of bad weather. Little did we know then about being stuck at home!

February 14. Israel, Tel Aviv

Levontin 7 music club. A moment before a performance of Leonid Fedorov and Igor Krutogolov. This was one of the best nights of the year.

February 14. Israel, Tel Aviv. Igor Krutogolov

February 14. Israel, Tel Aviv. Leonid Fedorov

February 15. Israel, near Beit Jamal monastery

February 29. Israel, kibbutz Har'el. Zhenja, Zinovi

February 29. Israel, kibbutz Har'El. Lily

March 5. Israel, Bat Yam

Home visits to lonely elderlies - the most vulnerable clients of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

March 5. Israel, Ramle

Home visits to lonely elderlies - the most vulnerable clients of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

March 5. Israel, Ramle

Home visits to lonely elderlies - the most vulnerable clients of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. At that point, hugging was not banned yet. It had a great therapeutical effect on the lonely elderly

March 7. Israel, Palmachim beach. Sasha, Marina, Lily

Marina is a professional translator and interpreter. She is studying the Emergency and Disaster Management Program at Tel Aviv University now.

March 7. Israel, Palmachim beach. Marina, Lily

March 10. Israel, Vertigo Art Village. Katya Evdokimova, Hai Cohen

My old friend Katya Evdokimova plans to open the first inclusive contact improvisation center in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. She came to Israel to produce a video about a similar center existing in Israel. For me, this production was a glimpse into a wonderful world of care, tenderness and support. On this picture, Katya is dancing with Hai Cohen, a prominent Contact Improvisation dancer, creator of the Power of Balance center.

March 23. Israel, Bat Yam

And then it began - the new reality has turned the world upside down too quickly to reflect on it. We all had to shut up and put on masks on our faces.

March 12. Israel, Jerusalem

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews recognized the emergency promptly and began acting on it. Lonely people required urgent help, and they received it.

March 23. Israel, Bat Yam

IFCJ went from door to door with the food parcels. The logistics were figured out within days.

March 23. Israel, Bat Yam

IFCJ delivered food parcels to thousands of old and lonely people who couldn’t leave their house

March 23. Israel, Bat Yam

I joined the parcel distribution campaign for one day to document it. I saw a lot of fear mixed with gratitude in the eyes of the assistance recipients.

March 28. Zoom meeting with friends

In 2020 we had to adjust our habits to the new reality. Zoom meetings with friends felt unnatural, but how would we survive the year without these means of communication?

March 31. Israel, Jerusalem. Ben Yehuda street

The busiest touristic street of Jerusalem became deserted during the lockdown

March 31. Israel, Jerusalem

Closed doors of the businesses

March 31. Israel, Jerusalem. King George street

The silent catastrophe

April 2. Israel. Yael Eckstein

Yael is the president and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Being a leader of a huge and influential humanitarian organization, she isn’t someone who spends days in the office. Instead, she lifts heavy boxes and delivers them herself to the needy. She visits poor and disabled people at their homes in Israel, Ukraine, Russia - wherever the clients are located - she listens to their stories and comforts them.

April 2. Israel. Yael Eckstein

Yael Eckstein, the president and CEO of IFCJ inspecting a military base where the soldiers of IDF are packing thousands of food parcels for the needy of the country. IFCJ joined forces with other humanitarian organizations and with the Israel Defence Forces in order to distribute the food to the needy as quick as possible.

May 2. Israel, Kisalon. Lily and Sasha

May 7. Israel, Judean desert. Varya and Lena

On a rare occasion between the lockdowns, we managed to spend time with our friends.

May 19. Israel, Ben Gurion airport.

New immigrants arriving from Ukraine on a flight sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

May 19. Israel, Ben Gurion airport

New immigrants arriving from Ukraine

May 19. Israel, Ben Gurion airport

New immigrants arriving from Ukraine during the pandemic didn’t get a usual greeting ceremony. Instead, they got their body temperature checked.

May 25. Israel, Jerusalem. Institute of Archaeology

My friend Sveta has been working at the Archeology institute for many years, and when she heard that the renovation of the building is planned, she asked me to capture the atmosphere of the institute. This was one of the most unusual photoshoots, I explored every corner of the building and couldn’t stop taking pictures - as if the building welcomed me and invited me for a long conversation.

May 25. Israel, Jerusalem. Institute of Archaeology

My friend Sveta has been working at the Archeology institute for many years, and when she heard that the renovation of the building is planned, she asked me to capture the atmosphere of the institute. This was one of the most unusual photo shoots, I explored every corner of the building and couldn’t stop taking pictures - as if the building welcomed me and invited me for a long conversation.

May 29. Israel, Upper Galilee. Zhenja

June 2. Israel, Jerusalem. Mahane Yehuda market

June 14. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre

In summer I was contacted by DAVAI comedians. The guys asked me to photograph them as they were shooting a new music video. The guys didn’t fall into depression as the lockdown forced them to stop performing in front of the audience. Instead, they found new ways to stay creative and produce new shows.

For me, this photoshoot marked the beginning of a long-lasting creative collaboration and friendship.

June 14. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre. Losha Gavrielov

In summer I was contacted by DAVAI comedians. The guys asked me to photograph them as they were shooting a new music video. The guys didn’t fall into depression as the lockdown forced them to stop performing in front of the audience. Instead, they found new ways to stay creative and produce new shows.

For me, this photoshoot marked the beginning of a long-lasting creative collaboration and friendship.

June 19. Israel, Lakhish region. Mark

2019. Israel, Jerusalem. Lena

When it comes to shooting on film, I take pictures extremely slowly. There’s something in analogue photography that makes me wait for a perfect moment. Sometimes waiting time reaches month. In the summer of 2020 I finished shooting a roll of 35mm film which I began shooting early in 2019. This is one of the frames from that roll

June 30. Israel, Kisalon. Zhenja and Lily

It’s been over half a year after our little Lily passed away, but I’m still weeping as I look through her pictures. This one was taken 3 weeks prior to her passing away.

July 6. Israel, Upper Galilee

A rare and amazing moment of the past summer: I took my kids and their friend and went off to a 3-days hike.

July 7. Israel, Meron mt

June 27. Israel, Jerusalem. Evgenia Kirshtein

My friend, artist Evgeniia Kirshtein with one of her powerful works. She makes pottery and paints on it. She works in many other techniques, as well. Extremely talented.

July 7. Israel, Upper Galilee. Mark

July 7. Israel, Upper Galilee. Nimrod fortress

July 18. Israel, Tzur Hadassah. Picking grapes

July 18. Israel, Tzur Hadassah

Me by Maria Selissky

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre

DAVAI is producing a new music video, Mamamaya. Click on the picture to watch the resulting clip

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre

DAVAI is producing a new music video, Mamamaya. Click on the picture to watch the resulting clip

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre

DAVAI is producing a new music video

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre

DAVAI is producing a new music video

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre. Losha Gavrielov, clown

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. Fyodor and Vitalik, clowns

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre

Left to right: Losha Gavrielov, Vitaly Azarin, Fyodor Makarov

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre

Left to right: Losha Gavrielov, Vitaly Azarin, Fyodor Makarov

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. Vitaly Azarin, clown

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. Losha Gavrielov, clown

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. Fyodor Makarov, clown

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. Vitaly Azarin, clown

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. Losha Gavrielov, clown

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre's Tit

July 25. Israel, Tel Aviv. DAVAI Theatre

August 30. Israel, Bar Giyora. Taya and Lena

August 30. Bar Giyora. Lena's birthday

August 30. Israel, Nes Harim. Zinovi

August 30. Nes Harim. Mark

August 8. Israel, near Meron mountain

August 13. Israel. Yehudit, Holocaust survivor

The picture is made on assignment of IFCJ

August 14. Israel, Negev desert

August 21. Israel, Jerusalem. At the Western Wall

August 19. Israel, Jerusalem

Jews praying outside the Great Synagogue to keep the social distancing rules.

August 21. Israel, Jerusalem

The community of immigrants from Belarus marching in Jerusalem in support of Belarus protests.

August 21. Israel, Jerusalem

The community of immigrants from Belarus marching in Jerusalem in support of Belarus protests.

August 22. Israel, Palmachim Beach

August 26. Israel, Gaza strip border

A field burnt down using arson balloons launched from Gaza strip

August 26. Israel, Netivot

A family with 4 kids uses this narrow corridor instead of a bedroom during rocket attacks from Gaza.

From the “Security stories” project shot for IFCJ

August 28. Israel, Kisalon. Marina

Yet another journey began in 2020 when for the first time in my life I bought studio light and started to craft my own method of studio portraiture.

September 7. Israel, Jerusalem. Kadar, actor

Yet another journey began in 2020 when for the first time in my life I bought studio light and started to craft my own method of studio portraiture.

September 7. Israel, Jerusalem. Daniel, actor

Yet another journey began in 2020 when for the first time in my life I bought studio light and started to craft my own method of studio portraiture.

September 7. Israel, Jerusalem. Daniel, actor

Yet another journey began in 2020 when for the first time in my life I bought studio light and started to craft my own method of studio portraiture.

September 12. Israel, Shilat. Fyodor Makarov, clown

September 12. Israel, Shilat. Losha Gavrielov, clown

September 17. Israel, Jerusalem. Tamar

September 19. Israel, Jerusalem. Tamar

October 3. Israel, Tel Aviv. Doron

Doron Amitay is a musician and a comedian who decided to go into politics while keeping his comedian attitude to everything. The campaign was called “Doron wants to help”

October 3. Israel, Tel Aviv

Doron Amitay is a musician and a comedian who decided to go into politics while keeping his comedian attitude to everything. The campaign was called “Doron wants to help”

October 6. Israel, Mitzpe Ramon. Losha Gavrielov, clown

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on wheels on tour

October 6. Israel, Miztpe Ramon. Kasya, clown

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

October 7. Israel, Crater Ramon. Vitaly Azarin

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

October 7. Israel, Ramon crater. Limor Eshayek, clown

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

October 7. Israel, Ramon crater. Michal Svironi

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

October 7. Israel, Ramon crater. Hanigrarim

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

October 7. Israel, Ramon crater

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

October 7. Israel, Modi'in. Kasya, clown

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

October 7. Israel, Modi'in

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

November 10. Israel, Kelil

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

November 10. Israel, Kelil

Hanigrarim clowns cabaret on tour

November 27. Israel, Bar Giyora. Zinovi

December 1. Be'er Sheva

IFCJ launched a program to help those who would never need help if not for the pandemic. I traveled to conduct interviews with those who all of a sudden found themselves in need.

December 1. Israel, Yeruham

December 16. Israel, Jerusalem. Max Epstein, artist

Live performance with online streaming - a new way to reach the audience.

December 16. Israel, Jerusalem. Max Epstein, artist

Live performance with online streaming - a new way to reach the audience

None of this would have happened without incredible artists and organizations that found a way to move forward regardless of the turmoil and provided me with an opportunity to document their projects through photography and videography. Some of the names are:

• International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

• DAVAI Theatre group

• Koomkoom Theatre

Thank you, guys. I can’t be grateful enough.