Rich in ancient tradition and barreling into modernity, India and Israel are nations of amazing resilience and spiritual depth. Both countries recently celebrated 75 years of independence following years of British colonial rule and created new realities amidst ancient cultures. India being the eastern Holy Land where Hinduism and Buddhism began and Israel being the western Holy land where Judaism, Christianity, and Islam originated, these nations are both modern political entities and the birthplaces of the world’s major religions.
I spent one uninterrupted year on a solo photographic odyssey in India and Israel in 1995 at the age of 23 with just a backpack, my Hasselblad camera, and 100+ rolls of film. Throughout my journey, I was fascinated by the influence of religion on the day-to-day life of every individual. Religion often affected every aspect of a person’s life from what to eat, whom to marry, what to wear, to how to worship. Both countries have numerous religions existing side-by-side, in conflict and in harmony. Additionally, their religious traditions are administered by patriarchal systems, creating challenges for women and girls seeking equal rights and safety. Religion and ritual were everywhere in vivid, visual splendor – on every street corner, train station, temple, and home – and I was enthralled.
In the mid-1990’s, Israel was in the midst of the Peace Process after the signing of the Oslo Accords and a tenuous peace seemed just around the corner. The same year, India had yet to experience its technology boom and Bollywood had not made it to the world stage. So much has changed since then. Even so, in the face of rapidly changing societies and the struggles of modernity, India and Israel remain ancestral homes to their indigenous peoples, sacred texts, historical sites, and religious ritual. My photographs from that time are a testament to those moments in history as well as my experience of inspiration and awe for these countries of difficulty and wonder.
