Collection Israel from Amie Potsic

Israel

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.

Israel

Artwork in Israel

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Bomb threat detection, Western Wall (Jerusalem, Israel)

Bomb threat detection, Western Wall (Jerusalem, Israel)

Boy Ascending Stairs (Tzfat, Israel)

Boy Ascending Stairs (Tzfat, Israel)

Boys on Fishing Boat (Akko, Israel)

Boys on Fishing Boat (Akko, Israel)

Boys Working in Textile Shop (Hebron, Israel)

Boys Working in Textile Shop (Hebron, Israel)

Bride at the Western Wall (Jerusalem, Israel)

Bride at the Western Wall (Jerusalem, Israel)

Bus After Terrorist Attack, (Golan Heights, Israel)

Bus After Terrorist Attack, (Golan Heights, Israel)

Candle lighting, Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem, Israel)

Candle lighting, Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem, Israel)

Cemetery on Mount of Olives (Jerusalem, Israel)

Cemetery on Mount of Olives (Jerusalem, Israel)

Children Looking out through the Fence, Kibbutz Ma'aleh Gilboa (Galilee, Israel)

Children Looking out through the Fence, Kibbutz Ma'aleh Gilboa (Galilee, Israel)

Children Praying at the Western Wall (Jerusalem, Israel)

Children Praying at the Western Wall (Jerusalem, Israel)

Crops on Ma'aleh Gilboa Kibbutz (Galilee, Israel)

Crops on Ma'aleh Gilboa Kibbutz (Galilee, Israel)

Damascus Gate, Muslim Quarter, Old City (Jerusalem, Israel)

Damascus Gate, Muslim Quarter, Old City (Jerusalem, Israel)

Dome of the Rock (Jerusalem, Israel)

Dome of the Rock (Jerusalem, Israel)

Entrance to Religious Neighborhood (Jerusalem, Israel)

Entrance to Religious Neighborhood (Jerusalem, Israel)

Father and Son at the Kotel (Jerusalem, Israel)

Father and Son at the Kotel (Jerusalem, Israel)

Girls Gathering in the New City (Jerusalem, Israel)

Girls Gathering in the New City (Jerusalem, Israel)

Hotel Entrance, Muslim Quarter (Jerusalem, Israel)

Hotel Entrance, Muslim Quarter (Jerusalem, Israel)

Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock from the Mount of Olives (Jerusalem, Israel)

Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock from the Mount of Olives (Jerusalem, Israel)

Likud Political Demonstration (Jerusalem, Israel)

Likud Political Demonstration (Jerusalem, Israel)

Lining Bait (Akko, Israel)

Lining Bait (Akko, Israel)

Makhtesh Ramon Crater, The Negev Desert (Mitzpe Ramon, Israel)

Makhtesh Ramon Crater, The Negev Desert (Mitzpe Ramon, Israel)

Man in Prayer Shall at Tomb of David (Jerusalem, Israel)

Man in Prayer Shall at Tomb of David (Jerusalem, Israel)

Market (Jerusalem, Israel)

Market (Jerusalem, Israel)

Minyan (Jerusalem, Israel)

Minyan (Jerusalem, Israel)

Monks at the Church of the Beatitudes (Sea of Galilee, Israel)

Monks at the Church of the Beatitudes (Sea of Galilee, Israel)