Holy Exposures Commentary and Photos of Israel

Whether you are looking for fruits and vegetables, or
fish, meat, candy, coffee, spices, kitchen utensils, bargain clothing (odd-lots), Judaica, or just about anything else - The Shuk (Mahane or Machane Yehuda) is The place to go! שוק מחנה יהודה

The Shuk is bound by Jaffa and Aggripas Streets.
Most of the vendors are under awnings “Indoors”, however some, such as the Pita Hawkers, are simply out in the middle of the road. You can expect to hear quite a bit of price hawking being shouted from the vendor’s cubicles. Typically, they are informing you of the great deals available - such as “A dozen pitas for 10 Shekels” or “3 Shekel for one kilo of juicy tomatoes”. Sometimes, however, you can hear the inevitable haggling over prices from savvy shoppers (old-timers and youngsters).

Click on thumbnails to see some samples: If you need larger images of the shuk, or any of the images on this website, just let us know! Write to us at contact@holyexposures.com

Dawn of a New Day - Judean Days (Super Size)

Imagine having this sunrise every morning! I thought maybe it was like this in the beginning of time.

This wonderful view is courtesy of the Judean Foot Hills at around 5:30 am one Summer morning.

Tech details: NikonF100, Fuji Velva Chrome, 1/60, tripod

Here’s some panoramic images near the Arab Village Bet Safafa in Jerusalem that I have stitched together.

A quick snapshot from a passing car and now you see what snow looks like when it falls at the entrance to Jerusalem. This image is from 2003. The roads are generally cleared quickly, either from the sun melting the snow away, or from the very infrequent snow plows attached to municpal garbage trucks.

Snow blankets Jerusalem in 2003.

Sometimes things present themselves to you in your everyday life, and you have to capture the moment. I was walking in the park in Ramat Bet Shemesh - it’s actually a large green inner-city park in the mostly anglo-franco neighborhood of Bet Shemesh. Pointing my camera at one of the insides of a pergola this interesting (and familiar) shape came to me. By the way, Ramat Bet Shemesh is almost entirely an (ultra) orthodox Jewish community.

Sometimes pergolas are just pergolas..

Ramat Bet Shemesh has been in the news as of late. Most of the news is not so great. There are some extremists disguising themselves as ultra-orthodox. These folks seem to have nothing better to do than throw stones at passer-bys on the Sabbath. They are quite busy sometimes during the week as well. Here’s a NY Times article on Ramat Bet Shemesh

A nice view from Ramat Bet Shemesh to the valley on the East Side (Facing the foothills to Jerusalem)

Ramat Bet Shemesh Bet.

Ramat Bet Shemesh Aleph

Hebron Then & Now

They say that nothing lasts forever. In Hebrew there is a saying, however, that Hebron is eternal.

Hebron - Site of Ambush November 15 2002

On the Sabbath eve of Nov 15, 2002, Arab gunmen drew fire on an Israeli patrol in the no-mans land between Arab Hebron and the nearby Jewish Settlement Kiryat Arba. The Israeli patrol and a first-responder security force (civilians) from Kiryat Arba came to fortify the Israel position. Within minutes the Arab terrorists led the patrol into a dark alley with no way out. As they turned around, they were hit by a wail of gunfire from an Arab ambush. The results were truly devastating. Twelve Israelis were killed, including the Hebron Brigade commander Col. Dror Weinberg.

Here’s a detailed report from the Jerusalem Post

This photo was taken in the aftermath, approx one month later. The Israeli army had flattened the area, which was then soaked with the recent rains. Settlers from Kiryat Arba had attempted to set up tents there and establish an outpost as a moral victory against terror. However, the Israeli govt. caved in to pressure, and they were evicted. In this photo, you see two Arab children throwing stones on the swamp that was created from the recent rains. The Israeli graffiti in the background calls for Arabs to be removed.

Hevron Then & Now!

With a small country and a large history of wars, Israeli is filled with monuments to our fallen soldiers. Nearly every place you go there’s another “andarta” (monument in Hebrew). I was listening to Prime Minister Olmert’s speech at the Annapolis Conference yesterday, and it got me to thinking about the Israel psyche.

Engineering Corps Monument near Tzomet Hulda.

Notice that this monument has walls with plaques and names of fallen soldiers from the Engineering Corps. As part of the inevitability of the Israeli existence, this monument was built with room to grow. There is another empty wall silently waiting for more names and plaques.

When Mr. Olmert suggests that Israel is ready for a new existence. That we are ready to accept tough consequences, is he taking into account all the suffering and sacrifices that have been made to prevent some of these very consequences?