Passage to Israel

“Israel is a beautiful country. You wouldn’t know that from watching the evening news, but in Passage to Israel you will experience Israel’s gorgeous natural beauty and its stunning architecture, both ancient and modern.” —William Meyers, photography critic, Wall Street Journal Bursting with lush, vibrant photographs, Passage to Israel is a timeless tribute to one of the world’s most soulful, resolute, and newsworthy countries. Divided into sections on Land, Light, Life, and Soul, the stunning images featured inside capture Israel’s glorious landscapes, its city life, its culture, and its people. From an enchanting sunset over the Dead Sea to the lively city life of Tel Aviv, from colorful marketeers to families in prayer at the Western Wall, this incredible volume moves beyond the typical postcard images of the country to showcase the character of its people and the sanctity of the land they are so resolute in preserving. Contributors to Passage to Israel include thirty-four innovative and groundbreaking photographers, and nearly two hundred of their images are featured inside. Also included are a moving foreword by acclaimed activist Chloé Simone Valdary and an enlightening introduction by the author—a renowned cultural critic and curator—that provide a fascinating frame for the photographs. For a country roughly the size of New Jersey and only formally declared a state in 1948, Israel is easily the world’s most controversial land. It regularly faces violent attacks and political pressure, yet its people refuse to be silenced. They will protect their borders and they will continue to persevere. For those who’ve been to Israel and those who’ve yet to make the trip, here, at last, is a truly immersive experience, an inspiring visual connection to a remarkable, but faraway land.

Karen Lehrman Bloch is a cultural critic, a curator, and the author of The Inspired Home: Interiors of Deep Beauty, La Formentera: The Woodland Refuge of Juan Montoya, and The Lipstick Proviso: Women, Sex & Power in the Real World. Her essays and commentary have been featured in media such as the New York Times, the New Republic, the Wall Street Journal, Slate, Vogue, Metropolis, and Tablet. She lives in New York City. Chloé Simone Valdary is a Tikvah Fellow at the Wall Street Journal working under the auspices of Pulitzer Prize–winning author Bret Stephens. In 2013, she was named one of the top one hundred people positively affecting Jewish life in the Algemeiner. Her work as a Zionist thinker and human rights activist has been featured in media such as Huffington Post Live, Israel Hayom, the Jerusalem Post, and the Daily Beast. She lives in New York City.