Passage to Israel

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 such as Soul, Spirit, Awe, Quiet, and Unity, 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 full-steam ahead past the typical postcard images of the country to showcase the character of its people and the sanctity of the land they're so resolute in preserving. Contributors to Passage to Israel include twenty-five iconic and groundbreaking photographers, acclaimed artists such as Markus Gebauer and Amit Geron, and more than 150 of their images are featured inside. As a precursor to the images is an enlightening introduction by the author, a renowned cultural critic and curator, that provides a fascinating frame for the photographs to come. Throughout, explanatory captions are featured side-by-side with the images. For a country roughly the size of New Jersey and only formally declared a state in 1948, not too long ago, Israel is easily the world's most controversial land, one that's withstood regular suicide bombing, 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 there, 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 director of Grafia Books, a producer of high-end visual books. She is the author of The Inspired Home, was the editorial director of Assouline Publishing, and has been an editor at highly-regarded publications such as the New York Times Magazine. Her essays and commentary have been featured in media such as the New York Times, the New Republic, the Wall Street Journal, Slate, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Art + Auction, U.S News and World Report, Mother Jones, and New York Spaces. 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 on Huffington Post Live,Israel Hayom,Jerusalem Post, and the Daily Beast, to name a few.