Israel, the country of contrasts, has inspired young photographer Andrey Rashev to present a selection of photos from his journey to the Promised Land. His exhibition entitled Israel, History, Religion, Future is arranged in the park facing the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia and marks the 72nd anniversary since the saving of Bulgarian Jews during World War 2.

“During my visit to Israel I was inspired by the people and the energy of the places I toured. The idea about the Holy Sepulchre is quite different from the reality – being there one is overwhelmed by indescribable emotions. I have sought to express my own point of view and have tried to avoid the kind of tourist photos.”

A girl in a military uniform in Tel Aviv is a common thing to spot. And given that the population of Israel is made up of emigrants from 100 countries, the sights in the streets are diverse – from orthodox Jews in traditional outfits and men in modern clothes, but wearing the kippah (the typical Jewish cap) to women with headscarves, and also many others observing typically European dress codes.

“The people in Israel are smiling and good-natured, and even in Jerusalem there is no air of insecurity or tension. That place is the home of three religions coexisting in peace. There is a kind of media hype about the problems of the country because in reality life is quite harmonious. There are kids running around everywhere – it does not matter to them what religion they belong to. They play together and feel free. For this reason exactly I have accentuated the future of Israel because children are the future and it is up to them how things will turn out one day.”

With Andrey Rashev we stand in front some of his favourite photos:

“These are Muslim kids who have tied a red heart to their bicycle. I have naturally highlighted the red heart in this black-and-white photo. Another interesting shot I took was as I entered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I saw a ray of light descending from the dome of the church and ending at the Jesus Christ Stone of Anointing. This left me speechless. This shot has not been processed; it is like a particle of the divine occurrence that unveiled before my eyes. Here is another favourite shot – in a wall in Tel Aviv’s Old Town I saw interesting graffiti. This shot has become the motto of my exhibition. It displays a red heart, and an orange one by its side containing the symbols of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, and the message is that love should be stronger than religion and other divisions.”

The exhibition coincides with the resolution of Sofia Municipality to place a monument commemorating the saving of Bulgarian Jews in 1943 in the park outside the Bulgarian National Assembly. A twin monument will be installed at the port of Jaffa, the town with the largest Bulgarian Jewish community that formed in 1948-1949. Maxim Benvenisti, Chairman of Shalom, the Organization of Jews in Bulgaria, says more about the symbolism of this monument.

“It is normal to commemorate a unique fact with no analogue in the world – Bulgaria not only saved its Jews from extinction but also saved the Bulgarian Jewish community (unlike Denmark whose Jews were moved into Sweden). The united Bulgarians – Christian priests and some political leaders – protected Jews in the course of four years and did not move them to another place. This is the symbolic meaning of the two monuments – the great act of saving should not be forgotten in the place where so many Jews live today.”

The exhibition outside the National Theatre has been organized with the support of Israel’s Embassy in Sofia and of Shalom.

English version: Daniela Konstantinova

Photos: shalompr.org