Aviram Valdman’s perspicacious lens gives us a taste of Israel during its hottest season.
Summer, Israel. The swelter of the country’s longest season brings flies, sandstorms, sidewalks lined with the slush of ficus tree droppings, and—not infrequently—war. But sandwiched between Ramadan and the High Holidays, and set along beaches and tracks of desert shaped by the sun, summer is also an exhalation for people of the region. Sea, sand, barbeque called “on the fire,” watermelon with feta, treks and hikes, and festivals strung with lights all glow against the backdrop of a coming winter. Somehow, despite the intensity, Israel’s summer brings people together.
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Banner Photo: Aviram Valdman
- Photos: Summer Before the Storm / Aviram Valdman
A climber dangles from Me’arat Keshet (Cave Arch), the arcing remnants of a former cave in the Galilee. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Unbroken, Unmoored
Waves break over a ruined stone structure at Tel Aviv’s Port. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Galaxy of Summer Supplication
A Syrian mosque stands opposite Roman ruins in the Golan Heights. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Soaked in Sisterhood
Young girls play in a fountain at the annual International Arts & Crafts Fair in Jerusalem. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Fountain of Youth
Getting wet at the International Arts and Crafts Fair in Jerusalem. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- A Land of Generations
A Bedouin grandfather and grandson cool off in the Negev shade. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Green Giant
The Guardian of the Negev anti-pollution sculpture stands watch in Ramat Hovav, outside Israel’s main hazardous waste facility. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Market Watch
During Ramadan, the Arab Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City is decorated with lights. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- The View
Palestinians climb atop the security barrier near Jerusalem. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Riding Atop History
Palestinians sit astride the security barrier near Jerusalem. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Hot Water
The sea at Jaffa port in the summer twilight reflects the turmoil of the region. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Delusional
A man plays horsey on a sculpture in the south of the country. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower
- Start Your Engines
A nation looks to an uncertain future, at the ready. Photo: Aviram Valdman / The Tower