Doors of Israel:
Unveiling the Beauty and Holiness
Through the Lens

This week, someone asked me the following question, “What made you notice all these beautiful doors while walking around Israel? I’m sure there must have been tons of people that have walked by these very doors, without ever noticing them, or taking photos of them.”

Honestly, I didn’t have to think hard to respond.

Most photographers are trained to notice the beauty around them. It’s simply a part of their being. My mind is constantly thinking in terms of photo opportunities. It’s just how I’m wired. Wherever I am, and no matter what I am doing, I think in terms of photography. 

I remember once being on a tour, and instead of concentrating on what the tour guide is saying, I was noticing the foliage against the background, and thinking what a great example that would be to teach my students the lesson “Depth of Field”.

Or how I’ll notice the gorgeous quality of light at the time of sunset, or how I think about how a certain background would blur so beautifully if I use an aperture of 1.4….and so on. 

So when I wander around the holy streets of Jerusalem and Tzfat, of course I’m noticing the beautiful doors surrounding me. Their uniqueness, their colors, their shapes are just beckoning for me to photograph them. Document them. And love them.

And finally create the stunning “Doors of Israel: a Gateway to Blessing” Birchas Habayis with them. 

Just looking at the Birchas Habayis hanging now on my wall has the extraordinary power to whisk me away, and I find myself strolling once again through those picturesque streets, retracing each step, to find the beauty and holiness of the Doors of Israel.