Sergey Kadinsky
Photography
These photos were created in the Summer of 2006, as a Media Fellow at the Jerusalem office of The Israel Project
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Artist Dates: |
Summer 2006 |
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Title: |
Shavei Shomron- The Samarian Region |
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Location: |
Shavei Shomron, Israel |
Traveling towards Shavei Shomron ((שבי שומרון
On Route 60, approaching Shilo. The huge synagogue is the same size as the Tabernacle that stood here in ancient times.
A border guard stops us briefly at Tapuah Junction, where Route 60 crosses with Route 505. North of the junction is Shekhem (Nablus). Many local Arabs wait here for their taxi rides to work.
My host stays in shape biking. When he said he will pick me up at a bus stop, little did I expect that I'd also be getting an exercise- trying to keep up with him.
The barren hilltop in the first picture is Homesh, one of four northern Samarian communities destroyed last August by the government.
After their expulsion, the former residents of Homesh and Sa Nur were brought to this trailer park. Most have since found better places to live.
Inside the Community
A sticker defending the Jewish claim to Joseph's Tomb. After Israel gave Joseph's Tomb to the Palestinian Authority, local vandals trashed and burned the tomb in 2000.
This community also comes equipped with bomb shelters.
The synagogue looks to be about 90% complete.
The rooftop clerestory is in the shape of a hexagon- the inside of the Star of David.
The entrance to Shavei Shomron is on the left, flanked by a military base. Behind the antenna is the Nablus suburb of Deir Sharaf. Prior to the first Intifada, Jews were able to freely travel and shop in Nablus. Deir Sharaf is not ancient- it was built after 1950. It may, however, be the site of a third or fourth century Samaritan tomb.
On YouTube, both Shavei Shomron and Deir Sharaf have videos praising the beauty of the landscape, and returning to the land.
On the left is the Arab village of Sebastia, which stands near the site of the ancient capital of Samaria, built by King Omri. On the left and on the bottom is Deir Sharaf. A security wall and unused greenhouses paint a pessimistic landscape.
Click here for more Shavei Shomron photos
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