PRAGUE (EJP)---An exhibition devoted to the celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary opened at the Zlata Husa (Golden Goose) Gallery concurrently with the Prague Spring Festival.
The Gallery, on four floors, is hidden in one of the ancient buildings in old Josefstadt, the former Jewish area dating back to the 16th century and before.
Only steps away from the six synagogues, museums, Kafka's home and the ancient and moving cemetery the Gallery is thus in the centre of old Prague, next to the turrets of the Tyn Church.
Despite the antiquity of the area the Gallery is hidden behind a modern door , the interior is light and bright and the pictures are beautifully hung.
The exhibition, curated by Dr Magdalena Jurikova, is the culmination of three years work by the photographer Vladimir Zelezny who not only photographs, but prints these large and superb images himself.
The quality of the prints is technically outstanding.
A man of many parts, previously a journalist, commentator, student, activist and politician, he is at present a member of the European Parliament...referring to himself as a Eurosceptic...
This exceptional show differs from most other images of the State of Israel...not of the past, not of the Shoah, not of the horrible divisions, but of the people...not only Jews, but those of the Christian and Islamic faiths...Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and Armenian Priests, Christian Arabs and Japanese pilgrims are all present in their multi-religious and cultural glory.
Jerusalem and it's people take rightly pride of place.
One room is devoted to images of all the above and includes a portrait of a young woman, framed side by side with a Palestinian girl with identical eyes,separated only by the veil.
At the Kotel (the Western Wall in Jerusalem), happy Chassidim (Orthodox Jews) with grandchildren, a skinhead wearing a tallit or prayer shawl, the beauty of a handsome silky-haired Yemenite Jew, thirteen- year-old boys from Brooklyn celebrating their Bar Mitzvah with the honour of carrying the Torah, the myriad familial blessings by all faiths, the ecstasy of the truly religious of all faiths, in prayer or simply in the joy of living.
Nature is not forgotten whether in a delightful picture of two Arab-owned goats,or a Mars-like view of the Negev and neither is the Coca-Cola or "MacDavids" streetlife of Tel Aviv.
Although the photographer obviously has "His" own Israel in view, it is an optimistic view, a picture of what he obviously feels, with hope, could be the future.
A human and humane vision of laughter and hope not to be missed if visiting Prague in the next two months.
