Broken by the Names of Flowers

Broken by the Names of Flowers confronts historical Jewish suffering and the violence enacted in our

name, seen through my lived experience. The genocide in Gaza has compelled me to critically examine the

values that shaped my upbringing and to reassess my understanding of the present. Drawing on religious

teachings to construct visual narratives of dissent, I aim to distinguish Judaism from Zionist ideology. While I often position subjects close to the lens, black-and-white imagery creates a dynamic tension between intimacy and distance. I photograph family members, particularly those from my maternal lineage, as conduits for faith and structural trauma. Symbolic objects function as surrogate portraits, each bearing

personal and collective significance. Their meanings shift between reverence and doubt. The images of

sitters convey a distinct melancholy, reflecting memories of generational oppression and demonstrating

how that anguish has been mobilized to justify present-day carnage. This ongoing body of work clarifies

how my happiness, belonging, and connection to the Jewish community have been complicated by the

understanding of Zionism and its consequences. Questioning authority is a foundational Jewish tenet, and

Tikkun Olam offers an ethical framework for repairing a fractured world. Please, let’s envision an end to

violence.