Michal Safdie

Born in Jerusalem, Israel,Michal Ronnen Safdiewas educated in the fields of sociology and anthropology. Her photographs have been noted for their unusual range, encompassing subjects from the natural world (studies of ice, anthropomorphic trees, and vapor trails) to human crisis and sociopolitical issues (refugees from Darfur, Gacaca trials in Rwanda, the Western Wall, migrant workers' quarters in East Asia, and orthodox women in Israel). Her photographs have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. She now divides her time between Jerusalem and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Leading Israeli columnist and writerAri Shavitis the author of the critically acclaimedNew York TimesbestsellerMy Promised Land: the Triumph and Tragedy of Israel. An outspoken columnist forHaaretz, Israel's newspaper of record, and a prominent commentator on Israeli Public Television, Shavit has become one of the strongest voices in the nation's public arena. He challenges the dogmas of both right and left with his unique insights into the roles of Israel and Zionism in the 21st century. Shavit is also a frequent contributor to theNew Yorker,The New York Times, theNew Republic,andThe Sunday Timesof London.