Júda Passow

These photographs are more than simply a journalistic record of conflict and turmoil. They are the product of a very personal journey in a place full of shattered dreams brought about by an endless conflict which crosses the boundaries of culture and time. It's a place where the young are robbed of their youth and the elderly stripped of their dignity. The people who live here glorify their past, curse the present, and have difficulty imagining a future. Publishing this book for the 60th anniversary serves as a way of explaining the profound sense of frustration and loss felt on both sides of the Israel/Palestine divide.

There is often a gap between how we see ourselves and how we really are. You might come to the glum conclusion that the Jewish Community in Britain is hostile to the outside world and driven by discord on the inside. Yet, as Judah Passow shows, British-Jewish life hardly feels like that today. While once Jews whispered their identity, today they are much more out and proud. Though antisemitism is a continuing presence, it is not the connective issue that binds the British Jewish community together. This collection explores the shared values which shape the cultural and political identity of the Jewish community in modern Britain. There are many forms of Jewish life, including religious life, in these islands, and Judah Passow's photographs document this plurality and variety in its many forms, with an extraordinary level of artistry and human perception. The introduction is written by Jonathan Freedland, eminent author, broadcaster and long time Guardian journalist.