Kibbutz Hanita Women Capture Border Life in Photography Exhibition
Women from Kibbutz Hanita document their wartime displacement and return through photography in a new exhibition featured at the PHOTO IS:RAEL festival in Tel Aviv.
Life on the border takes on a new visual language in the exhibition "Hanita: Border Journal," featuring works by women from Kibbutz Hanita who documented their wartime displacement and eventual return. The project is part of the 13th International Photography Festival, PHOTO IS:RAEL, held at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
The Power of PhotoVoice
A group of eight women from the northern kibbutz utilized the PhotoVoice methodology, which empowers individuals to share their personal perspectives directly through imagery and text. Michal Lisser Eden, a 58-year-old psychotherapist and one of the participating women, captured a rusted basketball hoop next to an old guard post. For her, the image symbolizes resilience and the conscious choice to embrace normalcy amidst ongoing conflict. Evacuated with her children in October 2023, Lisser Eden spent months displaced before returning to her damaged home in early 2025.
Rebuilding and Adaptation
Returning to the kibbutz presented profound challenges, including infrastructural damage and a heavy military presence. Ofra Oved, a 77-year-old resident, recalled returning in July 2025 after nearly two years of displacement. Despite the initial shock of finding the community altered and partially deserted, Oved found solace in her home. Becky Charbuni, another participant, photographed the kibbutz's yellow entrance gate framed by concrete barriers housing blooming geraniums, viewing the floral growth as a powerful emblem of renewal and hope.
