The competition has four segments: registration, educational activity, local photo exhibit and international photo competition.

In order to register, please click on this link.

Click here for full 2020-2021 program schedule

Educational Program

As part of the educational process, participants in the competition engage in three activities created especially for the Jewish Lens: (1) reviewing the art of photography; (2) observing and analyzing peers’ photographs; and (3) exploring a rich photography collection capturing the Jewish world.

The above activities are based on lessons from the Jewish Lens course developed by renowned photographer Zion Ozeri and the Center for Educational Technology in Israel.  The activities can be accessed here. Materials include an activity plan for the facilitator, various educational resources, photos, texts, study sheets and more.  The facilitator prints the materials for the participants during the educational sessions.

Final Assignment

The last assignment in the educational segment is creating a photograph inspired by the theme “My Connection to the Jewish People”. Each photo is accompanied by a “Photographer’s Note” – a short text of up to 50 words with the photographer’s details, plus meaningful insights about the photo and its Jewish connection.  Click here for examples of photos and photographers’ notes.

The photos submitted must be taken with the highest resolution possible (minimum 2MB).

Important – Conducting these activities is an essential and integral part of the competition!

Suggested Photography Equipment:  Participants can either use a digital camera or smart phones.

Local Photo Exhibit

The high point for the community is the photo exhibition organized by each institution, to display the teen photographers’ creative works registered for the global Jewish Lens @ Beit Hatfutsot Photo Competition.

The exhibition is organized by participating students.  The students form a creative team, similar to authentic art exhibits, and take on positions such as: curators, designers, producers, exhibition managers, educational guides, promoters and advertisers.

The photos will be included in a special exhibition at the institution, displayed in a designated space like a meeting room, the lobby, a “popup” gallery, an open courtyard gallery, or any other selected place.

Launching the community exhibition – We recommend inviting the community to the formal opening of the local exhibition during which the young photographers’ works are presented to the public.  The photographers mingle with the crowd and discuss their various works.  Towards the close of the event, the community (or a judging committee chosen by the school) can select top winning photos, based on specific guidelines. This gallery can be held in person, or virtually over video call or social media platform. Student participants should upload their photos directly to the My Jewish Lens site by clicking ‘Upload Photos Here” below to represent their institution in the global Jewish Lens @ Beit Hatfutsot Photo Competition.

Upload Photos Here

(Original photos are not sent to Beit Hatfutsot).

In addition, you can upload the selected photos to Instragram and to your institution’s website or Facebook page for an online exhibition.

International photo exhibition

The judging committee, headed by Zion Ozeri, will assess the various photos selected by the institutions and designate the best photos for display at The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot.  The judges also assign first, second and third place winners.

Jewish Peoplehood – The ideas and concepts of the photograph must address at least one of the pillars of Jewish Peoplehood: shared collective memory, Jewish values, multi-faceted connection to Israel, Hebrew or other Jewish languages, Jewish creativity and culture or Jewish faith and lifestyle.

Aesthetics – The photograph, like other modes of art, must be aesthetic and engage the observer with a curiosity to learn more about the photo.

Creativity – The photo will fulfill the assignment in an original and meaningful way.  The mediums and motifs are to be diverse and generate curiosity and feedback.

Photographer’s Note – Strong consideration is given to the level of the photographer’s creative expression and description of the photo so that it evokes a significant response from the observer. The narrative enhances the assignment and adds another rich layer to the work, as well as, reveal the inner world of the photographer.

The winning photos are displayed in a designated gallery at The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot.

• Strengthen Jewish youth’s sense of belonging, commitment and identification with the Jewish people – in Israel and worldwide.
• Engage participants via the pillars of Jewish Peoplehood – highlighting common denominators that foster a meaningful connection to the Jewish People.
• Inspire a dialogue and bond between Jewish teens from Israel and worldwide Jewish communities

Zion Ozeri is a world-renowned photographer. In his travels, he has encountered diverse Jewish communities scattered across the world, and through his photographs he brings them together—depicting familiar customs, shared experiences, and a sense of home. His images speak to all who have altered, shaped, and reinvented their traditions, fusing old and new, familiar and unfamiliar to create rich, modern, meaningful ways of life.

Infused with a cross-cultural perspective and a mission to explore the diversity of Jewish life around the world, Ozeri captures the differences between these communities, as well as the many profound similarities that have endured across time and space. His photographs consider the forces that have kept Jews together as a people throughout the millennia and reflect on what binds Jews to their faith and to one another. Ultimately, his work asks viewers to ponder universal questions about what unites all people in their common humanity.

Zion Ozeri graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute, both in New York City, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. His photographs have been exhibited in many museums and galleries. His work has also been published in numerous books, magazines, and newspapers.

Click here to see more of Zion’s work

Click here for the official Jewish Lens press release