"Balagan" - ran on March 3-31, 2003 at Pro-Jex gallery in Austin, TX.

The exhibit included a series of large vertical prints showing a segment of Jaffa Street in Jerusalem. The street, a main artery in downtown West Jerusalem, was the scene of repeated suicide-bombings and gunfire incidents during the Second Intifada.

“Balagan” is the Hebrew word for “pandemonium.” Originally, the word described a form of traveling theater, mixing comedy and circus acts, that used to entertain Russian peasants in their villages. "Balagan" is the euphemism Israelis use for the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If bombs blow up in downtown Jerusalem and drive restaurants out of business, it’s because of the “balagan.” If you’re afraid in crowded places and scan faces for potential terrorists, it’s because of the “balagan.”

But forget the politics -- the causes and becauses -- and you’re left with a tremendous waste of lives on all sides. As a photographer, I aimed to keep a record of the living. I focused on passersby before explosions, refugees before military attacks, and looked for beauty in the shadow of fear.