Asaf Friedman | Biography I am a documentary photographer and educator, 42, based in Hod Hasharon, Israel. For the past decade, I have balanced my work as a photography teacher and middle school educator with a deep commitment to documentary photography. My photographic vision is shaped by the intersection of education and my Master’s studies in Mindfulness and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). For me, the camera is a tool for quiet observation, aiming for full presence and human sensitivity toward my subjects. For the past six years, I have dedicated my work to an upcoming photobook project exploring religion, faith, and ritual in Israel. I am drawn to documenting religious customs not from an external perspective, but through an attempt to capture the small, unposed human moments that compose the experience of faith. My work has been featured in the "Local Testimony" exhibitions over the years, including first-place awards in the "Nature and Environment" category (2017) and the "Religion and Faith" category (2018) for a series documenting the Chevra Kadisha (Jewish burial society). My photography seeks to distance itself from the cliché and the staged, bringing to the forefront the truth as it is reflected in the street, the synagogue, or nature—simple, raw, and sincere.