"Israel is a country of God and wonders. One can speak indefinitely of the country’s development from the establishment of the first kibbutzim and drainage of malaria swamps to the world-class advances in technology and medicine. I think that Israel has many exciting and interesting days ahead of it, and peace in this country would bring paramount happiness to all people on the Earth," these words pronounced by Alexander Baron, the President of "Mitsva" Association opened the photo-exhibition titled "Israel in the eyes of Kazakhstan’s people" on 18 April, 2008.

This event was held at the Exhibition Hall of "Polina" Hesed and was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Israel. It was jointly organised by the "Sokhnut" World Agency and secular Jewish organisations of Almaty. This celebratory exhibition was attended by the representative of "Sokhnut" Yosi Lebovich, executive vice-president of Eurasian Jewish Congress Feodor Ossinin, the first Prime-Minister of Kazakhstan Sergey Tereschenko and the manager of Almaty Bureau of President’s Press Agencies Valeriy Zhandauletov.

The exhibition displayed 57 works from six photojournalists of Kazakhstan. The outstanding photographs of Michael Levit, Boris Kulmagambetov, Yuri Bekker, Ilya Fishman, Oleg Belialov and Boris Brul presented both the everyday life of Israel and its exotic aspects. The exposition also presented photographs of Israel’s nature and the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, images of plants and animals, and of people performing household tasks.

"The intention of the photographs presented here is to show difficulties experienced by our people and to show them as a strong nation with great capabilities. They are great warriors. They are a part of a brave nation, which shows its thirst for life," commented Ilya Fishman, whose works were displayed at the exhibition.

The exhibition will be open until 10 May, 2008.

Anna Naumova