David Rubinger's Photographic Journey in Rome

Over sixty black-and-white photographs by David Rubinger (Vienna, 1924 – Jerusalem, 2017) are on display in Rome, capturing moments of pain, struggle, and memory from Israel's wars. Rubinger, a photojournalist for fifty years, had unprecedented access to government leaders, producing iconic images such as Golda Meir with her cigarette, Shimon Peres arranging books, Ehud Olmert helping his wife in the kitchen, and David Ben Gurion with raised fist and windblown hair. His work also depicts courageous women caring for the wounded, soldiers in the Sinai desert, and paratroopers at the Western Wall. Rubinger emigrated to Palestine in 1939, escaping racial persecution, which likely sharpened his sensitivity. The exhibition presents a raw, unembellished view of history through human stories.