By Phil Jay,

Â

Jono David, a freelance photographer based in Osaka, Japan, well known throughout the world for his documentation of synagogues and Jewish cemeteries, has been prevented from organising a Jewish photo tour in Australia this summer.

Mr David spent considerable time arranging the photo tour and initially had the approval of Australia's Jewish communities. Around 80 emails were sent informing the communities and covering a wide range of topics and issues for chronicling in photos, the institutions and Jewish life in general “Down Under”.

The responses then became “no thank yous” – Australia's Community Security Group (CSG), an organisation that oversees matters of security, ultimately decided the photo tour was inappropriate, sighting security issues.

“Whilst the CSG does not consider Mr David himself to be a security concern,” emailed Gavin Queit of CSG Victoria to all Jewish communities, “the subsequent publishing of such photographs does not pose a risk to the Jewish community.

As such, it is our recommendation that Jono David be denied permission to photograph Victorian Jewish institutions.” Mr David points out in his emails to the CSG, to challenge anyone to name a single incident – worldwide – where photographs played an integral part in an attack on a synagogue or a Jewish institution.

Mr David is passionate about his work. “I am a stranger in every community I document. Naturally, verifying and vetting outsiders is necessary. Jewish community security concerns worldwide are justified and do not need explaining.

I do not “map out” synagogues or other Jewish institutions. Nor do I not make images available if an institution has issues with said images. No exceptions,” he explains.

I am aware of a recent rise in anti-Semitic sentiment in Australia. But documenting Jewish life is important even in times of adversity – perhaps more so.

By restricting documentation, the Australian Jewish Community is going to wake up in a generation and realise there is no photographic, no fi lm, and no video record available to them. That is a real shame. CSG’s blanket no-photo policy, therefore, is actually a detriment to the AJC. Moreover, a hyper-sensitive security measure is a victory for the terrorists. By photographing a vibrant community, the Jewish people win.

Mr David’s comments raise some important issues and also raise questions about the balance between security concerns for Jewish communities in the world and the internal and external photo shots of sensitive Jewish institutions for terrorist attacks.

Mr David was featured in the June 2007 issue of Jewish Times Asia. He has visited over 100 countries and territories in his travels; his website features well over 18,000 photos.

His online HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library has captured the spirit of past and present Jewish communities in faraway places such as Barbados, Bosnia, Cuba, India, Beirut, Malaysia, and Syria. His website is www.jewishphotolibrary.com According to the Australian Jewish News, he is planning to organise a trip around August 2010.

Let’s wait and see.

_{(Issue July/August 2009)}