personal › Beachcomber

Yuval Levi, Charles Clore Beach, Tel Aviv, November 2021

“I’m a sex columnist, but my subject isn’t really about sex, but love, and how we are prepared to overcome so many obstacles to get there. I suffer from anxiety, and the best remedy is to be in the here and now, and not stuck inside my head. On the beach all my senses are alive, and that helps me to feel connected, and I have no doubt that sex helps in a similar way.”

Michael Rishoni, Be’er Sheva Beach, Ashdod February 2022

“I’ve been working for 25 years on a Hebrew-English Dictionary - over 10,000 pages piled on six chairs and constantly growing. There's at least another 20 years’ work left, so I might not be alive to finish it. I’m not worried. When Jacob, the second Grimm brother, died in 1863 he was only up to F in their monumental dictionary, the Deutsches Wörterbuch. It took scholars 100 years more to complete.”

Itay ‘Houston’ Hadar, Metzukey Dragot Beach, Dead Sea, November 2021

“I grew up in the Jesse Cohen neighbourhood. Violence was the norm. Mum beat and abused me and Dad was an alcoholic. When I was 11 I had a fight with another kid and nearly killed him. Thank God he survived. I knew I couldn’t carry on like that.”'

Ido & Shaun, Metzukei Dragot Beach, Dead Sea, September 2020

Gal Rozner, Poleg Beach January 2022

“Aside from the ability to defend myself, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gave me many other tools for life in general. In my first competition at 14 I thought I would take my opponents apart, but I got my ass kicked and lost in the first round. My trainer taught me that there are no losses – either you win, or you learn. It’s true. I’ve learnt more from the losses than the wins.”

Eyal Golan, Ga’ash Beach, January 2022

“The understanding that we’re on a flat earth encased by a firmament and that there is a creator gives life meaning and harmony. You’re listening to intuition instead of authority. My wife won’t accept my views. She’s a neuropsychologist. I try not to talk about it with her.”

Ofri & Yehuda, Achziv Beach, January 2022

“I’d be happy to have eight children, like my parents, but I know Ofri feels differently. I believe that God will provide.”

Nadine Amiel, Shave Zion Beach, January 2022

“During self-isolation my husband Shlomi began reading a lot about Wellbeing, Bio-hacking and discovered ‘The Iceman’, Wim Hof. Hof’s method involves getting into freezing water, breathing with a special technique, then into a sauna and back again. Shlomi made a cold tub from an industrial freezer, we bought a sauna, and 2-3 times a week we break the ice and practice Hof’s method.”

Amir Asadi, Achziv Beach, December 2021

“I like my life. Sunday to Thursday, 9 to 5, I work as a partner in my father’s finance and tax returns company. When work finishes on Thursday evening, I take a girlfriend with me in the GMC and go travelling until Sunday morning.”

Roi & Tal, Palmachim Beach, December 2021

“I studied Sound Engineering at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. I thought my English was good until I got there. I didn’t understand a thing. A friend from London helped me with the language and how to hold a conversation in England. Israelis carry on for hours about the same subject, but Brits freely associate and jump from subject to subject.” Roi

Revi, Blue Beach, Rishon LeZion December 2021

“When I returned to Israel from Russia, I went to the Contact Improvisation Convention. It was my first experience with that world of movement and touch. It saved a lot of people from their loneliness during Corona and helped keep them sane…I believe that the best medicine is intimacy and physical contact between people.”

Sela Beach Veterans, December 2021

“My son, his wife and their 3 kids have lived with me for 14 years. He’s 43 and works at Ikea, but he can’t afford rent. I worked 20 years in special ed, now I’m a nanny for a family with 3 kids. I get home from work, then I start a second ‘shift’ with my grandchildren. It’s ok, I think. Keeps me healthy.” Michal

Sofia & Milana, Betzet Beach, January 2022

Tamar Levinson, Gador Beach November 2021

“Dad died when I was seven. We were on holiday in Neot Smadar and one evening dad drove home to Jerusalem to take care of some work. Just at that time there was a burglar in the house, and when dad walked in the burglar shot him. I don’t have much to say about the event – it’s what defined who I am.”

Eldan, Yanai & Mikey, Poleg Beach, November 2021

“Perhaps I shouldn’t be saying this for your column, but the bottom line is that the size of the fish you catch does matter.” Eldan

Noam & Netanel, Nitzanim Beach, October 2021

“My sister’s neighbour had identical twin girls my age, beautiful as angels, but one wicked and the other kind. I fell in love with the kind one, but I was a weird Haredi kid and she paid me no attention. Back at the Yeshiva I wrote a love song for her and stupidly showed it to another student who snitched on me to the Rabbi. The Rabbi scolded me. I didn’t get it. ‘What could be more beautiful?’, I said. He ordered me to pack and leave, and so began my wanderings.” Netanel

Daniella Nassee, Metzukey Yam Beach, October 2021

“I was at an Ashram in Australia. At one of the evening meditations there was a woman that danced naked. I stood up to the guru and told him it was creating antagonism among the participants. He responded by exposing himself to me and yelling ‘Don’t you see this as an expression of beauty?’. I decided it was time to split.”

The Belabitski Family, Yud-Alef Beach, Ashdod October 2021

“After Elyana was diagnosed with Autism, we switched kindergarten five times, school twice and then she was moved to home schooling, permanently. Outdoors, she touched and smelled everything she saw. In winter she didn’t want to dress up warm and eventually stopped going outdoors altogether. The available medication in Belarus was no help. We emigrated to Israel in the hope that they could help our daughter.” Elyona

Nili Romano, Tel Baruch Beach, October 2021

“Dad was a customs broker. I would help him in his office in the old port. On my way to the office Shuki the sailor stared at me. I said, ‘Careful you don’t become cross eyed!’. Later on, we began to date. Dad wouldn’t let me marry a sailor but said I could decide for myself when I finish army service. I finished the army and married Shuki.”

Edna and Fez, Ha’Tzuk Beach South, October 2021

“Ten years ago, I stopped farming and became a pensioner. Now I get up at 2am every morning, without an alarm clock, collect 400 newspapers from the distributor and deliver them in Ramat Aviv on foot, 6km every day. I know the entry codes on the intercom of every building. By 5:30 I’m on the beach with my friends.” Fez

Tali and Iman, Givat Ha’Aliya Beach, December 2021

“Iman is an Arab and I’m Jewish, but there’s no real difference between us. Even the riots in May didn’t affect our relationship. We both talk about the same things.” Tali

Mousa Abu Hassan, Rosh Hanikra Beach Reserve, September 2021

“Since the massive oil leak in February, I’ve been in charge of ten workers on the beach, cleaning up the tar. It’s tough, filthy work. We work on the dried tar with hammers and chisels, but you can’t do much with wet tar and it’s also poisonous. The sea keeps bringing up more tar, as quick as we can clean it. “

Yuli Smolianski, Metzuda Beach, Ashdod, September 2021

“Long-distance running prepared me for the marathon of being a mother. My training routine was replaced by the routine of taking Liad to the nursery, making sure he had three meals a day and earning a living. But when he says to me “mummy” it’s like winning ten races.”

Teva Colomb, Gaash Beach, August 2021

“Mine was not a conventional childhood. My parents sold things that they bought in India at festivals all over Europe. I was born on the last day of the Paleo Festival in Switzerland. We travelled constantly and I never went to kindergarten. It was chaotic, but those were happy times as we were always together.”

Friends from Shapira High School in Netanya, Neurim Beach, August 2021

“During lockdown our house replaced school. Computer and mouse replaced my exercise book and pencil. The novelty was fun, but it won’t replace school in the long run. It’s hard to have discussions on Zoom so you just go straight to the point. It takes away the beauty of learning.” Hadar

Yossi & Shmuel Yisrael, Palmachim Beach, July 2021

“For 30 years I worked in a good job, responsible for the robotics at a tap factory. I was worried about becoming a pensioner, being at home and doing nothing. I simply wasn’t ready for it. But then the old manager was replaced with an arrogant young man, which ironically did me a favour - I was now ready to go. Fishing with Yossi has really helped with the transition.” Shmuel

Shiran & Or, Sironit Beach, Netanya, July 2021

“It’s actually quite fitting to be at the beach for the fast of Tisha B'Av. The sea is much more than sport – it’s a place for quiet seclusion and for prayer to the Creator. I work in a refuge for women and by the sea I have a chance to process the traumatic stories the women bring with them and create a divide between there and my family.”

Yedidya Lashker, Neveh Yam Beach, May 2021

“I left God behind in 11th Grade. I had lots of questions about his existence, but the rabbis had no real answers. I became aware of science and realised we didn’t need God to explain the world we live in. I flew to India, bought a motorbike, and crossed the length of the country. For weeks I didn’t see a single other white person – well, actually one, but he was an albino Indian.”

Maria Taube, Ashkelon National Park Beach, June 2021

“I’m having a break from taking care of Sarah, my eldest sister. She’s 102. My aunt died aged 33. Sarah was her eldest daughter. According to Jewish tradition, my aunt’s husband remarried with her younger sister, and aged 25 she began raising all four of her sister’s children. After 13 years she gave birth to me and I was named Maria, after my deceased aunt.”

Mula & Yonatan Jember, Student Beach, Haifa, June 2021

“Dad wakes every day before his alarm goes off at 5am. He works for the burial society at Haifa Cemetery. He physically digs the graves, working close to the earth like he did back in Ethiopia. He comes home from work with a smile on his face. Mum’s a cleaner at Rambam Hospital, and she’s also happy with her work.” Yonatan

Sigalit Aharoni, ‘Jerusalem’ Beach, Tel Aviv, May 2021

“Six years ago, I decided to leave the world of hi-tech after 30 years as a financial director, and devote myself full-time to art. For the first year I found myself apologising to people who asked what I was doing, as if I hadn’t found something serious to do with my life. It took time before I felt comfortable defining myself as an ‘Artist’.”

Zion, Yael & Keshet Bublil-Kelner, Tel Baruch Beach, May 2021

“I gave birth to Keshet when I was 55. I’m still breast-feeding him. There’s a dissonance between my age and my body’s biology at the moment. There’s a great happiness but it’s mixed with sadness when I think how old I’ll be when he grows up, and how I look compared to his friends’ mothers. But there’s advantages – most of my friends are struggling with their children moving out.” Yael

Ofir Azulai, Neveh Yam Beach, May 2021

“For my bar mitzva, my mother, God rest her soul, bought me a surfboard. I heard dad whispering to her something about their bank account becoming seriously overdrawn. So, if we are going deep Freud with this, I’d say that since then I’ve been trying to justify mum buying me that surfboard.”

Nimrod, Rotem and Skipper, Neurim Beach, April 2021

“I became a dog trainer because of Skipper. He was two years old when I adopted him, and would attack everything – people, cats, cars, bicycles. Instead of taking him to a trainer I become one myself. Today Skipper is a good dog 90% of the time, but some problems were already too deeply rooted.” Nimrod

Michal & Daniel, Palmachim Beach, March 2020

"We're supposed to be getting married in July, but we will have to see what happens with the Corona pandemic. We have family all over the world - Australia, Japan, America. It's a depressing situation." Michal "It's all OK, wedding or not, I'm staying with Michal forever." Daniel

Zohar Gal, Gador Beach, April 2021

“My first therapy dog was ‘Lovely’, and she lived up to her name – a four-legged angel. I still miss her. I used to work with her in a kindergarten for children with CP. One of the children would walk with his walking frame tied to Lovely and shout to me, “Look Zohar! I’m running.” He was barely moving but with Lovely he felt he was running. It was a beautiful moment.”

Childhood friends from Shoham, Achziv Beach, March 2021

“These are our last moments together before we start army service. It’s sad. A few years ago, we saw the movie ‘Tag’. It’s based on a true story of friends that have been playing tag since high school, once a year, during March, until they begin to get married. We’ve adopted the idea in order to stay in touch. It’s fair to say that there’s more romance between us than with our girlfriends.” Eyal

Ariana & Yuda, Hilton Beach Tel Aviv, March 2021

“I didn’t know my mother until I was 18. I prefer not to talk about it. It was hard for me to accept her after so many years and how I grew up as a result. She’s Russian, and my father Arab. They met at college in Russia, fell in love and later came to live in Israel, where I was born. My mother’s hair really is blond.” Ariana

Eli Elgrabli, Betzet Beach, March 2021

“Since last month’s oil leak I’ve been cleaning tar from the beach. I ended up with headaches and lung problems, but it’s not tar fumes that have made me hoarse. I haven’t stopped crying since my ‘Jinji’ died last week. He cycled the world, fell down a mountain in India and ends up getting run over by a bus near his home. My belief in God has gone.”

Omer & Tal, Palmachim Beach, March 2021

“Recently, we both separated from our girlfriends. Corona has been a real test for relationships – you’re at home most of the time, there’s nowhere to go, and that can push couples to breaking point. Now I’m living with my parents. It’s nice to be home, comforting. There’s nothing like the warmth and love of your parents.” Omer

Bar Tenenbaum, Bet Yanai Beach, February 2021

“I tend to work until I crash. I was working full time at the farm with Yael, as well as doing my master’s degree and I completely fell apart. It triggered an episode of Post Trauma and I’ve been having flashbacks from the 2014 Gaza War, where I was a Combat Medic. This probably led to my recent separation from Yael, but we’re still really close friends.”

Limor Hochman, Metzukey Dragot Beach, Dead Sea, December 2020

“I’ve always wanted to live outside of the city, in the desert. On my leg I’ve got a tattoo of three camels. I have a problem with being closed in. I need to be able to see the horizon.”

Haya & Shosh, Bat Yam - Yafo Border Beach, December 2020

“I was with my second husband for 10 years, but then he started to have financial trouble with his business, or he was gambling - I didn’t want to know. One day he drove to Eilat and there, in a hotel bedroom, committed suicide. I’m not looking for a relationship anymore. I enjoy my freedom, though Haya is constantly trying to fix me up with a date.” Shosh

Naje El Assam, Zikim Beach, December 2020

"We're 11 siblings. Another 7 from my father's second wife. In my generation it's uncommon to have more than one wife - it's hard enough to support one family, let alone two. I think you should have less children so you can afford to educate them. I graduated high school and dreamt of studying Computer Engineering. The college wanted 18,000 Shekels. Where was I going to get that from?"

Noya Melamed, Sidni Ali Beach, December 2020

"I use Buugeng to meditate. Technique alone isn't sufficient- you need to be 100% focussed. The second your thoughts start to wander, the motion falls apart."

Dina Hasidov, Shave Zion Beach, February 2020

"I believe that you can ask things from the universe, and the universe will answer you. For me, the sea is one of the elements of the universe. It's full of energy and powers. I regularly go down to the beach, to think and talk with the sea."

Tali Abramov, Kiryat Haim Beach, November 2020

"For two years I've been a care worker with a 96 year old man. A love story. His brain is degenerating, but our hearts connect. We chat, sing and when he has the strength, we even dance a bit. Occasionally, he recalls some mischief from his childhood, or a rude Yiddish song. He also likes playing "This Little Piggy". Together, we become little children. Of course, there's the dark side to his dementia. He can sit for hours counting his hands."

Uri Gozlan with his grandson Ori, Neve Yam Beach, November 2020

"We were eleven siblings. You see, dad was religious. After the eleventh child, mum started to use contraception. She didn't tell our dad."

Vita Tyutikova, Zukei Yam, October 2020

"There's still a stigma surrounding Pole Dance, but it's a legitimate sport that began in India as a form of acrobatics for men, 800 years before it found its way into strip clubs in the '80s."

Sharon Lidan & Madonna, Sidni Ali Beach, September 2020

"Mum was beautiful. She modelled when she was young. She died 15 years ago, when she was only 46... I wanted to die with her. She was everything to me. I sold up- the pizzeria, my horses. I didn't want anything. I reached rock bottom, but slowly, slowly, began to build myself again from scratch."

Shirley Shek, Gador Beach, September 2020

"In 2015 I started losing my hair. The doctor said it was Apolecia. The house filled with my hair, alongside my dog's hair. In a fortnight, all of my hair had vanished, including my eyebrows and lashes. During this time I saw a young girl crossing the road. She was bald, but she walked like an aristocrat, with her head held high. Seeing her helped me to accept and live with my new identity."

Cecilia with daughter Mikki and granddaughter, Noam, Yamit Beach, Kiryat Yam, August 2020

"I have lived half my life in Israel but have never really felt a sense of belonging. I come from a very different culture. In Bolivia people don't shout constantly at each other and the children don't say 'I can't be bothered!'. What keeps me here is my girls. Mikki says that the best thing I've done is to bring them to live here. That's a comforting thought." Cecilia

Jeni & Maya Sure, Ashdod Citadel Beach, August 2020

"Five years ago I discovered I had breast cancer, and just in time. For a year I had radiation, surgery, chemo...the whole package. It was a turning point in my life. I decided I didn't want to spend another 15 years sitting in an office and am now beginning work as a NLP therapist." Jeni

Grandma Edna Hasson with the families of her son Amos, and her daughter, Mazzy. Rosh Hanikra, July 2020

"After my first wife died of cancer 17 years ago, I needed help raising our kids and hired Sharin from the Philippines as a nanny. Five years later I married Sharin and we have had two sons together." Amos

Giovanni Mann, Metzukei Dragot Beach, Dead Sea,

"I found myself homeless and penniless - everybody's nightmare. That's the moment I really started to live my life. I stopped chasing the material dream that we get fed - a house, car and a family, and I started to live my own dream - a communal life in nature. I got on a motorbike and began to live like a nomad."

Ilanit & Lenny, Lagoon Beach, Netanya, July 2020

"My first experience in Nudism was in a nudist sauna in Germany. At first I was paranoid, but after a couple of times I began to feel a sense of freedom. It's got nothing to do with sexuality - the body is the most natural thing there is. The exposure really makes you feel confident about your body." Ilanit

Oran Bismuth, National Park Beach, Ashkelon, July 2020

"I've been playing 'Assassin's Creed' since it's release in 2007. After the army, instead of going travelling, I escaped into the game. I played around 13 hours a day - every waking hour. Completely addicted... Once I began working, I realised there were more important things in life than holding a joystick. Today, I have a balance between the real and the virtual - I play around 4 hours a day."

Oz & Oshrat, Camel Beach, Haifa, June 2020

"My Dad died 9 months ago. The beach was his home. Everyday after work he would come here to run and swim, then, on a family holiday in Bulgaria, he died of a heart attack in the hotel pool." Oz "My father died 4 years ago in a hit and run driving accident in Haifa. The police never found the driver." Oshrat

Ariel & Naveh, Tayo Beach, Bat Yam, June 2020

"It's been a special experience to raise our first baby during the Corona lockdown and be with Naveh during the first months of his life. On the other hand, Corona has badly hurt our income and economic security. I am a Judo instructor and lessons have stopped completely."

Yair Sebbag, Zukey Yam Beach, June 2020

"Before I left for the East, I was not what I am now. I did a degree in Economics & Business Studies and became a property valuer. The materialistic world did me no good - I suffered from stress and stomach pains. From the moment I left to travel, the freedom filled me with joy and good health."

Jumbo The Fisherman, Jisr az-Zarqa Beach, June 2020

"Fishing is no longer a business, it's an illness. You can't make a living from the sea any more, because there aren't enough fish. Fishing is the toughest work there is, but it's also the most peaceful. Nothing else is even close to the quiet at sea."

Oded & Matan, Shefayim Beach, May 2020

"When I was a child on the kibbutz, the move began from communal sleeping in children's houses, to sleeping at home with our parents, like regular kids. I'm glad my children get their education from us, not from nanny number 1, 2 or 3. We only saw our parents between 5 and 8pm, before being dumped back into the children's house." Oded.

Moshe Hausenberg, Lifeguard at Beit Yannai Beach, May 2020

“A good friend of mine was killed in the Lebanon war. The night before he went there to fight, we had been sitting together here, smoking and laughing, and he was killed the next day. I got on a motorbike with two more friends and went AWOL into Lebanon. We didn’t fire a single shot and a week later we were sentenced.”

Merav, Nachsholim Beach, December 2019

"Not a single creature needs to be killed in order for us to eat, neither is it healthy. We've been brainwashed into eating meat & dairy, and everything that's happening in the world today is punishment from above for our deeds against nature."

Polly & Yonatan, Ashkelon Beach. January 2020

" A few weeks before I met Yonatan my therapist asked what would be my dream date? I said someone who takes me to see the stars. A week after we met, Yonatan took me to a guest house in the Arava desert. The first night, I sat on the balcony gazing at the sky when I burst into tears. Only then did it dawn on me that my wish had become reality. Since then, we are inseparable."

Ayal Benin, Neve Yam Beach, January 2020

"In Freestyle Frisbee, when you throw your disc to the breeze, you connect to nature, to yourself and to the object you're controlling...It's like meditation, the surroundings just vanish. I prefer to be with my Frisbee than looking for romantic ties...the disc doesn't disappoint."

Shai & Orly, Ashdod Beach, January 2019

"The sand reminds me of the most beautiful chapter of my life,...the age of innocence." Shai

Tomer & Yifat, Bet Yannai Beach, January 2019

"We've been living in a caravan for 6 months - we take nothing for granted. The water tank needs to be refilled regularly, and the toilet has to be emptied every two days." Tomer "Living in a tiny space necessitates a change in perception and major downsizing...I miss my clothes ." Yifat

Illi & Aliki, Rishon Le'zion Beach, December 2019

"When you're a freak you feel alone in the world. When I was 17, I had blue hair and weird clothes. I once got yoghurt thrown over me just because I was different. Every time I feel down, I look for a place with water. It's like you can let you're pain leave you and dissolve into the water." Aliki

Shirley & Sagit, Hatzuk Beach, November 2019

"We meet on the beach for a 'walkie-talkie'. We have an a phenomenal ability for talking with each other. Some years ago we flew together to perform in San Francisco - a 15 hour flight plus connection. We didn't shut up for the entire journey." Shirley

Boaz & Yehuda, Hasela Beach, Bat Yam, December 2019

"We swim every morning at sunrise, winter and summer. You need a partner to get into the sea in the winter. Just as love requires a woman, the sea requires another man." Boaz

Yair & Galit, Gador Beach, November 2019

"I am active in the protest against Netanyahu's corruption. I love this country, yet I encouraged my sons to move abroad. My mother was a holocaust survivor and it hurt her that her grandson left Israel for Germany." Yair

Diana Krinski, Poleg Beach, November 2019

"My mother died when I was 30. I was totally unprepared for it. I felt wounded. I lost my strength and my faith, so I began looking for ways to heal myself."

Shanit Vaknin, Zikim Beach, November 2019

"I come here to be alone for an hour or two, calm down and then go back home. Sometimes I write to myself, as therapy. Today I wrote about the future. I write on a sheet of paper, then crumple it up, throw it into the bin and continue on with my life."

Yeter & Bitya Mizrachi, Nitzanim Beach, November 2019

"When you catch a fish there's this great feeling of success. It's connected to our survival instincts, the knowledge that you are capable of hunting food for yourself." Bitya

Alon Sibroni, Ga'ash Beach October 2019

"I cared for my father 24 hours a day for several years, until he passed away last year. I felt like a prisoner released from a life sentence and since then I've been living on the beach, cooking for myself, sleeping here alone and enjoying my freedom."

Ronit & Anat, Michmoret Beach, October 2019

"The men decided that they are going into the sea despite the storm, whilst the women stood anxiously on the beach. My head said I can do this, but my heart was racing and telling me to stay put. In CBT the idea is to let rational thought take control of the feelings and the body...In the end I went into the sea and the sense of overcoming was incredible." Ronit

Liat Frid, Palmachim Beach, October 2019

"Although I was terrified, I ran into the bushes to save Chaser from the wild boar...in the end we had to amputate one of his legs because the wounds became infected...That event changed my life."

The Beattie Family, Ma'agan Michael Beach, June 2019

"The lack of privacy [on Kibbutz] isn't easy for me. My underwear gets laundered together with the rest of the Kibbutz! When I realised I was pregnant the first time, Tom was in Gaza during the 2014 conflict. I wasn't sure whether to get a pregnancy test in the Kibbutz clinic because then Tom would have been the last to know the result." Noah Beattie

Thomas & Martina Schwartz, Students' Beach, Haifa June 2019

"As Germans, confronting the Holocaust is always very difficult for us...We feel guilty, even though it wasn't something that our generation did. We try to show that there are Germans that think differently - we both wear Star of David necklaces." Martina

Katy & Matan, Gaash Beach May 2019

Matan: "7 years ago I fell from a roof and fractured several vertebrae. Out of work and penniless, I began a nomadic lifestyle. It takes courage to live in uncertainty." Katy: "At 15 I read a romance about a woman who travels to Israel to work on a dig and falls in love with the archaeologist. At 24, I took part on a dig in Jaffa. I fell in love with Israel and Jewish culture."

Yassir Makhata, Zikim Beach November 2018

“When I escaped from Gaza I was scared for my life. I said [to the Israeli authorities] that I want to go right now – afterwards we can bring my children. I haven’t been back since. I miss my children that stayed there - we are in touch occasionally. “

Oxana Reif, Gador Beach April 2019

A few months ago I went through an ugly separation…I was lost. Then I remembered what I learned in Costa Rica, how mankind has lost touch with nature’s cycles and depression has become the sickness of the modern world. I set myself a 21 day quest, to go down to the beach every morning to watch the sunrise…the sun’s energy literally got rid of my suffering.

The Balint Family, Ashkelon National Park Beach April 2019

"Immigrants are the solution to Europe's problems. They bring new ideas with them and they are prepared to take chances...Mixing cultures is a wonderful thing. In my opinion, the most significant innovation in Israeli culture is in the increasing influence of the Arab language on Israeli music and cinema." Gery Balint

Suzy & Ilana, Rishon Le'zion Beach April 2019

Suzy: "We have a strong connection to water. We meet on the beach 3 to 4 times a week at sunrise, and walk for an hour. In the evenings we work as attendants in a ritual bathhouse. Water is the source of life." Ilana: "When I was young I really wanted to work in purifying the dead before burial, but they said I was too young - you need to be connected to get into that field."

Jonathan & Jorai van Driel, the Aqueduct Beach, Caesarea March 2019

"When you've got a career, a house and a family, you always find a reason to give up on your dreams. That's a mistake. I decided to live my life in reverse - to begin as a pensioner and do all the things that are really important to me, and then to work until I die. Not to work for 40 years in a career and then realise that i'm too old to travel." Jorai

Nadoush & Dalia, Nitzanim Beach February 2019

"I don't want to study. I want to get married and enjoy my life. To feel free . I want to learn to drive so I can take the car to the beach and watch the sea - no one telling me what to do and where to go. I've never actually gone into the water. I don't know how to swim and I cant wear a swimsuit because I'm religious." Dalia (18 years old)

Ben & Sarah, Metsitsim Beach, Tel Aviv March 2019

"The sea is the best medicine for me. When I’m in the water I don’t feel the pain. It’s the only time I don’t feel pain. I should have been a Mermaid." Sarah

Maria & Oksana, Zvulun Beach, Kiryat Yam February 2019

"Nowadays Ukraine is a sad place. It's hard to make a living and nothing ever changes for the better. In Israel people are happier." Maria

Iris & Shelly, Ha'Tzuk Beach South December 2019

"I've had all kinds of mystical experiences...Once, while I was driving, with my son in the backseat, I came to a traffic light. It was green, but I heard a voice in my head shouting, "stop, stop, stop!" I stopped and watched as a car coming from the other direction ran the red light. We could have been killed." Iris

Manny Sokolovsky, Shave Zion Beach, February 2019

"In 1982, a few days after Rosh Hashanah, my unit was sent to help our forces in purging the PLO from West Beirut. A RPG missile was fired at us, killing my friend, "Roli" Becher...When we came back from the fighting, we went to the memorial for Roli. That's where I met his sister, Shosh. We began dating and eventually married."

Elad & Yarden, Nitzanim Beach February 2019

"My eldest brother was killed when he was 5, before I was born. It happened 36 years ago at a military paratroopers' display at Kiryat Malachi. The winds were very strong, but the army decided to go ahead with the display despite the conditions. One of the paratroopers lost control and landed on my brother." Yarden

The Dumanski Family with their dog, Chuck, Dor Habonim Beach February 2019

"My mother's grandparents mined gold illegally from abandoned mines in the Urals. The mines were guarded, but a cannon shot would signal the end of a shift, and my grandparents would sneak in, before fresh soldiers arrived. They drank away the gold money and fought constantly. My great-grandfather got life for murder, but evaded punishment by volunteering to fight in World War I." Dominik

Maayan Pitussi, Ashkelon Beach January 2019

"There's no lack of unpleasant sights in a nurse's work, but you learn to see the person in front of you and not their wound."

Itzik Gitan, Poleg Beach January 2019

"I lost my arm in the Yom Kippur war. In the armoured division where I served over 100 soldiers were killed. Thousands more were wounded and suffer from trauma to this day...After a week in hospital I went home and forgot about the whole thing. The war had no effect on me."

Adi, Anita, Ilana & Yoram, members of "Matkot Ashdod", The Arches Beach, Ashdod January 2019

"The beach is my psychologist." Ilana

Yair Harlap, Hatzuk Beach December 2018

"There's a heated pool where I live in Bet El, but it's not the same. There's no chlorine in the sea. You can feel the blessed eternal. You are witnessing creation."

Akiva, Avi, Joseph, Rachel & Atara Cohen, Neve Yam Beach December 2018

"The kids surfing class was cancelled this week because it was stormy. When they woke up this morning I said, "Instead of going to school, let's go surf!". They didn't argue." Avi

Tess, Eyal (standing) & Itamar, Bet Yannai Beach December 2018

"I hitchhiked around the world on boats...The highlight was sailing from New Zealand to the Solomon Islands with a group of marine biologists. That's how I ended up studying Marine Sciences." Eyal

Smulik Garciani, Achziv Beach Decemcer 2018.

"About 15 years ago...I found a champagne bottle with a note inside on the beach...A German couple, Brigitte & Bernd had thrown it into the ocean on a Mediterranean cruise. I got in touch by mail and we wrote to each other until one day I went to visit them in their village near Frankfurt."

Rami & Yitzhak, Palmachim Beach November 2018.

"We try to get down to the beach every day at sunrise... After a few hours here, you begin the day in a different state of mind." Rami

Olena Dobroslavsky, Nahariya Beach November 2018

"The main aspect which made us move to Israel was the Russian annexation of Crimea. Our business was destroyed."

Jonah, Shlomi & Belai, Zikim Beach November 2018

"At the start of our service, the commander kept saying that he loves us. 'What are you talking about?', I thought to myself. Later, I understood that he was referring to a brotherhood where you look after one another. If you have an apple you share it." Jonah (on left)

Pipman Team, Sela Beach, Bat Yam October 2018

"The hardest thing in sport...[is] to get out of bed at five in the morning, especially if the weather's bad. What helps is the commitment to the group." Tami Shoham (3rd from right)

Dina Yarkoni, Rosh Hanikra Beach October 2018

"Most of my life I hated having my picture taken...but I changed my mind when I realised that in five years time I'll look back at my photos and see how beautiful I was."

Nitzan, Rotem & Noam, Nitzanim Beach, February 2019

Haled & Hamis, Ashdod Beach, January 2019

Guy & Omer, Ashkelon Beach, January 2019

Yossi Harmani, Rosh Hanikra Beach, October 2018

Ali & Susu, Rosh Hanikra Beach, October 2018

Omri, Lihi & Neta, Bet Yannai Beach, December 2018

Iris, Lian, Shai Li & Nitzan, Ashdod Beach, January 2019

Nissim & Eden, Hatzuk Beach, November 2020

"We came here to do a maternity photoshoot. I don't like going to the beach - the sand, the salt. I prefer a swimming pool." Eden