Mea Shearim is one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem and remains a very insular place. The inhabitants of Mea Shearim, overwhelmingly Hasidic Jews make the place feel like a pre-war, Eastern European shtetl. They obey Jewish law, prayer, dress traditions, and the study of Jewish religious texts. Men are not allowed to look at strange women, so they try looking away, or they cover their faces with hats.
I was dressed up properly: long sleeves, full shoes, socks, long dress (although with a slight opening in the back of it), but the lack of eye contact made me feel… transparent. To me, it was a denial of my existence, an open refusal. My body rebelled. I lied down across the street and closed my eyes. Two Hasids approached me. I heard shouts. When I opened my eyes, I saw the older one, agitated, lifting his cane as if going to hit me. This moment has been captured on photographs by Artur Żmijewski. I got up and spoke to the men, they were very anxious and still shouted. They couldn’t understand me, I couldn’t understand them, we spoke different languages. But they looked at me and this was a great relief, I felt happy and calm. I was allowed to be with them in the same time and place. Eye to eye.