Unexpected Israel: Stories You Never Read in the Media

Since 2011 Ruth Corman has traveled through the complex mosaic that is Israel to introduce readers to aspects of the country that never appear in the media the curious, the humorous, the moving and the dramatic.

She introduces us to places that few know of and tells of encounters with some unforgettable individuals, such as Tsegue-Mariam, an Ethiopian nonagenarian nun and world-renowned composer of piano music, and Gershon Luxemburg, a boxing champion from Uzbekistan who emigrated to Israel and runs a boxing school open to all. 

Focusing on cameos of everyday life, Unexpected Israel brings people and places to life, ranging from caviar to camels, owls to oranges, pomegranates to pilgrims and fossils to friendship as well as some unimaginable tales of heroism.

It is without doubt a memorable and wholly unexpected journey

Ruth divides her time between London and Jerusalem. Her photographs have been exhibited widely and her first major book, Israel through My Lens: 60 Years as a Photojournalist, the life story of Israeli photojournalist David Rubinger, was published in 2008 in English, Hebrew and German. She has a regular column in the Jerusalem Post.