BIO

Hi. My name is Jono David. I'm a photographer.

They say life is a journey. Mine has taken me to 145 countries and territories and on countless "trips of a lifetime." I've endeavored to bring it all into focus through my camera. Ultimately, however, the voyages aren't about me but about the people and places in my viewfinder. As a photographer and a writer, my job is not to judge. It is to observe, to engage, to report, to preserve...and to be grateful for all the opportunities.

Along the way, I've learned much about the world and my place in it. Above all, I've experienced first-hand that most people are good and gracious, and they are curious about and welcoming to far-flung visitors such as myself. I am humbled by the gifts of friendship and time people from all walks of life have bestowed upon me. Much of my own energy and inspiration for my work is drawn from them and the freedom of the open road.

Born (May 1966) in England but raised in the United States, I have also resided briefly in Israel and, since 1994, in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. Though I specialize in documenting Jewish communities in photos and words, I have written about and photographed topics as wide-ranging as travel, World War II history, dolls, Japanese shochu alcohol, and the human body.

My Jewish photographic aims are to contribute to the record of Jewish life and culture worldwide (see MISSION). I have worked hard, independently, and with conviction to build my Jewish photo library which is now the largest photo archive of its kind.

My photographs and articles have appeared in a number of notable newspapers, magazines and 20 books including Hadassah Magazine, Forward, The Jewish Telegraph (UK), The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Wall Street Journal, The Miami Herald, The Toronto Sun, The New Zealand Herald, The South China Morning Post, The Scotsman, The Japan Times, Photo Life Magazine, Popular Photography Magazine, and Doll Making Magazine. Books include The Knell of Parting Day; Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora; Belisario: Sketches of Character; The Holocaust: A Guide for Students and Teachers; Alchemy of the Soul: The Life of Artist Kalman Aron After the Holocaust; Newport Jewry and the Touro Synagogue.

Click HERE for books by Jono David.

I have exhibited my photography at the following museums and galleries:

- Beit Hatfutsot Museum (the Museum of the Jewish People). Tel Aviv, Israel.

- Irish Jewish Museum. Dublin, Ireland.

- Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. Moscow, Russia.

- Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. Skokie, IL, USA.

- Crossroads of Civilizations Museum. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

- Freundeskreis Willy Brandt Haus. Berlin, Germany.

- South African Jewish Museum, Cape Town, South Africa

- All three of South Africa’s Holocaust & Genocide Centres in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town.

- Museum of Moroccan Judaism. Casablanca, Morocco.

- Dar El Bacha Musée Des Confluences. Marrakech, Morocco.