Over the years on Humans of Judaism, I’ve written countless obituaries, but this is one I never wanted to write. Goodbye, my dear friend Laura.
Condolences: Laura Ben-David, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend. Laura was born and raised in the U.S. and moved to Israel in 2002 (she even wrote a book about it, “Moving Up – An Aliyah Journal,” check it out). Laura was multi-talented: a gifted photographer, writer, storyteller and so much more. She worked with Nefesh B’Nefesh, the Bnei Menashe community through Shavei Israel and the Jewish Life Photo Bank, just to name a few. It has been an honor to have shared her work on Humans of Judaism many times over the years. But the greatest treasure by far was Laura’s friendship.
It will be 10 years this fall that my cousin introduced me to Laura. Knowing that I worked in the Jewish media space and Laura was a brilliant photographer and storyteller, made us a perfect pair. Laura was a special person with a unique energy; she brought stories to life and captured images in a magical way. One of our first posts together was a photo of her youngest daughter in a Purim mask, which, incidentally, was the last thing I sent to her the night before she passed away.
Laura’s photos captured everything from community life to her deeply personal family moments. She leaves behind a lasting impact that is one-of-a-kind and a beautiful legacy. May her memory be a blessing.
