Sebi Berens

A young Ultra Orthodox Haredi runs over the main cross that connects the big Ultra Orthodox neighbourhoods like Meah Shearim, in the heart of Jerusalem on 9th January, 2016. Most of the Ultra Orthodox Areas are divided between the main Family tribes

Jewish worshippers cover themselves with prayer shawls as they pray in front of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City, during the Cohen Benediction priestly blessing at the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, October 19, 201

Young Ultra Orthodox kids seen at a seperation barrier during the Simhat Torah celebrations in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood on October 24, 2016. Jews marking the end of the annual cycle of the reading of the Torah and the beginning of the n

A young Ultra-Orthodox Haredi throws a bunch of flyer on a protest in Jerusalem on 2th March, 2017, at a bill that would cut their community's military exemptions and end a tradition upheld since Israel's foundation. Ultra-Orthodox leaders had call

Dozens of black suits in a Ultra Orthodox Haredim clothes shop seen in Meah Shearim on 9th January,2017 in Jerusalem. Yeshivish in general, including the new Sephardic generation in Israel that became influenced by the Yeshivish, wear more modern cl

A group of Ultra Orthodox Haredi men seen singing in a pub near the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem´s neighbourhood of Nahlaot on 27th December, 2016. Photo by Sebi Berens

Young Ultra Orthodox girls watching the Simhat Torah celebrations from outside of windows in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood on October 24, 2016. Jews marking the end of the annual cycle of the reading of the Torah and the beginning of the nex

Two Ultra Orthodox Haredim seen chatting in a small supermarket in the Ultra Orthodox neighbourhood of Meah Shearim, Jerusalem on Januar 9th, 2016. The Haredim are relatively materially poor, compared to other Israelis, but represent an important ma

Young Ultra-Orthodox Haredim try to catch demonstration signs on a protest in Jerusalem on 2th March, 2017, at a bill that would cut their community's military exemptions and end a tradition upheld since Israel's foundation. Ultra-Orthodox leaders h

Being Ultra

A loud voice in my back screamed in a nearly crying tone: “messiah“. I turned around and in front of me a men with closed eyes, covered with a prayer shawl and holding a bundle of a palm, a lemon and a branch in his hands. This scene not out of a freaky movie, it was at the Western Wall in Jerusalem during Sukkoth, an intimate moment, a special tradition.

Nearly 250.000 Haredim live in Jerusalem, the number of children per women is up to 6.2 and the tradition and believes are more stricter than elsewhere. Who ever visit neighbourhoods like Meah Shearim, right next to the modern and western city life of new Jerusalem, feels in a world far away from ours. Century old buildings and black dressed men uniformed with hats and suits flit around the streets deeply in thoughts about the upcoming holy holiday. In total there are 14 different holidays, all are important for the Jewish tradition and all have different practices.

Regarding the specific lifestyle of Ultra Orthodox Haredim, focusing their life on learning the Torah, the exemption causes huge controversy about the equal responsibilities from the citizens of Israel to the democratic state. Weekly Haredim get confronted with the security forces e.g. during the conviction of deserters.

My series „being ultra“ tries to gives a small insight in a few of these holidays and the sub cosmos, the Haredim live in and the problems they have with the government.

Sebi Berens

Now student of photojournalism and documentary photography in Hanover, Germany I do live in up north of Germany in a small town called Bremen. Before and during my time as a photography student I spent so far in total almost two years in Israel and Palestine, getting in touch with the vibe of a country, that carries the mother of all current conflicts. My main project is to create my own visual language, so that I feel expressed and understood through my viewer eyes regarding the sincereness of my message. For my future I want to focus on news photography and long-term projects about social issues in different countries.