At the 2024 Jerusalem Post Miami Summit, photojournalist Chen Schimmel participated in a powerful panel discussion moderated by Jerusalem Post's Economics Correspondent Eve Young, alongside artist Ron Agam and activist Daniel Braun. Schimmel recounted her work this past year, and presented her upcoming book, October 7th: Bearing Witness, while sharing significant encounters that have stayed with her even now.
Schimmel shared the motivations behind her work, emphasizing that her photography goes beyond words to capture the pain and resilience of those affected by conflict. “It is a historical document of our people; of the mourning, the loss and the pain but also the resilience of our nation,” she said, describing her book as a promise to preserve the memories of those lost, ensuring their stories endure.
Schimmel mentioned she felt to document the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, as well as the ongoing violence in Gaza and Lebanon. Schimmel’s photographs reflect the devastating impact of war and the strength of the people enduring it. As a photojournalist,” she explained, “the lens does sometimes act as a shield. But there are moments when that buffer shatters, when the weight of what I’m witnessing becomes impossible to ignore.”
Schimmel recounted moments of deep emotional connection with her subjects, such as when she shared a cup of tea with a grieving mother, only to later learn of her daughter’s death in Gaza. "This wasn’t just documentation anymore. It was personal,” she concluded, revealing the emotional toll her work often takes.