Pictures from a war journal

VIDEO - Our tour in Israel lasted for four days. Four days that can't be condensed into a few selected images. Thirty stops and a lifetime of moments, some captured by Elinor Miltchen's camera lens. Children, adults - soldiers who are children and children who are soldiers. The faces and the voices are strong, full of power and modesty but always melancholy and yearning for home. We decided to share some of these moments with you, moments that will last forever. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Monday July 24th, Ramat David Air Force Base. Six performances, one after another, David Broza is not far from the runway. The F-16 planes take off on their sorties and return to base. In between, they get a chance to hear a bit of music, call home and get a breather. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Tuesday July 25th, Kibbutz Yiron, which has to a great extent turned into an army base, the last point on the map before Lebanon. Inside the bomb shelter soldiers with red army berets mingle with the few civilians who have remained behind. Eyes are tiered, but happy. Yoni, a soldier in uniform picks up two spoons and begins to play. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Tuesday July 25th, the Moshav Avivim center. Paramedics, and Golani unit reserve soldiers steal a few moment of calm. Even the guy at the local grocery store has closed his doors to come and listen. "The last entertainment troop we had here was Habbad," one of the soldiers said. Another asks us to drop by a nearby army post where soldiers have remained on duty. Off we go. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Tuesday July 25th, at a Golani outpost overlooking Lebanon. A moment before sunset. The sun's last rays part for the day. Faces become softer, they smile - for a moment it appears that this is all there is. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Tuesday July 25th Kibbutz Sasa. During peacetime the large bomb shelter serves as a pub. The lighting has remained the same, the bottles remain in place, but the atmosphere has changed. At the end of the day its inhabitants allow themselves to indulge in some warmth, the signs of fatigue are showing. While a Katyusha rocket makes a direct hit at the Kibbutz's orchards on the outside, in the inside there is an isle of sanity for a short time. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Tuesday July 25th, Mitzpe Hila. The shelter is full of people, too small to shelter everyone. Children and parents sum up another day of heavy artillery, so it no wonder that eyes peeped in through the barred windows as well. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Wednesday July 26th, it's ten minutes before the start of the performance at the Feldman center in Netanya in front of mothers, children and Avivim refugees. An announcement is made - eight soldiers were killed in Lebanon. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Wednesday July 25th Akko. A ghost town. The streets are empty. A grandmother and a group of children are in the bomb shelter. "We have been forgotten," she says. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Wednesday July 25th, 9pm at Hatzor Haglilit. The neighborhood is empty. Lights are glowing from a few windows here and there. A few families are congregating on the grass under the street light, in one of the building's courtyards. Far in the distance the sound of artillery can be heard, and suddenly there's an air raid siren. No one budges. A guitar and songs against Nasrallah to the sound of happy children. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Wednesday July 25th, almost midnight. The 402 Reshef Unit is sitting on and around a cannon. "There are more important things than sleeping," one of the soldiers says. Photo: Elinor Milchan. All rights reserved Thursday July 26th. Early morning, almost completely dark. The battery attached to the ammunition is almost dead. The guitar doesn't stop playing. Elinor Milchan contributed to the report

Pictures from a war journal

(VIDEO) Keren Ann joins Ynet's "Singing for you" project and dedicates a song to surfers. Elinor Milchan documented her and David Broza's tour at bomb shelters and army bases throughout the north