Rubinger, David

views updated

RUBINGER, DAVID

RUBINGER, DAVID (1924– ), Israeli photojournalist. Born in 1924 in Vienna, Rubinger emigrated to Palestine in 1939, where he later joined the British Army. He worked as a photographer for Ha-Olam ha-Zeh (1951–53), and Yedioth Aharonoth (1953–54). In 1954 he covered the *Kasztner trial for Time, and in 1956 the Suez Campaign for Life. In addition to working for The Jerusalem Post, including as its picture editor, most of his work since was for Time magazine, where he became a contracted photographer. He covered the early story of aliyah and Israel's wars. His approach was the human angle such as the ma'barot (shanty camps) for immigrants. Rubinger is most remembered for the photograph, shot lying on his back, of three paratroopers at the Western Wall immediately after its capture in the Six-Day War of 1967. Another famous photograph was of the idf chief military chaplain, Rabbi Shlomo *Goren, blowing the shofar at the liberated wall. Informal shots of political leaders like David *Ben-Gurion, Golda *Meir, Menaḥem *Begin, and Yitzchak *Rabin showed the subject's human and informal side. In 1997 he was awarded the Israel Prize in photography.

[Yoel Cohen (2nd ed.)]