Welcome to Lens & Land: Dispatches from Israel—where news breaks, stories unfold, and bees buzz just meters from the frontlines.
I'm Dave Bender: longtime Israeli journalist, former NPR bureau chief, Middle East correspondent, beekeeper, photographer, and reluctant philosopher of life under sirens and sun.
From my home in Tzfat—perched in the Upper Galilee close to Lebanon and Syria—I document what it's like to live where the headlines happen, often before they’re headlines. Expect on-the-ground insights, thoughtful photography, and unexpected sweetness from the hives wife and fellow beekeeper Miri tend and the hills I roam.
This Substack is for you if you're:
Craving honest, firsthand dispatches from Israel—not sanitized, not spun
Curious about the intersections of war and wonder, journalism and Judaism, prophecy and profanity
Drawn to visual storytelling that goes beyond doomscrolling
Willing to explore a land that’s both terrifying and tender, often in the same frame - whether honey or camera.
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What You Get as a Free Subscriber:
📰 Breaking news updates
📸 Photo essays from the field and the apiary
🧠 Essays on geopolitics, culture, memory, and meaning
🎥 Exclusive video clips and local news reports
📬 Occasional musings on faith, (grand)fatherhood, and fractured friendships
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🔓 What You Unlock as a Paid Subscriber
💥 Priority Access to Investigative Reports & Field Notes
Timely, sharp, sometimes uncomfortable truths I can’t always publish publicly. If you value real journalism with skin in the game—this is for you.
🍯 “Buzz from the Hive” Series
Deeper dives into our sustainable beekeeping project: seasonal harvests, rare honeys, rituals of care, and how this craft became healing work. Includes access to high-res nature photography and audio reflections.
🕍 “Behind the Borderlines” Podcast (Coming Soon)
Intimate, unfiltered conversations about life in the shadow of history. Includes bonus subscriber-only episodes and early access.
📷 Archive Vault
High-resolution downloadable versions of selected photojournalism, suitable for print or creative reuse (personal, not commercial).
🎁 Supporter Perks:
Special live Q&A invites, signed photo prints, discounts on Neshika Bee Safari bookings, and first dibs on honey shipments when available (Israel and abroad).
Free Reader:
News digests, basic updates, public photo essays
🐝 Beekeeper’s Friend $5/mo $50/year:
All free + Buzz from the Hive + select archive access
📸 Field Correspondent: $10/mo $100/year
All above + Vault access + early podcast + printables
🔥 Frontliner: $20/mo $200/year
All above + live Q&A + signed print + shoutout in podcast
🧭 Why Subscribe?
Because this isn’t a wire service. It’s lived life.
Because what happens here matters far beyond our borders.
Because beauty and bravery often show up in unlikely places.
Because the truth has to be told—and someone has to hold the line.
Subscribe now to join me in the swarm, the smoke, the silence, and the story.
👉 Free or paid—every subscriber helps amplify this work.
