Gershon Elinson, "Gush Etzion's mythological photographer," passed away Saturday at the age of 75.
It is believed that Elinson died of cardiac arrest.
His funeral will take place at midnight on Sunday morning, at the cemetery in Kfar Etzion.
Elinson photographed the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria for over 45 years. Recently, he photographed the funeral of Elyakim Libman, a security guard who was murdered at the Nova music festival on October 7.
In addition to his work in photography, Elinson was one of the first settlers in the city of Hebron, and one of the operators of "Misadat Hamitnachlim," the "settlers' restaurant," which was the first structure approved by the government. Today, at the Gutnick Center in Hebron, there is a display of photos from the Jewish settlement in Hebron - taken by Elinson himself.
Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal, mourned the legendary photographer, saying, "Our friend, the photographer, Gershon Elinson, of Efrat, passed away on Shabbat."
"Gershon was a photographer who followed development of the communities in Judea almost from the beginning of their inception.
"He documented the beginnings of the community in Ir Avot. He settled in Efrat and photographed the town since its establishment. Throughout the past decades, he attended every event held in Gush Etzion.
"Officially, he was our photographer, but whoever knew him, knew that he was, above all, a true soldier of our communities. He regarded it his mission to tell the story of our communities on this good mountain, through the lens of his camera.
"Gush Etzion owes much to him, and with God’s help, we shall find a way to salute and recognize him. He was a true friend to me for many years.I shall miss him very much."
