Carmel and the Gummy Ice Cream

Everyone in town knows the blue building, Michael’s Bubblegum Ice Cream. A visitor lured in by the colorful exterior is greeted by an equally vivid variety of flavors. The titular founder learned his craft in Baghdad in 1940, apprenticed to his father, Naiem. Michael would in turn teach the trade to his son, Carmel; the two worked together until Michael’s death in 2001. Carmel now carries on his legacy. Over the decades, the store has been a site of reunion for Baghdad emigrants, a place to rediscover old friends and the lost tastes of home, the distinct, gummy richness of Arab ice cream.

Bio
Maya Hed was born and raised in Los Angeles and moved to Israel in the late 90s, where she studied at the Kiryat Ono College of Photography.Maya specializes in portraiture, especially series of photographs captured over time. She uses natural lighting to capture genuine, raw emotion, and tell the subject’s story through their portrait.Maya showcased three solo exhibitions at the Israeli Opera,Hava Rosenberg gallery & Scots Hotel. Her work has appeared in print in several magazines and books.Maya also has extensive experience with film, and works as a freelance documentarian based in Tel-Aviv.