By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson
MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — When my parents immigrated to Israel, after my father’s retirement from work in England in 1983, my mother was able at last to be reunited with many of her relatives. Several members of the Hirsch clan (my mother’s maiden name) had managed to move to Israel from Germany, some to work in agriculture others to find employment in other spheres. What had once been a close-knit group of relatives in Germany did their best to remain in contact in their new-old homeland, and so my mother was finally able to meet many of her cousins once again.
That generation is no longer with us, but we of the second generation, the children of those cousins, have endeavored to stay in touch with one another, whether by physical visits or other means. In this day and age that is easier than ever, and we even have a cousins WhatsApp group which generally gives information about births of grandchildren or other significant events in our lives.
One of my mother’s cousins was Joseph Hirsch, a widely-respected artist and teacher at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, who died in 1997. Known as ‘Boujik’ in the family, his talent was evident at an early age. He was able to study art, first in Germany and later at the newly established Bezalel Art Academy in Mandate-controlled Israel. It is worth noting that many members of the Hirsch clan display some kind of artistic bent or talent, and several have even made art a full-time career. My mother was definitely talented artistically, but never took it up seriously, though her handwriting displays definite artistic sensibility, and I myself paint amateurishly in watercolors.
Occasions for gatherings of the cousins are few and far between these days, so it was with great delight that we read the announcement in our WhatsApp group that an exhibition devoted to the work of Joseph Hirsch would be held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and that a reception for friends and relations would be held at the Museum on the morning after the official opening.
The exhibition, entitled ‘Joseph Hirsch, the Poetry of Sight,’ was curated jointly by the Israel Museum’s Ronit Sorek and Avishay Ayal, one of our cousins who is himself an accomplished artist and Professor of Art at Haifa University. The exhibition displays about 25 of Hirsch’s works in pen and wash (he worked using only shades of grey) presenting his unique and insightful way of seeing the world, whether depicting sitting or reclining models, still lifes or fantastical creatures and images. It is difficult to categorize his work, which seems to lie on the cusp between surrealism and German expressionism.
At the reception, arranged by Boujik’s two daughters, we were able to hear speeches by Hirsch’s former colleagues and students describing his teaching approach and analyses of his work. We of the second and third generations were able to drink tea or coffee, renew our contact with one another and catch up on news of our families and activities. Eventually we proceeded to the intimate Hagit Gallery in the wing of the Museum devoted to Israeli art. With music by Bach in the background, we could view the pictures painted in Hirsch’s inimitable style as well as a video in which his former students and colleagues talk about working with him. Altogether, we feel fortunate to belong to a family containing such talented members.
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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson is an author and freelance writer based in the Jerusalem suburb of Mevasseret Zion, Israel.