Family Affair Reli Avrahami & Avner Avrahami

For ten years, Reli Avrahami and Avner Avrahami have wandered throughout , photographing random families and questioning them about their daily lives, about their dreams and beliefs, their origins and their relations. She takes photographs, he writes; she navigates, he drives; she’s a wife, he’s a husband. They visited hundreds of families in their private homes – and others who live under one roof. Their portraits appeared regularly in the weekend supplements of Haaretz (and later Maariv), week by week, becoming a routine for Israeli readers. Encounters with a variety of people, born in the country or immigrated, Jews and Arabs, Muslims, and Christians, coming from Europe, Africa, and Asia. The format was always the same: a colourful photograph and a very personal text. The traces of tensions in the Israeli society, national and religious, social, political or ethnic, are visible in the ambience of everyday life, in the environment of living rooms and family stories. Of the hundreds of families and their stories, about 80 were selected for this exhibition. 80 portraits of families and other groups living under one roof in Israel, in a country that is still searching for an identity in which their diverse people can find together, 80 insights into diverse heritages and traditions, family stories and visions for the future. Each family stands alone, but together they create a sort of group portrait of Israel in the first decade of the 21st century. This exhibition is offered for travelling by the Jewish Museum Hohenems. The artists are ready to adapt the exhibition to the needs of different locations. Curated by Galia Gur Zeev

Matzav Mishpachti Eretz Israel Museum, Tel-Aviv 2012 Familienaufstellung Jewish Museum Hohenems, Austria 2013 Family Affair Castrum Peregrini, Amsterdam 2015 THETHE KANOTOFSKI-WUBAKANOTOFSKI-WUBA From FAMILY left to right:From Shahar left to (10), right: Shahar (10), FAMILY David (35), Harel David(7), Sigal (35), Harel(35) (7), Sigal (35) YEMINand ORDE Maor (3 ½) and Maor (3 ½) YEMIN ORDE How they met: The Golani Junction, 1996. She was a young army officerHow serving they met: at theThe GolaniSafed Junction, command 1996. Shepost was a on her way to Telyoung Aviv armyfor offcera tribute serving performance at the Safed command on post behalf of the Ethiopianon her waycommunity to (after for a tribute the blanketperformance on behalf of the Ethiopian community (after the blanket disposal of Ethiopiandisposal blood of Ethiopian donations blood becamedonations becamepublic public knowledge and causedknowledge a scandal). and caused Hea scandal). happened He happened to to pass by in his parents’pass by Subaruin his parents’ station Subaru wagon station –wagon “a real – “a real clunker” – on his way to a bar mitzvah of former pupils clunker” – on his wayin Pardes to Hanna.a bar Hismitzvah colleague of in former the passenger pupils seat said, in Pardes Hanna. His“Let’s colleague give the soldier in thea ride.” passenger Sigal boarded seat the said,car and “Let’s give the soldieron the a way ride.” they Sigalstopped boarded at the Kadoorie the car Agricultural and High School where he used to teach; they were soon on the way they stoppedsurrounded at by the children. Kadoorie She was Agricultural intrigued when she High School whereheard he usedhim chatting to teach; with them they in Amharic,were soon and thus began surrounded by children.a conversation She was that ledintrigued to a wedding when four she years later. “We were just friends for the frst two years.” heard him chatting with them in Amharic, and thus began How their families reacted: “My parents were impressed a conversation that led to a wedding four years later. with her character and the fact that she was a religious “We were just friendsperson,” for Davidthe says.first Hetwo discovered years.” a few surprises in the wider circles around him: “I had a friend who made racist remarks.” According to Sigal, “I wasn’t the frst in the March 2012 family to date a franji – an Ashkenazi.” David, she says, was received naturally. Fighting and making up: “I didn’t marry an ethnic group,” David says. “I married Sigal.” Yemin Orde: A youth village serving mainly the children of recent immigrants and located south of Mount Carmel, close to the Nir Etzion farming cooperative. Established in 1953, it was named after Orde Charles Wingate, a British Christian supporter of during the 1930s and World War II.

March 2012 THE ABU ZAID FAMILY From left to right: Saliman (28), Nuha (26), and Hassan (5). THE ABU ZAID FAMILY ELFrom ARIA left to right:Shakar Saliman (3) rests (28), on the mat. EL JAR VIAA Bedouin village (not offciallyNuha recognized (26), by and Hassan (5). the Israeli government) nearShakar Be’er Sheva. (3) rests on the mat. A Bedouin village (not officially recognized by How they met: Saliman and Nuha have known each other the Israeli government) near since they were children.How they Theirmet: Saliman parents and Nuhaare haverelated known and each live other Be’er Sheva. close to each othersince (“20-30 they were meters children. Theirapart”). parents There are related weren’t and live close to each other (“030 meters apart”). There weren’t originally supposedoriginally to marry. supposed Saliman to marry. had Saliman someone had someone else else in in mind. One day a goodmind. One friend day a suggestedgood friend suggested he look he closer,look closer, but but Saliman didn’t get Salimanthe hint. didn’t Only get the later hint. Onlydid laterhe didunderstand, he understand, and then he asked her father to work on the matter. It and then he askedtook her several father months. to workNuha’s onfather the was matter. in no hurry It to give took several months.his daughter’s Nuha’s handfather in marriage was in (“he no said, hurry better to to givethink his daughter’s handon itin frst’”). marriage This turned (“he out said, to be ‘better a sophisticated to think way of making sure that Saliman was confdent about his choice on it first’”). This turned(“and that out I wouldn’t to be complain a sophisticated later”). Saliman way and Nuhaof making sure that Salimandid not echange was confidentone word during about their his courtship. choice Their (“and that I wouldn’tfrst conversationcomplain later”).took place Saliman after the weddingand Nuha ceremony. did not exchange Happinessone word (on during a scale oftheir 1-10) courtship.: Saliman (“becauseTheir of the house demolition orders”), Nuha 10. first conversation took place after the wedding ceremony. May 2004 Happiness (on a scale of 1-10): Saliman 6-7 (“because of the house demolition orders”), Nuha 10.

May 2004 THE NOSEN FAMILYTHE NOSENAt FAMILY the dining table: At the dining table: NETANYA Rina (78) and Hebert (86) NETANYA Rina (78) and Hebert (86) His background: Born into a secular Jewish family in Berlin (“we attended on holidays”), the youngest of three Hissiblings. background: His motherBorn into wasa secular a hatewish maker family in (“a seamstress in Berlinsomeone (“we attendedelse’s business”);synagogue on hisholidays”), father the (“a World War I pilot”)youngest made of three a livingsiblings. sellingHis mother industrial was a hat maker (“a seamstress in someone else’s business”); his father products (“glue, for(“a example”). World War I Theypilot”) madelived ain living the selling suburb industrial of Johannistahl (“aproducts lovely (“glue,and forpleasant eample”). place”). They lived When in the the suburb Nazis rose to power,of ohannistahl they were (“a forcedlovely and to pleasant relocate place”). to Whenthe the Nazis rose to power, they were forced to relocate to the center of the city, centerand of“then the city, it andwas “then all over.”it was all over.” Hers: Born in BaghdadHers: Born in 1932,in Baghdad the in fourth 193, the of fourth 10 children;of 10 children; her father owned a printing shop and bookbindery. The her father owned familya printing was welltodo shop and and livedbookbindery. in a large home The (“three family was well-to-dooors, and 1,00 lived suare in meters”)a large on home the shores (“three of the Tigris floors, 1,200 squareRiver. meters”) Despite theon family’s the shores sound fnancial of the situation, Tigris her parents decided to leave Ira any way they could (“you River. Despite the family’s sound financial situation, her cannot imagine our fear as ews”). parents decided to leave Iraq any way they could (“you How they met: 1951. One day Rina’s brother Zvi brought cannot imagine ourhis fearfriend asHerbert Jews”). (“through the dunes”) to his parents’ home in the immigrant camp in Bat Yam. Their tent was How they met: 1951.etremely One crowded, day Rina’s but Herbert brother was Zviattracted brought to its his friend Herbert warmth(“through as well the as todunes”) Rina. On to the his spot parents’ he asked Rina’s home in the immigrantfather’s camppermission in Batto date Yam. her (“inTheir those tent days was one usually wasn’t interested in vusvus derogatory term for extremely crowded, but Herbert was attracted to its a European e warmth as well as to Rina. On the spot he asked Rina’s father’s permission to date her (“in those days one usually wasn’t interestedFebruary 2011in vus-vus [derogatory term for a European Jew]”).

February 2011 THE HOLLANDER FAMILY Shiri with Roni on her lap BAT SHLOMO and Nikka (on the foor)

THE HOLLANDER FAMILY Shiri with Roni onNesting: her lapShe always had a boyfriend but never dreamed of a wedding. “I don’t know why,” Shiri BAT SHLOMO and Nikka (on thesays. floor) “And I’ve never felt the need to please others.” All her girlfriends, she says, married and Nesting: She alwaysthen had gave a birth, boyfriend but she didbut not. never dreamed of Livinga wedding. alone: “There“I don’t is a knowdifference between why,” Shiri says. “Andbeing I’ve alone never and loneliness.felt the Someneed people live with others and are very isolated.” to please others.” All her girlfriends, she says, married and then gave birth, but she did not. December 2010 Living alone: “There is a difference between being alone and loneliness. Some people live with others and are very isolated.”

December 2010 THE AGMOR FAMILY The cast: Reumi (38), Anat (38), Nadav (11), Noga (9), Naama (7) and Ayelet-Ora (3.5). YODFAT Recycling: All the food leftovers go to the chickens, the gray water (from showers, laundry) goes to the fruit trees, the kitchen water sustains the vegetable patch and the drainage runoff nourishes the passion flowers. Livelihoods and occupations: Reumi is vice principal of the Ziv Democratic High School for special education in (a village for people with special needs), where about 50 people with serious mental disorders, aged 15-21, are living. Anat: A social worker, on Mondays and Wednesdays she works at the community oncology institute in Nazareth, and on Sundays and Tuesdays she visits sick people in Migdal Ha›emek and in Jezreel Valley communities, as part of a home-hospice program (“I don’t call them ‹terminal,’ because the end is also a beginning, only we don’t know of what”). Yodfat - A community of more than 100 families ,founded in 1960 by Dr. Yosef Schechter and his pupils (“the Schechterites”), who preached Jewish farming and spirituality.

January 2010 BATYA FEDER Batya Feder (94) and Judith Suza (35), her Indian caretaker Batya’s history: She was born in 1914 or 1915 (“I have two birth certificates because I was born during the war and there was no time to register me”) in the city of Bilgoraj in (“near Zamush”). Many of the 5,000 Jews in the city were Hasidic: , and Gur. Isaac Bashevis Singer was born there. (“I knew him, they called him Bashevis after his mother, Batsheva”). She had a brother and sisters. Another five siblings died in their childhood. (“Whoever caught pneumonia would die; there weren’t any antibiotics.”) To support the family, her family traveled every week to Lamberg (Lvov) to sell wax. Later, he opened a printing shop “and he died from this, because of the lead.” : “In 1947, we still didn’t know. I named by daughter Nehama and not Hannah, my mother’s name. I thought that any minute the door would open and she would enter. We didn’t believe.” Faith: “The Holocaust didn’t affect my faith. Perhaps some questions arose about justice, why such righteous people died, how could they kill Mother?!”

October 2008 In the two countries, Austria and Holland, where the exhibition wandered from Israel, there were one or two local families that were photographed and interviewed by Reli and Avner Avrahami and joined the exhibition beside the Israeli families. Here are Rinderer family from Austria and Gould-Kemperman family from Holland:

THE RINDERER FAMILY Participants: From right - Ada (47), Maya (17), Noa (14) and Reinhardt (50) DORNBIRN, AUSTRIA The house: In the center of town, close to the river, three levels, detached, flat roof. The garden with roses, herbs in the front and vegetables (zucchini, cucumbers, and lettuce) behind, in the back. Biographies: Ada from Ramat Gan, Israel. Her mother from Syria, her father from Hungary, a Holocaust survivor (Auschwitz). Reinhard born in Gotzis, Austria. Both of them studied architecture. Ada at the Technion in (after serving in the army), Reinhard at the University of Innsbruck. How they met: September 1992, Paris, by chance. It happened in the unique building of the “Cite de la Musique”. She continued her journey to the US, he followed her. After living in Israel, they moved to Austria and got married at 1994. “Life is good”, Ada, “but I am still here on a trial basis”.

February 2013 LEV WEISBAUM FAMILY Participants: Adi-J (39), Diego Alonso (42), AMSTERDAM Tom-lee (almost 8) and Mio (almost 5) The house: “West Amsterdam”, attached to the ground, with garden out front and yard in the back. Origins: Adi Lev was born in Beer-Sheva, Israel, Diego Alonso Weisbaum was born in Buenos-Aires, Argentina (“but I lived in Israel for 9 years”). They met in Holland in 2000 (“we worked together at El-Al”). Occupations: Diego is an interior architect - Diego Alonso Designs (“mostly bars and restaurants in Holland, and recently in Casablanca”), Adi-J - a DJ and home stylist (“because of Diego”). DJ: plays weekend sets in Holland and clubs abroad (“at least three times a month in countries such as England, Germany, Italy, Greece, Croatia and Israel”), defines her music as “Drum and Bass” influenced by Funk, Afro-Beat, Break-beat, and Reggae. Started her clubbing career at the age of 14 at the “Forum” in Beer-Sheva (“I used to host artists”), spinning records for 19 years, loves her job (“Mad about it”). Happiness (1-10 scale): Adi-9, Diego-8.5.

December 2014 The Installations

The exhibition presents altogether 81 Photos: 72 family portraits (40x40) in combination with a short version of the interviews, 7 big prints (100x100) with unusual family formats (communities, soldiers, dormitories…) and to wallpapers (200x200), combined with living room installations, where TV reports on the project run on a Screen and a library invites to further study. The two wallpapers present a Jewish-Israeli and an Arab-Israeli family. The exhibition can be adjusted to the local space.

Technical information:

76 photographs (format 40x40 cm), mounted on Forex 72 photographs (format 40x53 cm), mounted on Forex 72 text panels (format 40x40 cm), mounted on Forex 7 photographs (format 100x100 cm), framed 6 text panels (format 20x20 cm), mounted on Forex 2 photographs (format 200x200 cm – have to produced for each location) 2 text panels with texts by Avner Avrahami and Galia Gur Zeev (53x70 / 53x48 cm) 1 reproduction of Haaretz (with translation) 4 wooden cubes, white (70x50x40 cm) 2 audio stations (two ear phones each, for long version of two interviews) 1 videoscreen (TV report about the project on Israeli TV) 2 bookshelfs 2 sofas Jewish Museum Hohenems, Austria 2013 Wooden racks for the installation of photographs Familienaufstellung Jewish Museum Hohenems, Austria 2013 Family Affair Castrum Peregrini, Amsterdam 2015 For contact:

Dr. Hanno Loewy - [email protected] Galia Gur Zeev - [email protected] Reli Avrahami - [email protected]

Matzav Mishpachti Eretz Israel Museum, Tel-Aviv 2012