Instinct

Listen and be Heard

Norwegian SV leader and finance minister Kristin Halvorsen is visiting Jewish museum in Oslo, May 2010.

Norwegian SV leader and finance minister Kristin Halvorsen is visiting Jewish museum in Oslo, May 2010.

fashion never dies

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky; in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. “ Coco Chanel

Beauty is never out of fashion and it is doesn’t matter whether 20s or 80s. Fashion Never Dies is an art project developed by Rami Kafarov – prof photographer and Julia Høgevold- make up designer, who actually came up with the initial idea. Rami was studying photography at Hadassah college in Jerusalem and a guest student at Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Pictures from “Fashion never Dies” show life and events of the last century in the range 20 – 80s. Both artists created image of the decade based on events of that time and common fashion trends. For example, one of the most powerful images of a woman from 40th with a single suitcase in front of her bombed house. It was a war time, time of endless number of people loosing their lives, relatives and houses. Actually, it was most challenging to present a war atmosphere without showing military uniform or fighting. Another point of the story telling is that actually fashion is never out of fashion. It was proved by installing a model from 40s or 50s in nowadays. There are few pictures were text is playing an important role. On a picture from70s one can read on LP: “Not too long time ago” and 40s model in modern time has an interesting text on a poster behind her: War is happened under your nose.”

Enjoy the works and don’t forget: “Fashion is never out of Fashion !”

Photo: Rami Kafarov  Styling: Julia Høgevold  Models: Nadja, Julia, Masha, Svitlana, Liza

Not every Argentinian dances tango

Life story about Jorge from Argentina who ended up in Oslo. Written in Russian and translated to English and Norwegian. Photo and text by Rami Kafarov.

Not every Argentinean dances the tango. This phrase slipped out during the conversation with Jorge F. in his shop being a workshop of wind instruments. A small business and almost monopolistic position on the local market allow to feed a family well enough, and above all, to have to do with the music almost every day. The music around which all the life of this extraordinary man is going on.

In an early childhood, as long ago as being in Argentina, in order to stand out in a crowd of followers of a classic guitar, as well as reckoning for finding a job ex professo in orchestra, Jorge entered the department of wind instruments. Since then a clarinet became his ever present instrument. The military coup and the taking power by Junta forced Jorge and his parents to leave the country. But every cloud has a silver lining. In Jerusalem academy of music he had met the only woman, with whom he would have a family and bring up children. This is a way passing all logical understanding by which the fates of people from two distant lands are intertwined: he came from sunny Argentina, and she came from cold Norway. The subsequent leaving for the USA is a kind of support of the notorious theory about eternally wandering Jew. The life with a number of crossings, as well as the work, where one often gets thoughts to oneself, gives rise to speculations, but fortunately Jorge has no doubts concerning the correctness of his steps and taken decisions.

Moreover, in his spare time he plays the Klezmer music and on rare occasions concertizes, so watch the announcements! And if not every Argentinean dances tango, an Argentinean who plays the Klezmer is few and far between.

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Yair Watchmaker

Watchmaker’s life story is based on an interview with Yair. Text and Pictures by author. Please find  Russian text under English.  Published in  “Hatikwa” (in Norwegian) 2-2010 Organ for De Mosaiske Trossamfunn i Norge

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I had made the acquaintance of Yair Halevi in one of the first days upon my arrival to Norway. We often met in the synagogue and with the rabbi on the Sabbath. Once, sitting at the table, we got into a conversation about our hobbies. This is how I got to know that I had an owner of the very interesting collection of watches and not less interesting family stories in front of me.

As long ago as 1930s his grandfather and grandmother being convinced Zionists had decided to move to Palestine. Having sold all their property, they moved to a vicinity of Hadera-Pardes-Hana where purchased a lot and built a large house in which almost all childhood of Yair passed. In his opinion, that was a time his hobby began. A sound of grandmother clock ticking and striking had sunk into the mind of the child in such way that many years later, living in Norway, he entered a school of watchmakers, the only in the country. Unfortunately, the degree did not help in finding a job ex professo, and Yair had taken up with the collecting.

The time was passing. The clocks went beyond a luxury as they were at the beginning of the twentieth century. Nobody could not even imagine that each generation of Halevi’s family would have its own native language. His grandparents had Hungarian, his mother – Romanian, Yair – Hebrew, his children – Norwegian, and his grandchildren, God grant, will speak Italian or English. Every flow has its ebb. And only the pocket-watch, a family’s relic, one of three Longman specimens, bought by Yair’s grandfather before the departure, keeps time in order wherever they are and whatever language is spoken by its owner.

Today, the Yair’s collection has more than 100 watches, and all they are in good order. It is a amazing thing, these watches!.. They keep time which is constantly is going somewhere, sometimes running, but they themselves can run forever in caring hands of the master. At the end of our conversation Yair said to me: “You know, I would like to live more than hundred years long. I do not like to have nothing to do, and almost all my spare time is spent for my ardour for watches. I have plans to repair them even till my being 105 years old”. Till 120, Yair!

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