Signs and Wonders

Following your positive reactions to last month’s blog I have been asked to continue with more reminiscences from my time as Director of the British Israel Arts Foundation. I was lucky enough to bring over a number of striking personalities from Israel. Many of them remain good friends until today, but I do feel a certain poignancy whilst writing this as some, sadly, are no longer alive.

One who immediately springs to mind is Oded Teomi – a seventh generation sabra – actor, storyteller, director, teacher and playwright. When Oded was 10 his father, also an actor, was killed on stage by terrorists in 1947, on the eve of Israel’s War of Independence. Rather than deterring him from following in his father’s footsteps, it made him determined to become an actor in his honour.

For almost 60 years Oded had a spectacular career with many leading roles from Shakespeare and other classics through to contemporary international playwrights including Strindberg, Anouilh, Albee and more. He appeared in numerous films, worked regularly on radio and T.V. and also lectured on Theatre at Tel Aviv University. Not unsurprisingly he won many accolades for his work, culminating in 2012 with a Life Achievement Award – Israel’s equivalent of the ‘Oscar’.

In 1988 I invited him to London with his one man play ‘SIGNS AND WONDERS’, written by him and based on his personal experiences. It began with a strange dream in which he saw his father, who, by means of cabalistic signs, tells Oded to visit the holy city of Safed, where eerie happenings and meetings with strange characters occur, brought about as if by an unseen hand.

Beginning at the ‘Ari’ synagogue, he then goes to a cemetery in Safed where an old man takes him to a cave and Oded becomes the tenth man of a bizarre ‘minyan’ (prayer quorum) Here he hears foreboding prophesies about Israel’s destiny, and learned that it is every Jew’s duty to try to save Israel from destruction.

The famed Rabbi, Nachman of Bratslav, wrote “When it seems impossible for a spiritual leader to encourage people to do good by way of teaching and discussion, then he must try to influence them by means of stories”. Oded told me “As an actor it is my absolute duty to tell this story to my audiences”.

His reviewers and critics were fulsome in their praise “Teomi is a world-class actor of extraordinary range and vitality”. “I have seldom experienced an actor who can spellbind an audience as Oded”. “This consummate actor staged an unforgettable evening. The material was beautifully written and staged, resulting in an evening none of us shall ever forget. Oded Teomi illuminated our stage as no one before has ever done”.

At one of our many meetings he told me about his ‘mystical’ side. Oded claimed that he sometimes ‘saw’ things happening before they actually occurred. On two or three occasions the local police had in fact sought his advice and he was able to help them resolve some difficult cases. I find such stories difficult to accept, but Oded spoke about it in such a matter of fact way it was as if he were telling me he’d just been to the corner shop for a newspaper.
I have known several actors during my life. Often they were quiet and diffident off stage, seeming  to come to life only through their stage roles. Oded was different – he had a powerful presence both on and offstage. He was thoughtful, intense, warm, engaging and witty.

One evening at his home in Tel Aviv he was preparing supper in the kitchen. Suddenly the door opened to reveal Oded entering the dining room carrying a tray and majestically declaring “Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour to present for your enjoyment a truly magnificent repast!” This craggily handsome, soft spoken performer could turn even a mundane act into one of pure theatre.

Sadly Oded died in March 2019, but thanks to the internet, I can continue to enjoy his presence by watching his you tube videos. One in particular, that was filmed at his home shows him chatting to the interviewer whilst walking around the apartment. Suddenly, he stops to point proudly at a picture on the wall. It was a gift to him from Ze’ev, Israel’s most famous political cartoonist. For me, this was indeed serendipitous, as the next person I intended to write about for you was in fact Ze’ev. Perhaps this was a ‘Sign’ from Oded?.

Hungarian born Yaakov (Ze’ev) Farkash began drawing comics at the age of 12. His high school teacher repeatedly told him that he was the worst painter in the class – possibly because the boy was colour blind, but not very encouraging for him to hear as a pupil. As a Jew, he was barred from university and was sent into a forced labour brigade without adequate clothing where he had to dig ditches and be subjected to mistreatment by sadistic  sergeants.    He along with thousands of other Jewish boys were then deported to Buchenwald and Dachau. After liberation he managed to get to Palestine only to be imprisoned in Cyprus by the British. Throughout this time he continued drawing caricatures in his diary. He eventually reached Israel in 1947, joined the 7th Brigade and fought in the 1948 War of Independence.

After the War he continued drawing and tried to sell his work, not very successfully. One day he met the Hungarian writer, director and satirist Efraim Kishon and his life changed. Kishon worked for the tabloid Ma’ariv and through him, Ze’ev was hired in 1952 to produce a daily cartoon, something new in Israel in those days. Kishon also persuaded him to adopt a ‘snappy’ Hebrew name instead of Yaakov Farkash – and as Farkash means ‘wolf’ in Hungarian and wolf in Hebrew is ‘Ze’ev’ – this became his ‘nom de plume’, with his distinctive cartoon self- portrait always showing him holding a dripping paintbrush.

In the 60’s Haaretz hired him to produce daily caricatures which turned into permanent Friday features of one large cartoon across a whole page. Subsequently Ze’ev’s work appeared in the New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and other leading newspapers. He was acknowledged as one of Israel’s greatest political cartoonists and had a huge influence on those who followed him. In 1993, he won the Israel Prize.

In1994 we invited Ze’ev to London. I was a lucky enough to work with Daphna Naor who has remained a close friend until today. She curated his exhibition and together we planned the visit. Ze’ev and his daughter stayed with us for two weeks – it was a wonderful experience to enjoy the company of this gentle, kind, self-effacing but hugely talented personality.

                                                             

His exhibition, ‘ZE’EV- EYEWITNESS WITH A SMILE was shown at the National Museum of Cartoon Art. Through his eyes visitors saw the history of the State of Israel unfold. The Times reviewed said “His work is a crowded masterpiece of caricature and draughtsmanship presenting Israel’s view of the world’s leaders.”

Ze’ev and I visited the Houses of Parliament to meet several M.P.’s. ( see below)  He addressed arts groups, including leading British cartoonists, and several other cultural organisations. After London his exhibition toured to Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin, followed by Paris, Dinard, Marseilles and Aix en Provence, then finally Bombay and Delhi.

Working with Ze’ev made me aware of just how many initiatives for peace had taken place in Israel over the years and from this came the inspiration for a national competition for under 18’s that we called ‘Drawing Together For Peace’.

I approached many potential sponsors and received art supplies, cycles, holidays in Israel and Turkey and UK adventure trips. More than 50,000 schools were contacted inviting them to participate. (Remember this was the time before computers or  Internet!) The response was overwhelming with more than 5,000 entries both from Britain and  abroad. 600 of the best were selected by a panel of judges and the works were displayed for two months at the Cartoon Museum. Ze’ev was on the judging panel, awarded the prizes and talked to the many visiting school groups.

As I was finishing this story I was reminded that this was not my first venture into curating art. Over 40 ago I became Chairman of Sunderland ‘Ladies Circle’, the women’s section of ‘Round Table’. We wanted to organise a fund raising event. I suggested an art competition. I visited the local art school to ask the principal if he would judge it.

He gave me a patronising smile, showed me some paintings stacked behind a chair saying “You are welcome to try, this is what the last group achieved” – There were five pictures.

Not daunted, I persisted with my ‘Never say No’ determination. Each entry had to be accompanied by half a crown – two shillings and sixpence, to raise money for local charities. We worked non stop. Somehow I managed to obtain gifts of holidays, bicycles, cameras, sports equipment and toys plus 100 consolation prizes from local and national companies.

We worked flat out and eventually received 1,154 entries. Imagine the principal’s face when I showed them to him! It was worth all the effort. The best 600 were displayed at the Middlesbrough Art Gallery for three months. The youngest painter was a 22 month old girl and the youngest prizewinner was two year old Heather from Hutton Rudby. The 120 winners were presented with their prizes by a local dignitary, Lady Gisborough, and  we raised £180 for local charities – quite a lot in those days, when I earned £7.50 per week as a secretary and our first home, a four bedroom semi, cost £2,250.

Another surprise achievement was that Richard,  my youngest son aged 3, had his painting chosen. Absolutely nothing to do with the fact that his Mum had organised the show!

Sunderland Echo article. from left,
Me, my sons David and Richard, David Hyman( behind Richard), My eldest son Charles, and Matthew Bookey.

Until I discovered all this memorabilia during a clean out during Lockdown,  it had  never occurred to me that this focus on art had run throughout my life.  My father and my sister were talented artists, but never me.

However I remained with the  British Israel Arts Foundation for another ten years and more tales will follow.  Since leaving the Foundation, I have, for the past 22 years, continued working in the art world. It is a very satisfying  to think that whatever talent I may have, must certainly have been inherited from my father.

Thanks Dad!!!