ההסתדרות הציונית העולמית. World Zionist Organization המחלקה לפעילות בתפוצות. Department for Diaspora Activities Beit Ha am Z-Talks בית העם

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1 ההסתדרות הציונית העולמית World Zionist Organization המחלקה לפעילות בתפוצות Department for Diaspora Activities Beit Ha am Z-Talks בית העם שיג ושיח ציוני This Object is Me Between the Individual and the Group Examining Identity Issues with Hanoch Piven

2 Concept & Development: Department for Diaspora Activities, WZO Research & Compilation: Hanoch Piven and Noa Marom This booklet is for internal use only Strange people I don t know at all From different places and also from the city here I d like everyone to know That there s one child in the world And This Child is Me Yehuda Atlas The Beit Ha am program was developed by the Department for Diaspora Activities in the World Zionist Organization to encourage discussion on the subject of Zionist identity and attitudes to the State of Israel. The program includes diverse traditional and modern texts on a range of subjects. Through encounter with these texts, we hope to encourage lively discussion of Zionist identity among Diaspora Jews in general, and the younger generation, in particular. The discussion will address what binds the Jewish people, wherever they may be, as well as what divides and separates us. We will consider the meaning of Jewish political independence of the people dwelling in Zion and the reciprocal relationships between Jews living in Israel and those who live in the Diaspora. This represents an opportunity for everyone, irrespective of prior knowledge, to get to know and enhance their knowledge about the significance of Zionism in the 21st century, to engage in discussion, reflect on its substance and the extent of its relevance to our lives. The Beit Ha am program is currently available in Hebrew and English, and will be translated into other languages according to demand. If you are interested in using the Beit Ha am program, or would like to hear more about training counselors to work with the program, please contact the Department for Diaspora Activities at noam@wzo.org.il

3 INTRODUCTION Hanoch Piven, who was born in Uruguay, came to Israel in 1975 and grew up in Ramat Gan and Kfar Saba. Following his studies at the School of Visual Arts in New York, he began developing his singular style of portraits which employs everyday objects to characterize images of well-known figures. For nearly two decades now, his works have appeared in periodicals worldwide, from Time and Newsweek in the U.S. to Der Spiegel and The London Times in Europe. In 1994 he was awarded the New York Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, which is the most prestigious award in the U.S. illustration industry. In Israel, Piven won acclaim due to his portraits column in the Haaretz newspaper during the 1990s. Piven has published a number of children s books, including the bestseller, The Perfect Purple Feather. He also created the Objects Joke Around program for the HOP TV channel. In recent years Piven has conducted many workshops where participants experiment with the creative experience using his artistic technique. These workshops are attended by children and adults alike. By experimenting with creativity through objects, participants are able to articulate feelings, ideas and stories by means of an easily applied visual tool. Hanoch Piven divides his time between Barcelona and Tel Aviv. USING THE KIT The workbook contains detailed instructions for the facilitator, including a variety of topics for discussion, questions, and activities. It s important to note that the facilitator should take into account the nature of the group of participants and the time allotted to the activity. The workbook also includes a wide variety of educational ideas; don t hesitate to make use of anything that furthers your needs in the best way possible. It s not necessary to utilize all the materials contained in the workbook. Use can be made only of Piven s Objects Workshop, which is highlighted in purple, or just the portraits activity. We ve added some other distinct portraits created by Hanoch to the kit in order to provide you, the facilitators, with more options. You ll be able to choose the components that meet your needs for the program and groups you re leading. TARGETS/GOALS The purpose of the kit is to trigger discussion about issues related to Jewish and Zionist identity by means of works created by the artist, Hanoch Piven. Similar to an artist who makes a collage by locating objects and materials that come from different sources and assembling them together into a uniform language, thereby assigning new and special meaning to the total creation, we too assemble our lives. In the following kit we ll examine different and diverse topics using various components Hanoch Piven s art, a creative exercise in which we ll attempt to compile a visual image that tells the story of our identity, made by employing the different meanings we attach to objects, and by way of Hanoch s own story. Each part of the kit can stand on its own and also be incorporated in a composite and enriching activity.

4 THEODOR HERZL In a moment of truth, Herzl divulges a secret to Nordau: his own nose has a strange feature: one side is completely straight, whereas the other side is somewhat hooked. In the past, before he became involved in the Jewish question, he would pose with the straight side of his nose facing the camera. But since devoting himself to the Jewish question he makes sure to be photographed from his hooked side. And This Child is Me Yehuda Atlas Strange people I don t know at all From different places and also from the city here I d like everyone to know That there s one child in the world And this child is me, this child This child is me And this child is me, this child This child is me Here we were in Jaffa. Again poverty and misery, and heat in gay colors. Confusion in the streets, at the hotel, not a carriage to be found. I was already on a horse, in order to ride to Rishon Le-Zion, but dismounted again when Dr. Joffe procured a means of transport Herzl s Diaries, Jaffa, October 26, 1898 Ideas for alternative materials to depict Herzl, suggested by Hanoch Piven: Binoculars, compass, flashlight, flags, Lego, fan, charcoal, building tools, objects associated with Europe (an old newspaper, eyeglasses, typewriter, typewriter characters )

5 Questions for discussion: 1. From your perspective, which object in the poster stands out the most? What does it symbolize to you? What is your most conspicuous object/trait? 2.Hanoch Piven underscored the contrast between Peres s optimism and exuberance, depicted by the smile made of flowers, and his string of failures in the political arena, represented by the bandaged eyebrows. These two sides of Peres can be viewed as a mirror of Israel. What are Israel s flowers? What are Israel s adhesive bandages? In your community, is there more focus on Israel s bandages or its flowers? 3. If you examine the table above, you ll see that Peres has had an impressive string of successes as opposed to a limited list of political failures. Nonetheless, Peres has the image of being a loser. What do you think about that? Why do we, both as individuals and as a group, focus on the negative rather than the positive? The feeling in Israel is as follows: no matter how many successes we have, we are always perceived by the media and the global community in a negative light. They will always focus on the negative rather than the positive. Is that justified? In your opinion, is that just human nature or something specifically related to Israel? How do you examine Israel through the smile of made flowers or through the adhesive bandages? 4. Peres is loved the world over, but in the eyes of some groups in Israel he continues to represent the Diaspora Jew with the non-israeli accent. Nevertheless, he found his own way of leading. Do you have a special statement to make about your connection to Jewish identity? Your connection to Israel?

6 ההסתדרות הציונית העולמית World Zionist Organization המחלקה לפעילות בתפוצות Department for Diaspora Activities בית העם שיג ושיח ציוני החפץ הזה הוא אני בין היחיד לקבוצה סוגיות זהות עם חנוך פיבן