Up Close & Personal With: CHW Neri Bloomfield Academy of Design

UP CLOSE

& PERSONAL With

CHW NERI BLOOMFIELD ACADEMY OF DESIGN

2

The CHW Neri Bloomfield Academy of Design was established in 1971 in Haifa, Israel, to provide vocational education to young Israelis while striving for a higher level of academic training. Since 2018, Professor Shimon Amar has been active president of the college, and under his leadership the college continues to hone and shape the skills of many talented Israelis.

The Photography Department combines professional photography focusing on Israel’s artistic landscape with a film development program that teaches students the process from negative to print. Since the 1980s and 1990s, Dr. Boaz Tal and Professor Micha Kirchner have imbued the department with their creative mark, emphasizing the medium as a critical and artistic tool.

14

ORAH Magazine Summer 2019Today the department is being managed by Eran Barak, a proud graduate of the program. Barak, a documentary and experimental filmmaker, brings a new perspective to the department as a social, activist, and entrepreneurial enterprise.

Since many of the professional workshops take place throughout the city of Haifa, the department maintains strong ties with the local community and constant communication between the students and college. This open dialogue between the students and the residents helps ensure that their stories are being heard.

There is a wide range of disciplines studied within the department of art, including fashion photography, commercial photography, documentary photography, and video, resulting in a rich diversity of careers for students. Upon graduation, the faculty members continue to provide educational tools and support to the students in order to help them find the right career path.

As the study of photography continues to rise in popularity and becomes dominant in both the private and public arena, the photography department and their skilled professionals continue to lead and grow professionally and artistically in Israel and around the world.

Thanks to your continued support, many talented and aspiring young Israeli artists are flourishing at the CHW Neri Bloomfield Academy of Design. Please enjoy some of their work, featured on the next page.

1 Work by Shahar Tishler, 3rd year student, photo of his brother 2 Work by Michael Chelbin 3 Work by Rannan Tal 4 Anonymous 5 Work by Rannan Tal 6 Three Orthodox girls from Beit Shemesh, city outside of Jerusalem, work by Prof. Michal Chelbin 7 Work by Oded Hirsch 8 Work by Mark Yashayev 9 Work by Noga Shtainer

1

3

4 5

6 7

8 9

Yinon Kalfon

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS

Life has not always been easy for Yinon Kalfon. His parents were absent for most of his childhood, so he was raised by his grandmother. He was a very angry teenager, and consistently got himself into trouble at school. In Grade 10, he was nearly expelled and received a long suspension that caused him to miss a lot of classes. During his long absence, he saw how disappointed his grandmother was with his behaviour and began to realize he was sabotaging his own future.

When he returned to school in Grade 11, he did so with a fresh outlook; he was determined to work hard to graduate and make his grandmother proud. The joy he felt when he achieved his goal, and how proud he made his grandmother, made Yinon decide to pursue further education.

After high school, Yinon enrolled in the army. During his first year of service, which he spent volunteering with at-risk youth in Haifa, he learned about the CHW Neri Bloomfield Academy of Design and all the courses and degrees they offer. He knew that his next goal was to enroll and work towards his dream of being an artist.

After serving as a combat soldier in the Nahal Brigade for four years, the army granted him a small financial loan to cover his first and second year of college, in gratitude for his service to Israel. He enrolled in the Department of Photography, Media & Non-Fiction Film at the CHW Neri Bloomfield Academy of Design, spending the next two years happily studying.

Since he didn’t have any family financial support, Yinon had to find ways to cover extra school costs and his day-to-day expenses. To save money, he worked as much as possible during summer breaks.

Unfortunately, during summer break of his second and third year of school, he was called back into the army where he spent nearly two months. Not being able to work increased his financial burden and he was struggling to afford school. Just when Yinon thought things couldn’t get worse, his grandmother fell ill. With nobody else to help out, he dedicated as much time as he could to caring for her. Although he never gave up hope, he was starting to feel like he would never be able to achieve his dream.

Thanks to the Beatrice Mazoff Brownstein Endowment Fund Scholarship he received through CHW, Yinon was given the opportunity to return to school and finish his degree. Yinon believes the scholarship is proof that obstacles can be overcome in life and even in times of crisis, one must continue to look to the future.

Sadly, his grandmother passed away just a few months ago, but Yinon is happy knowing how proud she was of his hard work. Yinon’s experience as a photographer and all the hardships he had to overcome to complete his degree, have given him a new perspective on the world, and he is grateful to finally live his dreams.

Photography by Yinon Kalfon

1

3 4

1 • Model poses for fashion photoshoot 2 • Dismantled Camera 3 • Yinon Self Portrait 4 • Model poses inside abandoned swimming pool

2

16 ORAH Magazine Summer 2019 ORAH Magazine Summer 2019 17