Katya Oicherman

Stories of the Torn Swaddling ClothTextile installation

"Rupture and Repair", exhibition of works nominatedfor the Adi Foundation Prize for Jewish Expression in Art and Design

Artist House, JerusalemSummer 2010

Torah binder, 1836, Fürth, Germany; Silk on linen, 3.2 m x 18 cm Museum of the German Speaking Jewry, Tefen, Israel

Stories of a Torn Swaddling Cloth

My grand-mother, Sarah Maximovsky, known as Sonya, received her identification card upon arrival to Israel in 1990. Due to a mistake in the registers of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, the space for “nationality” was printed with the words “not registered”. Henceforth, Sarah, a surgeon who choose not changing her name during the “Killer Doctors” affair in the end of Stalin’s regime in Leningrad, has become an unidentifiable agent in terms of national belonging.

I received my ID in 1993, reaching the age of sixteen. Due to a mistake in the registers of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, the year of my birth was printed as 00. Henceforth a doubt is imposed on my being in the world.

In 1997 I wanted to marry. The Rabbinate asked to verify my Jewish decent. I showed my ID, which stated in the space of nationality: Jewish. Not convinced, they demanded to speak with my grand-mother. They called her and asked in Russian: “Is your name Sarah?” “Yes”, - she replied. “Have you always been Sarah or have you just become Sarah?” Sarah, who due to her age had hearing deficiency and was anxious for not answering adequately, replied: “What? Ahhh… Yes, I have always been Sarah.” They then asked her to speak Yiddish, and she spoke as good as she could remember. Thereupon it was decided that I am Jewish.

In the lands of Ashkenaz there used to be a tradition: after the circumcision, the mother of the newborn took the swaddling cloth used during the ceremony, torn it into four pieces, sew them together in a long band and embroidered the following: “So-and-so, son of So-and-so, was born on such-and-such date, may God bring him to Torah, Huppah and good deeds, Amen Selah.” She would add decorations and illustrations according to her taste and ability. The band has been donated to the local synagogue to be used as a Torah scroll binder or a Torah swaddling. In this way the birthday of a male child has been documented and the covenant between the Almighty and people of Israel commemorated in mundane cloth, has been regenerated in the familial memory.

Never a girl in Ashkenaz has received a binder.

This binder is meant for my grand-mother and myself. It is made of my old swaddling cloths, salvaged from becoming dust-cloths. I embroider stories of my grand-mothers' name and my year of birth. In its design the binder is reminiscent of an existing German binder of 1836, held in the collection of The Museum of the German-Speaking Jewry in Tefen, Israel.

Every letter is conceived of the whole inscription repeated several times. The tiny letter becomes a building block for the big one. In needle and thread I learn to write anew; each letter upon its shape come as if unfamiliar. The story unrolls as a metaphoric patchwork where each piece is unlike any other, integrating endlessly tearing apart and sewing together.

The original text of 1836:

Zvi called Hirsh Bar Yoel Shalit was born [under a good constellation] on Monday 26 Tamuz 5596 (11/7/1836) [by abbreviated era] May god (ha-shem - "the name" in Hebrew) bring him to Torah Hupah and good deeds Amen SelahMade by B.G. Fingerspiegel, [holy community] Furth

The reinvented text:

Sarah called Sonya, daughter of Shlomo Lioznov from Nevel born under a good constellation on Sabbath 1 Heshvan 5680 (25/10/1919) the name [god] is not written (or stated)Akaterina, whom they wanted to name Esther, daughter of Vasily Lavorko from Briansk, born under a good constellation on Monday 8 Elul (22/8) 00 the name [god] did not write (or register)

Stories of a Turn Swaddling Cloth, installation view; Jerusalem Artists House; Rupture and Repair exhibition of the Adi Foundation Award for Jewish expression in art and design; May 2010Photo by Avi Khai

Stories of a Turn Swaddling Cloth, installation view; binder: 0.18 x 4.5 m; diameter 1.5 m; silk embroidery on cotton, perspex and metal hanging device

Sarah called Sonya, daughter of Shlomo

Shlomo

Lioznov from Nevel, born under a good constellation

Lioznov from Nevel

on the day of Sabbath 1 Heshvan 5680

day of Sabbath 1

the name is not written

Not (stated, written)

Akaterina, whom they wanted to name Esther, daughter of Vasily

Akaterina, whom they wanted to name Esther,

Vasily

Lavorko from Briansk, born under a good constellation

on Monday 8 Elul 00

Monday 8 Elul 00

Elul

the name did not write

not