Teaching as a Vocation
Ayelet Hashahar Cohen

The exhibition "Teachers" opens a porthole into a tremendously worthy sphere in Israeli society. The image of the local teacher, lagging behind in the hierarchy of "most wanted" professions in this country, is no longer what it used to be. The teacher's age-old function in the community, as a mediator of knowledge, a tutor, a mentor, a trailblazer, has been degraded in recent years into that of a mere "service provider." Precisely in an era when knowledge is accessible to everyone, the essence of teaching—which undergoes processes of change and adaptation vis-à-vis the developing technologies and available realms of knowledge—must be recharged with a new meaning and a greater responsibility than in the past. Nowadays not everyone can be a teacher.

The exhibition "Teachers" offers a visual and theoretical discussion; it strives to point out some of the teachers in Israel who have opted for the teaching profession out of a sense of vocation; teachers who, apart from imparting knowledge to their students, also promote their development, infuse them with a passion for learning, empower them, and lead them to perform personal and social change in their communities.

The exhibition features artists who differ from each other in their visual perceptions; artists who belong to three generations. Each fascinates me individually, but their power as a group equally stands out, since most of them are in themselves teachers, and some are also perennial students at the same time. All of them possess a profound understanding of the art of teaching and the teacher's powerful role in an age of change.

The teachers portrayed in the exhibition come from all over the country: Jerusalem, Daburiyeh, Ashkelon, Dimona, Bat Yam, Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Kiryat Shmona, Beer Sheva, Hatzor, Yeruham, Migdal Ha'emek, Ma'ale Iron, Hadera, etc. Some were selected as "Teachers of the Year" by the Ministry of Education; others work in alternative fields. Some are linked to the photographers' biographical past; others are making their first steps as teachers, or are nearing retirement. Some of them never studied for a teaching degree, but they are teachers in their heart and soul, others believe in teaching and the significance of developing as teachers in the established system. Some of the represented teachers were marked by the system as visionaries and gained prestige. Some perform their work in the grayness of the everyday, without special reward. All of them are wholly devoted to their profession. They continue to deliberate and ask questions about their path, for this is a part of their job. For this reason they are worthy of being called teachers.

I would like to extend my thanks to all the artists participating in the exhibition. Some of them were my teachers and influenced my route. Some were my students; I see them developing as artists and teachers, and my heart is filled with pride. The artist-teachers exert themselves daily in the various faculty rooms throughout the country, facing tough questions pertaining to systems of knowledge, the image of the young generation, and their own place as artists and teachers in the cultural, educational, and spiritual worlds. Some have deliberated with me about their artistic course in relation to the concept of a commissioned exhibition, and ultimately found that the theme was relevant to them and was important enough to address and explore.

I wish that my own children and all pupils everywhere will be lucky to have good teachers. May all the good teachers, wherever they are, enjoy respect, appreciation, and good livelihood.

Ayelet Hashahar Cohen, Curator of the Exhibition

Ayelet Hashahar Cohen is an artist and a teacher; heads the Department of Photography at the Musrara School and takes an active part in the school's management