Denis Shifrin

Liverpool, Kibbutzei Hachshara Gorsey Leaze & Redhill, Kibbutz  Kfar Hanassi, Tel Aviv,  Raanana.

Says Denis Shifrin who entertains us with his wonderful illustrations in the ESRA Magazine: “My grandfather used to say that any normal child would wish to be born with a silver spoon in his mouth, while I, the shmendrik, chose to be born with a pencil in my mouth. Since this immortal event I’ve never stopped drawing, painting, sculpting and illustrating”.

On a drizzly afternoon in 1934, at the tender age of seven, Denis’ sister dragged him to Habonim, the Zionist Youth Movement, at Zion House in Liverpool. His youth leader was Yehudah Goodman. Fourteen years later, Yehuda, as officiating reverend, joined Gussie and Denis in a matrimonial bond at the Forest Gate Synagogue in London.

After a sound education, War Agriculture Committees’ farms, Habonim’s kibbutzei hachshara at Gorsey Leaze and Redhill, art school, three years as a Habonim Movement worker in London, and marriage, Gussie and Denis made aliyah in 1948 via the Aliyah Bet center at St. Jerome, Marseilles. At Mansura they helped to establish Kibbutz Kfar Hanassi, and their first son saw the light of day at the Scottish Mission Hospital in Tiberias in 1950.  

Denis’ professional life started in 1951 after, with much regret, they chose to leave Kibbutz Kfar Hanassi. With Israel’s massive immigration, depression, and few available jobs, Denis felt very lucky to obtain employment with the famous publisher, “Lion the Printer” in Tel Aviv. There he was employed as art and print director. During the nine years he worked there, he obtained (on the job) a thorough education in printing and publishing, which enabled him to set up his own advertising and publishing firm, Shifrin and Na’aman Ltd., in 1960.

Starting at zero, he and his partner Yosef  Na’aman, built up a solid clientele that included the Ministries of Transport, Foreign Affairs, and Tourism, Keren Hayesod, Keren Kayemet, the Jewish Agency, KLM, IBM, American Israel Paper Mills, Israel Aircraft Industries, Elscint, Scitex, Electra, Westinghouse, and many other prestigious organizations and businesses. Their subsidiary company, Israel Art-Print Ltd., published calendars, “Pik-O-Let” aerograms, greeting cards, children’s games, and other items.

During his days with Lion the Printer, Denis illustrated many children’s books and encyclopedias, including the famous series “Ima M’saperet”. He also worked with Nachum Guttman at the children’s magazine Dvar Lyeladim, while his political cartoons and comic strips appeared regularly in Davar and Omer daily newspapers. In 1954, Michael Shir and Denis started Etzba’oni, a weekly magazine for very young children. Denis drew the illustrations and looked after the printing procedures.

Over the years he extended his expertise in printing, publishing and book design and was often invited by Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Universities to lecture on printing techniques, creativity, and visual perception. In 1963, Teddy Kollek asked Henri Friedlaender, the internationally known book designer and pioneer typographer, and Denis to be judges at the first Jerusalem International Book Fair. Here, to Teddy Kollek’s dismay, Denis relates that he presented a scathing report on Israel’s publishing trade. Faulty type, poor typography and graphics, inferior paper, sloppy printing and binding were just a few items on Denis’ list of grievous faults.

Denis says about himself: “I feel extremely grateful and privileged to have worked with so many experts in Israel’s industries and to have cooperated with scores of leading artists, photographers and writers. If I have managed over the years to contribute to the high levels now obtained in the publishing and printing trades  -  dayenu!”

Many years ago the Shifrin’s two sons, Dubbie and Ilan, took over the firm and, according to Denis, they are successfully maintaining the agency’s reputation for high quality work. Orna, their daughter, is active in the field of education – teaching teachers how to assess their students’ capabilities. And Denis and Gussie are extremely proud of their seven grandchildren and one great-grandson. Two grandsons are still serving in the army and one grandson plays for the Israel national handball team. A granddaughter has just qualified as a doctor.

Gussie suffered a severe stroke in 1985 and Merle Guttmann shepherded them through the medical hurdles so that Gussie was accepted to the Bet Levinstein rehabilitation hospital. She has, since then, carried on a rich and varied life with much grit and perseverance, within the bosom of her loving family.

In retirement, Denis illustrates various magazines and sculpts wooden kinetic miniatures. At present he is preparing for his next exhibition of sculptures that will open in May 2010.

The ESRA Magazine feels privileged that for over seven years Denis has been our “in house” original illustrator on a volunteer basis. Of this he says:  “I find much satisfaction in illustrating some of the wonderful articles appearing in the ESRA Magazine.” Truth be it that Denis always agrees to do an illustration, be he well or ill and extremely busy, and he does so with great rapidity and graciousness. Denis has added humor, color and art to the magazine.

At some time in his professional career, Denis was recruited by the Mossad and worked there actively for more than a decade. Later he continued in an advisory capacity. Many times, his artistic talents were exploited to serve as a good cover for his activities. Dedicated and motivated only by what they could contribute to Israel’s security, Denis says of this period: “Colleagues of mine were to give my life and Gussie’s a further dimension - one of pride, one in which, I’m sure, every Israeli can share.”

When the commander of his unit in the Mossad retired he sent Denis a personal letter in which he wrote: “I have known, during my service, many long and difficult days, hours of tension and fear, moments of joy and grief … but not for one moment do I forget that ‘combatants’ like yourself were prepared to give of themselves and were ready always, for each and every call of duty”.

For Denis it was a very meaningful time of his life. In his words: “I’m still tremendously proud of having played a part – however small – in this “the second oldest profession”.   But, more than anything, my work in this field brought me closer and closer to Gussie, because, without a doubt, it was Gussie who carried the burden - without complaint - when I was absent from home. Together, we can say, we have always been motivated by "a sense of mission!"