whn the racial laws were published in Italy in 1938, all Jewish pupils were thrown out of public schools and had to go to Jewish schools organized by the local communities. This was the setting for Lele’s first encounter with Mrs. Neomi Fajrajzen (Jona). Neomi was his sister’s teacher, but on occasion she taught his class as well. Since as a child Lele didn’t like writing, Neomi suggested he will draw his answers. She collected these small doodles and illustrations, but unfortunately, they were all lost over the years.
When Lele was about to leave for Switzerland for his studies in the École des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne he was looking to study some French, so Neomi introduced him to her husband who studied in Paris and was a professor of Philosophy in university. He also lost his job due to the racial laws, and could use some extra cash. Neomi’s husband was none other than Alexander Fajrajzen- better known by his stage name- Alessandro Fersen. Lele used to say that he didn’t learn much French from Fersen, but did learn greatly about theater. After the war, their paths crossed again and they became both personal friends, and professional partners. This partnership lasted for over forty years, during which they produced, directed and designed productions for the theater and opera. Fersen also established a special studio dedicated to the preforming arts called “studio di Arte Sceniche” which was the first of its kind at that time! Their partnership influenced Lele’s work greatly as we can see in many of his works, settings that look similar to that of a theatrical stage, or his use of characters from the Commedia dell'arte, especially Pulcinella.
Nel 1938, con l'emanazione delle leggi razziste, gli alunni ebrei venner estromessi dalle scuole pubbliche ed andarono a studiare nelle scuole ebraiche organized by the community israelitiche. It is because Lele met the master Noemi Iona Fajrajzen, who was Gabriella's insignificant and who wanted to teach a lesson to Lele's class as well. She does not like to write, Noemi, the master, she has to draw. Quei disegni vennero raccolti e conservati da Noemi, ma purtroppo andarono persi negli anni.
When he went to work in Switzerland, to study at the "School of Belle Arti" in Los Angeles, Noemi was advised to study French by his wife, who worked as a university graduate, because of racist lawsuits. The name of Noemi is not another that he registers Alessandro Fajrajzen, who is known as Alessandro Fersen. Fersen's used to say that Fersen, who was staring at the French, did not have much in common with him, but on the theatrical stage!
Dopo la guerra, Luzzati e Fersen si ritrovarono, e fra i due si instaurarono a comedy and a long-lasting collaboration that lasts for years, after which producer and misery in a spectacular stage and theatrical opera. Fersen founded a "Studio of Performing Arts", the first of its kind for which time. The collaboration with Fersen has a great influence on Lele, and this one if you can write in many of your works, do not create a setting for the theater: the construction of the space, the prestige of some characters of the art comedy, like Pulcinella, of the opera, as Papageno and Papagena, by Mozart's "Il maguto magico".
Emanuela Luzzati, Untitled. Lithograph, date unknown. Courtesy of Rafi and Ula Hadar.
The child in the front row is very similar to Lela as he sometimes used to draw himself, and while we have no real evidence of this, it is nice to imagine that the teacher described here is based on Naomi Fairyzen.
A collage inspired by the design of a stage set. Luzzati’s collaboration with Fersen is clearly demonstrated.
