96 Friday, September 6, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS • Bob McKeown Israeli floral designer Yossi Gil won respect at the Interflora World Cu in Detroit last month., BY ELLYCE FIELD Special to The Jewish News • Interpreter Mira Eisenberg, right, watches a Yossi Gil creation take shape. is hands speak of his profession. Strong, brown, expressive, they are embedded with soil, the thumbs hardened and cal- loused from occa- sional knife wounds. They are sculptor's hands, at ease with the elements and nature's bounty. During August, Gil traveled from Tel Aviv to Detroit as Israel's representative to compete with ar- tists from , 26 different countries in the 1985 Interflora World Cup. Sponsored by Florist Transworld De- livery Association (FTD), the Interf- lora is held every four years. This is the third time Israel has partici- pated. Gil spoke to The Jewish News through Mira Eisenberg, his host and interpreter. It was Friday afternoon, the lull before the contest's Sunday pre- liminaries. Shifra Gil, Yossi's wife and design assistant, was in the Eisenberg kitchen creating a Jerusalemite rice dish that filled the house with a pungent, spicy aroma. 117194 HEhPEr4 JNIGN CULLEGE LIEIRARY — wALTER ROTHMAN, LIER CINCINNATI OH 45220 Yossie was working in the basement, amid boxes of wire, bam- boo, wood, branches and greenery. Holding his small, sharp Japanese knife and stainless steel Japanese pruning scissors, he trimmed a branch and placed it into a simple arrangement. Ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of floral arrangement, is the core of Gil's style. His designs are often strikingly simple and beautiful. The Eisenberg home was full of his floral arrangements. On the dining room table, a solitary white chrysan- themum, juxtaposed against sculptured bamboo reeds, sat in its own reflecting pool, actually a curved serving dish filled to the brim with water. Using everyday materials "found within an arm's reach" — seasonal flowers and fruits, and sim- ple monochromatic containers — Gil creates visually exciting ar- rangements that also leave room for contemplation. He explains, "The Japanese arrangement speaks to you esthetically; it appeals to your soul." How did Gil, a fourth generation Jerusalemite, learn the art of Ikebana? "Everything in a person's life is a coincidence," he answers. "What put me in the flower business is the Japanese embassy in Israel." "Before flowers, I was a sculptor. I had a small shop of sculpture in every medium; wood, metal, clay. But I could not make a living from this. At the end of each week, I would bring in lots of flowers to sell for Shabbat. Israelis love flowers on their table for Shabbat. "Soon I tried combining flowe with my sculptures, so I could sell few of them too. I would work o these late at night, after hours. "My shop was next to the Japanese embassy. Every night th: Japanese ambassador would take hi: dog for a walk and see my lights on. After a while, he stopped to talk. "He was interested in floral de- sign and recognized my talent. He urged me to send to Japan for mate- rials on Ikebana. He also sent for an Ikebana instructor who lived in my house for 2 1/2 years and taught me the philosophy and art of Ikebana." In 1948, Gil opened "Flowers Gil," his floral business in Tel Aviv. It has always been a family busi- ness. Shifra, by profession a regis- tered nurse, transfered her energies from nuturing people to caring for flowers. Their two sons grew up in the shop. The oldest is now working full time in the business. The younger son works part-time while he finishes school. The Gil's two grandchildren also contribute their free time. Anxious to share his knowledge and love of flowers, Gil opened a floral arranging school in 1975. Its four-month program attracts Israelis for many different reasons. In one class, there might be a Tel Aviv housewife who wants to add beauty to her home, as well as a kibbutznik who will return to teach the trade to other kibbutz members. Gil works individually with each student ac- Continued on Page 80