Heliopolis:
This project was inspired by Alexandrian Jewry, which during the 1940s was a cosmopolitan oasis that included immigrants from Russia, Italy, France, Iraq and of course locals, all under British rule. This diverse mix created a fascinating cultural conglomerate, a kind of Great Gatsby in a Middle Eastern port city.
The Jews who immigrated to Israel from Alexandria had no external signs that distinguished them from other forms of Judaism. Not in foods, not in textiles and not in design. Their distinction was in dialect - in language.
The unique and musical dailict of the Alexandrian Jews is a result of the meeting of different cultures who lived together.
In this project, I created a font for the dialect that expressed the musicality of the language with non-existent music notes that work according to circularity, sharpness and flow.
I connected the notes to the music that I was brought up listening to at home, with the goal of bringing new life into them.
