Contact: nitzan.chelouche@mail.huji.ac.il
Nitzan Chelouche is a doctoral candidate in the European Forum at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She earned an undergraduate degree in integrated design from the Köln International School of Design in Germany and then worked as a graphic designer for several years before returning to academia. In 2019 she earned an MA in Contemporary German Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (magna cum laude) with a thesis examining public memory of the Second World War in the permanent art installations of the Documenta exhibition in Kassel, Germany.
Nitzan’s doctoral research examines Hebrew typography in German spaces. Her current research article focuses on Hebrew letterforms used by Israeli-owned cafés in Berlin. The article poses the following question: do Israeli café owners in Berlin necessarily use Hebrew letterforms to convey a connection to the city’s Israeli diaspora? It argues that the logo designs of both cafés express a connection to Israeli culture in two contrasting ways: on the one hand, a nostalgic connection, echoing traditions from the past; and on the other hand an attempt to maintain distance from this very culture. Based on interviews with the café owners and visual analysis Nitzan demonstrates how immigration to Berlin impacts design choices made by Israeli business owners.