amos gerhard chodziesen

(1922-1985)

Painter

Life Events

Gerhard Amos Chodziesen was born in 1922 in Berlin, Germany.

As a child, Amos grew up in an orphanage in Berlin.

In 1933 the Nazis came to power, and led to a gradual worsening in the social, economical and legal status of Jews of Germany.

This was a crucial factor in the migration of the majority of Jews to Israel.

As part of the “Youth Aliyah” – a factory of raising children and teenagers Jews to Israel, Amos came to the Land of Israel and settled in Kibbutz “Mishmar Haemek”.

He believed in the Hebrew language and decided to change his name from Gerhard to Amos.

His memories of the Germans were very severe, and he was motivated to establish his life in Israel and to be a partner in its establishment as a Jewish state.

He was educated in Israel, became a youth guide and moved to the Montefiore Windmill.

Amos married Sarah Chodziesen, who also created art, and they had three children.

The British authorities who ruled in Israel at the time, has recruited Amos and, among other things, he was sent to military operations in Egypt and Morocco.

Later on he lived in a small apartment in Tel Aviv and worked as a journalist for the newspaper “Al Hamishmar” (on guard).

After that, Amos worked at the port of Tel Aviv and the port of Jaffa.

During the 60`s, Amos received compensation from Germany. Only then, For the first time, he traveled to Europe to visit his mother and his step-family.

After Amos`s mother died, he lost contact with his half-brothers and step-father.

Also, in the 60`s, Amos began studying industrial engineering and management, by correspondence studies. He became an engineer and worked in the port of Ashdod as a production manager and head of the port`s Workers Union.

The second thing Amos learned by correspondence, was painting – and in those years Amos began painting in his home studio.

Amos was painting on canvas with oil paints, and also, he sometimes used charcoal colors.

Amos died from a stroke in 1985, leaving behind a vast collection of paintings, standing today as a time window overlooking the period of his life.

May his memory be blessed