Occupational Milestone

Otto Friedmann Architect

40 years ago, October 1980, I started my first job as a graduated, employed architect. I had immigrated to Israel 10 months before, and enrolled at D’var Yerushalayim – Jewish Studies Academy – in Jerusalem, where I studied Judaism and the Hebrew language. I had arrived to my new country with very scant knowledge of the local language. Without much effort, I landed a job at David Best Architects, a leading architecture office in Tel Aviv, and after the High Holidays, left Jerusalem to a rented apartment a short bus ride away from my job. I had studied Architecture at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, and at AA School of Architecture in London, and came to Israel with my Diploma and working license as an Architect. Nevertheless, it took a while until I figured out how to hold a pencil at my new job. The challenge was greater, since I had to write the text on my drawings in Hebrew bold letters – this was still the era of hand drafting. An English colleague at the office by the name of Steve, who was an outstanding draftsman and a very generous person, went out of his way to teach me the Hebrew bold alphabet, and I soon was mastering that technique. My boss did not have enough patience for the rate of my breaking into the profession and into the new language, and after 7 weeks I received a nice red mechanical pencil together with my letter of dismissal. It did not take long before I found my next job at Itzhak Perlman, another large architectural firm in Tel Aviv. Thus began my career as architect.

40 years on, I sit back and look back at at my architecture career. I worked as an employee at several offices, the highlight being my year long position at world famous Moshe Safdie’s office in Jerusalem. I held senior municipal positions, I partnered with other colleagues, and to date have been managing my private studio. Striving for excellence, I have tried to merge the passions of my life: I love biking, and the synergy of combining this predilection with my professional skills, helped me specialize and become one of the leading architect offices in Israel in the field of planning and design of bike related projects. Often it was an uphill obstacle course, and I encountered no few challenges and disappointments, but at the end of the day, I look back with much satisfaction for the footprint my work has left, and my modest contribution to making ours a better world.

Coinciding with my 40th work anniversary, last month I reached my 67th year, which is retirement age for men in Israel. Nevertheless, I have no desire to retire, and feel full of energy and motivation, and thank G-d, enjoy good health. I intend to continue working, but having reached this important landmark, I have evaluated my course and decided to adjust and fine tune my goals, my mind set, and my occupational and professional activity to my present new stage of active life.

I am an architect to the core. I see the world with an architect’s eyes. Buildings, Place and atmosphere catch my eye and beauty makes my heart beat. Yet I am not just an architect. Architecture is a central aspect of my being, but it is only a part of it, there is much more. My essence, my values, my strengths and passions, my family and friends, all go beyond the world of architecture. What I do in life, and my occupational activities, both past and hopefully at my new imminent stage, correspond to the wonderful, multifaceted world that thankfully is mine.