Gideon Stern

Biography

Book designer, typographer, book production. Jewish. Born 13 April 1918 in Aachen. His interest in bookbinding and book design influenced by his father. Had to leave high school upon the rise of Hitler in 1933. Apprenticed as a compositor to Jewish printer in Aachen and thus trained half-day a week at the Kunstgewerbeschule where he became interested in typography and graphic design. The firm was sold to a non-Jewish German in 1935; Stern was dismissed but was able to continue his training at the Scholem press in Berlin and other presses. 1938: left for Palestine eventually finding work as a compositor in Jerusalem and, among others, on the weekly journal for the Palestine Broadcasting Service. From November 1940: served in the Palestinian (Jewish) Battalion of the Buffs, later the Palestine Regiment of the Jewish Brigade. 1943-6: worked at the Middle East GHQ Printing Press. From 1946: worked for the Palestine Post. 1946-73: taught at the newly-founded Printing School of Hadassah Vocational Services, Jerusalem, to which Henri Friedlaender came as principal in 1953; in 1973 the school was closed down. 1973-8: became director of the Printing Information Center, Israel Export Institute. 1978-2000: production manager of the publications department, Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem. Died 3 January 2011 in Jerusalem.