Homage to Yochanan Rywerant
About the presenter: Eva Laser
Eva Laser first learned about the Method by attending Alexander Yanai lessons in Israel in 1974 and became a student of Yochanan Rywerant in 1988.
Since 1991 Eva worked as a Feldenkrais teacher in Stockholm.
In 1994–96 she participated in a meta-meta-seminar with YR, that is, learning to teach Feldenkrais to become a teacher or continuing education. Over the years Eva has concentrated on the continuous teaching of teachers after their basic training, both in Sweden and Norway.
Eva was involved in translating both 'Body and Mature behavior' and ‘The Elusive Obvious, basic Feldenkrais' into Swedish together with Gunnel Iverus.
Mrs. Laser joins us for this FGNA Cafe to share with us Yochanan Rywerant, the man and his work in a historical and professional context.
Mrs. Laser's main website is: https://somatik.se/
Mrs. Laser has written extensively about Yochanan and her writings are available on her website at: https://somatik.se/personer/homage-to-yochanan-rywerant
A Tribute to Yochanan Rywerant
Collected by Rob Black, July, 2010 from "FeldyForum"
Yochanan Rywerant, master practitioner and trainer and honorary member of FGNA, died May 21st, 2010 at the age of 87 years old – he would have been 88 this November. He continued working almost until the end and had already set his schedule for the autumn. A number of practitioners wrote about Yochanan on FeldyForum and have agreed to having their reminisces reprinted here.
Source: Feldyforum (an online forum hosted by Ralph Strauch. It is no longer available).
Robbie Ofir called Yochanan a friend and recalled some of Yochanan’s background:
I was privileged to become his friend after gaining his trust back in 1992 when we both worked for two weeks together in taking care of the late "rebbe" -- The spiritual leader of the World Lubavitch Hssidic community. He became my teacher and mentor par excellence, not only as regards the FM but also in his unswerving sense of ethics and integrity. In all my encounters with him never did I hear a disparaging comment about anyone. When from time to time I would ask him about events, policies, or people, as related to the Guild he'd say, "I don't have time for gossip".
He conducted his training programs with a level of personal accountability, supervision and integrity unmatched by anyone. He would not accept any more than 26 people in his programs. His rationale: " This is the maximum number of people I can personally provide all my attention to," and boy or boy did he provide attention!
He was a lion among men: some time after losing his beloved wife Yardena back in the fall of 1994 (I believe) while leaving LaGuardia airport after a flight from San Fransisco he was at a complete loss. A small number of his friends helped him return to Israel where some time later he suffered a stroke. He carried on with his work with tenacity without a word of complaint while slowly rehabilitating himself.
Nothing stopped him, not diabetes, not the stroke, not bypasses. His work was his life as was Music. Not many people know but back in Romania where he was born he was an accomplished violin player. The holocaust changed that. Arriving in Israel after being interred for more than a year by the British in a camp in Cyprus where he was appointed a leader by the Hagganah training people in basics of combat, he started a new life as a high school teacher in Physics.
His late wife Yardena an accomplished musician introduced him to Moshe around 1951, Moshe was very close to many of the pillars of performing arts of Israel of the time. Yochanan took to the work and never looked back. In his later years he remarried. Bertha his wife, a violinist in the Israeli Philharmonic orchestra gave him much Joy, and through her love, some of the reserve he always exhibited softened, and Yochanan was able to smile and laugh again.
Yochanan, I admired and cared for you and our loss is great. You have left us a deep and abiding legacy as a professional of the highest order and a man of dignity and integrity we can look to as an inspiration. Keep on smiling and working up there wherever there happens to be.
Gunnel Iverus of Sweden, wrote a little history of Yohanan’s trainings:
It was in Sweden in 1984 that he first started his own basic training. Yochanan wanted a small study group with participants with different backgrounds. Yohanan wanted to have participants with academic degrees which he consequently got.
Eleven persons fulfilled the training. Four persons were medical doctors, six were physical therapists, two had a BA degree in humanistics, one was a social worker and one physical therapist had also a BA in social sciences.
He started to train people in the way he really wanted it to be done. Theory and practice was taught all through the training. We had ATM-classes, FI-classes and theory lessons and discussions every day during the whole training.
Yochanan was a very engaged teacher and he was all the time with us. When for instance working with FI we would call him when we wanted help, and he would come running to show us exactly where to put our hands when we wanted to give support. Suddenly you could feel deeply in your whole being and in the person you were working with what you were doing. The total clearness of that person's skeleton appeared. Marvellous it was!
Having completed our training we felt comfortable to start working all at once. We founded The Swedish Feldenkrais Association according to Yochanan´s wish. Yochanan gave two more trainings in Stockholm.
He also conducted a trainers training in Stockholm which was completed in 1993. Later on Yochanan put up a series of basic trainings in Israel. He had many advanced classes and workshops in Europe and Israel all these years.
A master of FI with exquisite hands and creativity hard to match he was also a born lecturer that could hold your attention. His generosity as a teacher was outstanding. He prepared his teaching meticulously.
Yochanan wrote two excellent books about the Feldenkrais Method which are now available in several languages.
Much much more can be said about Yochanan. I will just say: Thank you for all you gave.
Bob Schulenburg reflected,
In addition to the accomplished, skillful and varied palette of techniques Yochanan shared with his students he possessed and imparted qualities of impeccable character, dedication and clarity. Patient, kind, precise, compassionate, practical, confident-sometimes so methodical and seemingly formal it would be a surprise when you realized he also had a keen sense of humor Truly a teacher's teacher as well as a consummate practitioner he exemplified what could be done and showed how to do it right. His understanding on a technical level was unsurpassed; his commitment to communicating it was the driving force in his life. He took what he got from Moshe and kept going with it, refining and demonstrating his masterful competence all the way to the end of his days. A single lesson from Yochanan could change your life and understanding on the spot. He bravely survived the sudden tragic loss of his beloved wife, partner and constant companion Yardena and kept on working, traveling and teaching on his own.
Felicia Trujillo treasured a pivotal quality of Yochanan's--his incredibly skilled approach.
I watched him at the San Rafael Training as he worked with a client's arm. I was able to recall what he did for some years, sadly, I have lost it now.
But it was like watching the most brilliant billiards player, who can call out "Now for number 4" or whatever. He did four moves and the shoulder had reorganized entirely.
Once, I was present when Yochanan taught "Each touch is a message, like a sentence. Do not add one extra word; do not blur the message. Stop to create a period, and lift your hands off the client. Wait. Then, after they have integrated that (as shown by a breath or what one sees), add another sentence." I have never forgotten that, especially when I was training folks in FI.
Bob Chapra recalled, “I am sad that this wonderful, kind man and consummate teacher and thinker is no longer alive on this earth. His imprint lives on in my work and life. His work was precise, considerate, thoughtful and intelligent.”
Bob related this story,
Standing at the end of an FI he brought my left iliac forward and bent my left arm to rest my forearm on it. It was the position I held my slinged left arm for 13 weeks after I severely broke my left wrist at age eight. He then guided me from that position to neutral standing. I had never told him about that injury.
I had very different feelings after FI's with our different teachers. After Yochanan's lessons I always felt handsome. Once after a lesson, I took the elevator downstairs to the large room where Feldenkrais taught. As the elevator door opened, there was Feldenkrais. He beamed at me and said, "Chepra...you get more hendsome every day." At that moment, I had to agree with him.
Roger Russell, like many practitioners noted, “Yochanan was part of my Feldenkrais world since 1975. He was a wonderful presence and I will miss him.
“the void after a respected teacher is still hard to express in words.”
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