Israeli label from a 60s cape suit: Iwanir Jercoli Tel Aviv?

I'm unable to decipher the label on a 3 piece 60s cape suit apparently purchased in Israel; many thanks in advance for any light you can shed on it!




I know that the Hebrew on the label simply translates the English words "Iwanir" and "Tel Aviv", and I know Tel Aviv is the location where the suit was sold. I don't know what "Iwanir" and "Jercoli" refer, to, though. (I've googled both words with no luck!)

 

Love the suit, Carrie. I tried a Hebrew to English translation on line and nada. I can ask a friend who is fluent in Hebrew if it means anything, if no one here knows Hebrew.

 

thanks, Deborah--I'm thinking "Iwanir" may actually be a surname? (I tried to look it up in my Hebrew-English dictionary, but I'm so terrible with my alef-bet I may have screwed it up )

As for "Jercoli" (or "Tercoli"?), I'm totally stumped on that. (Maybe THAT'S the surname, and Iwanir is the first name? Or maybe one of the two words is a store name?)

Like I said, I'm totally stumped!

 

I'll grab the photo and email my friend and get back to you - surname sounds quite possible or a made up name.

 

Thanks very much, Deborah!

 

Carrie, Ronit said they are most likely a hybrid of names.

 

Thanks so much for your help, Deborah!

I suppose it must remain a mysterious label for now--but thanks to you, at least I know I'm not missing anything due to language impairment... :bisou:

 

Iwanir surname

Dear Carrie and all,

in case you are still checking this thread, IWANIR was a well known and leading fashion house between the fifties and the seventies. It was founded by my grandfather, Yosef Iwanir, and his brother Max in 1939, and was managed by them and their children, my father included, until their retirement in 1981. The main branch was located in Dizingoff st. , the heart of Tel-Aviv's shopping scene in those days. I still have many recollections of the place as a child. It his heart-worming to find out that the legacy is still alive 30 years later even in Boston.

BTW, the name is not common in Israel but not very rare either. I estimate there are about 100-200 iwanirs in Israel, including two actors and one soccer coach (who is Max's grandson). The name is pronounced as Ivanir, and the original (probably Ukrainian-Romanian) spelling is Iwanier. The pronounciation Iwanir is as tongue-twisting in hebrew as it is in English, which is why most of my family has switched to Ivanir. I stick to the original, as I still feel emotionally bound to the original transcript as was posted on the store front.

I have no idea what Jercoli stands for but it is probably the name of the manufacturer.

Shachar Iwanir,
Tel-Aviv (still),
Israel

 

Shalom Shachar,

Thank you so much for your response! I had pretty much accepted the history of this lovely suit and its mystery label as a "cold case"--how exciting to now know EXACTLY where it came from! (Ah, the wonders of the Internet...!)

In case you are interested, it came from the estate of a woman, who in addition to being very stylish (I'm not surprised she shopped at your grandfather's establishment while on a trip to Israel), lived in one of the first houses built in Newtonville, a Boston suburb which developed into a largely Jewish area.

What were your grandfather and his brother's roles in "Iwanir", I'm wondering (ie were they both involved in the design of the clothing)? Also, if you don't mind my asking--when did they settle in Israel? (I'm wondering if you know whether their store there was an outgrowth of or change from their trade in Eastern Europe).

Many, many thanks again for this information--I'm so glad you happened upon this thread!

 

That is so interesting. Thank you Shachar.

 

Hi Carrie,

to complete the information, my grandfather's family is from the village of Berhomet, in the Bukovina region (then in Romania and today in Ukraine). According to the family legacy, the family was rather poor. My father left for Germany on his own at his teen years and to the best of my knowledge got to Israel at 1936, at the age of 25. Slowly developing their business, his brother and him compensated for their lack of education by good marchandising skills and diligence, allowing their decendants, including me, to get all the education we want. Max passed away in a home accident in the end of the fifties, and from then on the business was run by my family together with his sons. My grandfather himself passed away in 1996.

IWANIR was just a fashion store and not manufacturers or designers, although I recall they had a sewing division in the basement, which mainly did mendings. Acording to my father, Jercoli was an Israeli manufacturer, owned by a family named Lichtenstein, so it is probably a hybrid of names.

Over the years I have been interested in the geneology of my family, and this branch in particular. Especially I am interested in the origin of the surname, so every once in a while I google for it. The twisted soul of the search engine's deity placed your message at the top of the search results, which is how I got here in the first place.

Shachar

 

Shachar,

Many thanks for the additional information about your family's history and about the "Jercoli" name. I'm so glad googling your grandfather's (and your!) surname brought you to this thread!

The little I've learned about how Jews came to be established in clothing manufacture/retailing in Europe (and Israel!) is quite fascinating, and I'm grateful to have learned a little more.

(When I learned that Jews got their start as peddlers in the "rag" or secondhand clothing trade in Europe because for a long time--in the medieval period and just after, I think--they were not permitted to be full-fledged merchants, it really added an interesting dimension to my love of wearing & selling vintage clothing...)

thanks again, and good luck on your future genealogical research!

 

Iwanier & Bukovia

Shachar,

My family is Iwanier from Bukovina as well. My great great grandparents are Shalom and Nessa Iwanier. Please email me at [email protected] if we are related or you can tell me any further information about Iwanier's in Bukovina.

Thanks,
Tammy

 

All i can say is WOW I love it when actuall family of a designer/label/store find these threads... and even better is the fact that we might have a family connection... This is way better than TV.... can't wait to read more lol!

 

This so neat.

 

Dear Mr Iwanir
I just came across a leather jacket (suede) in my closet with your label on it. Still in good shape after about 55 years.
My mom bought it for me in the Dizengoff store. I plan to wear it again. Unbelievable quality.
Best regards
Marian

 

Dear Shachar or Iwanir relations. I really hope someone is still following this thread. I just happened across it today while trying to see if my Uncle Joseph's department store is still in existence. I am the granddaughter of his brother Rudi. I live in the states and only had one opportunity to meet Uncle Joseph. Sadly, I just realized it must have been during his visit to the States for his brother's funeral. Uncle Max passed before I was born, but I have had an opportunity to meet my cousins Ilan and Sarah (I hope I am spelling the names properly). The only other cousin I know of if Naomi. Our Aunt Regina passed several years ago at the age of 104. I know there was another sister, but I am not sure if Sarah was Uncle Joseph's wife or sister. I would really love to connect with this side of my family. Maybe together we can piece together the Iwanir migration from Romania. I will continue to check this thread for a response. I am so excited to connect with my cousin(s).