Dan Kalchako Haifai is deaf, in his book 'My hearing eyes' • Difficulties and achievements in the world of silence

Dealing with the deaf world and succeeding

Dan Kalchko, a proud Haifai, tells in his book "Hearing Eyes" the moving story of a man who was born into a world of silence, but managed to pick himself up, overcome obstacles and find his place in a universe that never heard his voice. His story is not only a story of difficulty and coping, but also of success and achievements in the space of deafness.

Dan Kalchako's childhood - life in a kibbutz and in Haifa

Dan's parents, Shafra Zilberman and Yaakov Kalchako, immigrated to Israel in the early 30s from Eastern Europe: Shafra immigrated from Poland and Yaakov from Russia and the two found their place in Kibbutz Givat Haim Mauchad. Dan's father served in the British army in Egypt, and his mother worked as an elite seamstress. Dan was born in 1943 as a hearing baby, but when he was about one and a half years old he fell ill with meningitis, a disease that caused him to have total hearing loss. At the time, the kibbutz where he grew up was not equipped with the conditions suitable for a deaf child, so there were significant difficulties right from the start.

Despite the medical problems and their failure to resolve them within the kibbutz, the Kalashko family remains committed to giving Dan the opportunity to develop and succeed. Dan tells about feelings of isolation and distress, when the world around him remained quiet, when all his forces were subjected to dealing with the difference.

Dealing with deafness - education at a young age

When Dan was 5 years old, his family moved to Haifa. At first they lived in a rented room in an attic in the Geula neighborhood, and after about a year they moved to the 'Bat Galim' neighborhood. In the 40s, the educational institutions for deaf children in Israel were very limited, so there was not much possibility to choose different educational programs or approaches.

It so happened that Dan was sent to the 'Jerusalem boarding school for the deaf', but the experience was disappointing. He was not able to get used to the educational institution and even cried most of the time because of longing for his home. The little boy, who grew up in complete silence, could not find a connection to the new place. This experience only added to Dan's difficulties on the one hand, but on the other hand it also sharpened his desire to succeed and influence the world around him.

Dan spent his childhood in Haifa at the 'School for the Deaf', which was then located on Independence Road at the corner of the Turkish Market, a place where he did not always know how to adapt and deal with the barriers that were imposed on him.

Deafness is a lack of contact with people

Helen Keller became known throughout the world for her struggle with blindness and deafness together. She became a social activist, began to promote awareness of the issue and became involved in the equal integration of people with disabilities in society. It is said that in 1952, as part of her visit to Israel, Keller also met with Golda Meir, who served at the time as Minister of Labor.

With the help of a special interpreter for the language of the blind and the deaf (in hand to hand contact), Meir asked Keller a very difficult question: "If I were a good fairy, who could only leave you with one disability. What would I prefer: to be deaf or blind?"

Think for a moment... most people will choose... but Keller - being both deaf and blind - chose what was on her heart, she said and even justified her answer with a message: "Blindness is a lack of contact with objects, but deafness is the essence of a lack of contact with people" (After all, most people in the world are hearing people...) In her answer, Keller explained that her friendship Deafness is more challenging and difficult than blindness.

Studies and work - through the smile and the courage

Despite the failure of life at a boarding school in Jerusalem and the difficulties at the 'school for the deaf' - Dan did not give up further studies. He enrolled in studies at the Bat Galim Vocational School. There, in the first stage, he began to study the subjects of the frameworks, even though this course was not at all adapted to his abilities. One of the characters who greatly contributed to his success was the teacher Ziva, who was a source of inspiration for Dan and guided him all along the way in the various subjects. With her help, he moved on to study drawing, in which he succeeded and even became a great soldier.

At the end of his studies at the vocational high school, Dan was directed to work at the Solel Bona company, but since that was not an option, he preferred to go to work at the Zim company, where he worked for 42 years. Not only did Dan manage to find a meaningful job, but he also did it in cooperation with employees whose hearing was normal. At the same time and following his job at "ZIM", for about 25 years, after the end of working hours at "ZIM", Dan worked in the evenings in an agricultural company, something that added to his successes and his ability to persevere and develop.

Working at "Zim" has become an impressive success story for Dan. The fact that he was able to adapt and work for many years alongside employees who speak and can hear, demonstrates his ability to fit in and flourish in an environment that never judged his hearing abilities. Dan's book "The Hearing Eyes" is a direct testimony to Adam's ability to live and influence in a world of silence, a world where he could not hear the words of his colleagues.

The book: 'My hearing eyes'

The book 'Hearing Eyes' by Dan Kalchako deals with the author's personal experiences as a deaf child, and his requests and achievements in a world where silence is a daily reality. The book offers an intimate look at dealing with deafness, as well as the difficulties and achievements that followed. Kalechko, who grew up as a deaf child in a hearing family, describes the internal and social struggle of a deaf child trying to integrate into the world of hearing people, and presents the many challenges along the way.

One of the main difficulties that Kalechko presents in his book is the sense of isolation and alienation he experienced as a deaf child. This struggle was not only physical, but also mental. When he faced the difficulty of communicating with his peers, he experienced the feeling of alienation and frustration. He had to adapt to a reality where he had few means of communication with those around him, especially at school, where learning was not always adapted to his needs. One example of this is the way Kalechko would do his homework with the help of his teacher Ziva, who was an interpreter for him for understanding and sign language. But despite this, even then there remained gaps between what he learned and what the others understood.

Marriage, baby and difficulties.

In the early 70s, Dan met Susan, a deaf American who came to visit her grandparents who lived in Holon. Love was sparked and the friendship continued even though Susan returned to the USA. But Alam-Chen Kadan would not give up on the love of his heart and he flew to visit her homeland. In 1974 the couple married in Haifa at the Engineer's House, but they returned to New York for Susan's graduation for a period of a full academic year.

In 1977, a healthy and hearing baby, their son Boaz, was born at the Rambam. About a week after circumcision, the baby began to vomit and over the course of 3 weeks he was given medication that damaged his auditory nerve and thus Boaz remained hard of hearing.

Dan Susan and the third rib: the father-in-law

Susan's parents immigrated to Israel to be close to their daughter and their little grandson and lived on a nearby street. But 'Alia and Kotz Ba', Susan's father stayed at their residence without any interruption and according to his instructions their home was run. Despite the conflicts, Dan wanted peace at home, but Susan stuck to it and said: "My father is holy. He is number one, my husband is always in second place" (ibid., in his book: p. 84).

The divorce was delayed, but in 1984 the couple parted ways. The division of the property and the apartment that Dan purchased before his marriage caused quarrels and disagreements in the division of funds and property. Conflicts that escalated to the point of alienating my parents and caused a colossal, huge, sad and overwhelming disconnection from his son Boaz.

The late Geula Kletsko

In 1982 Geulah, born in Holon, arrived there to study at the Oranim Seminary located in Kiryat Tivon. The two met when Geula came to buy Dan's car. Right at the beginning of their meeting, her heart was no longer with buying the car, but she saw in front of her "a handsome blond guy with blue eyes..." and she fell in love with him at first sight. The lady asked for a discount on the purchase of the car, but Dan was a tough salesman. Later and according to him, she had nothing to complain about because "she won both the car and the husband".

Dan says: "People said to me, 'It's a shame you can't hear Geula Sarah.'

The redemption itself never bothered me that Dan was deaf. Together they had a beautiful and full life. Although they did not have children (despite the fact that she underwent difficult treatments), they made up for themselves with many trips, trips, flights and cruises in Israel and around the world.

Songs not only at weddings and parties, but also at the 'Shoshana Demari Songs' show.

For most of her years Geula worked as a caregiver and promoter of children with learning disabilities, until after the age of sixty she realized that life is short and that she was able to incorporate another genre into her performances and also sing Shoshana Demari's songs.

The biggest compliment for her was when people told her that her performance was moving and inspiring, and that the songs she sang brought them back to their youth and the beautiful days of the founding of the country. In addition, many people stopped her in the street, also thanks to her physical resemblance to Shoshana Demari.

In 2016 Geula suffered from a "small lump" which was surgically removed, but in 2020 another lump was discovered in her neck again and this time it was very close to her vocal cords. Redemption went through many hardships, when Dan fed her and tried as much as possible to help her in her troubles. Geula, who for 40 years cared for Dan, was his full partner, loved him unconditionally and accepted him as a person and not as a deaf person - passed away in April 2022.

Chairman of the Association of the Deaf in Haifa

Along with all this, the book 'Hearing Eyes' also describes the impressive achievements of Kalechko, thanks to which he was able to break through the boundaries of silence and face the hearing world. One of the great achievements was the ability to develop alternative ways of communication, such as the use of sign language, excellent lip reading ability and advanced audio technologies, which made it easier for him to communicate with those around him.

Furthermore, Kalechko managed to enter the academic world and complete higher studies and even received a 'drafting technician certificate' from the Technion ( !!! ), which involved overcoming many obstacles. He even managed to enter the field of leadership in the deaf community in Haifa, and over the course of several years served as the chairman of the Association of the Deaf in Haifa, thus becoming a central figure in promoting the rights of the deaf and educating the public about the importance of understanding and including the different and the other.

The difficulties were not a barrier but a challenge

Alongside these achievements, Kalechko also describes the complex difficulties of the social world, where deaf people are still sometimes seen as "something different" or "missing". The book points out the social and cultural gaps that exist between hearing and deaf people, as well as the challenges of creating intimate and deep relationships in a world where communication is mainly on an auditory basis.

Dan's story is a 'story about not giving up' - even when the road is hard, even when the challenges are many - a story that shows the world how it is possible to deal with inner silence and find a way to make our voice heard even without hearing. The book "Hearing Eyes" is not only a personal story, but is an inspiration to anyone who feels "quiet" in their life and is looking for the way to the light. The main message in Dan Kalechko's story is that there is nothing that cannot be overcome, provided there is a strong will and faith along the way. Dan's difficulties were not a barrier for him but a challenge, a task that eventually led him to impressive and significant achievements.

The words of Etty Schwartzberg - chairman of the Association of the Deaf in Israel and chairman of Beit Borla - AHA Haifa branch

"Dan Kalchako, a member of the Association of the Deaf, dedicated most of his time to establishing activities for the deaf community in Haifa. When I took up my position, he shared with me the story of the first meetings with various parties to establish the 'Beit Borla' building in Haifa. Even the disability of deafness did not stop him - he always proceeded As a person who listens, with determination that has no limit, Dan is a person who fights tirelessly and does not give up."

Schwartzberg adds and writes: "During the seven days for his wife, the late Geula, I came to his house and was amazed to discover that the house is decorated entirely with unique works of art. I thought these were items he bought, or his wife made, but Dan surprised me when he said he was the one who made them all with his own hands. I was shocked - a man we never knew was an artist, also turned out to have an extraordinary talent. Following the exciting discovery, I invited him to lecture at 'Beit Borla' about his journey as an artist. The lecture was fascinating and swept away all present."

A house decorated entirely with unique works of art

As soon as you enter Dan's house, you can understand and see that Eti Schwartzberg is right, precise and describes well the residence of Kalechko. Indeed, this is "a house decorated entirely with unique works of art". His home is a large space rich in layers of different materials, color and aesthetics and embodies a balanced design vision between modern functionality and clean and elegant lines.

In 2002, with his retirement (being only 59 years old), Dan began to devote himself to other things. With the advice of his late wife Geula, he found a sculpture class at Beit Nagler in Kiryat Haim and later at Beit Hagafen. Befitting his character - he persevered, developed in the field, gained experience, expertise and skill to such an extent that after about a decade he exhibited his sculptures at the 'Mirav Center on the Carmel Coast'. Many wanted to buy his works, but Dan says that he is attached to each and every creation and even likes to look at each one from them and enjoy... and in his words: "I didn't create these works to make money, but only for my soul and that of the viewer."

Dan's house: landscape, creativity and passion for life

Kalechko's life is conducted in a natural environment that combines a unique landscape of sea and mountains. His house is located in a place that offers a perfect combination of a spectacular natural landscape, overlooking the sea on one side and the mountains on the other.

From the balcony, which looks like a secluded and calm place, he enjoys a breathtaking view. The connection between the house and nature is extremely strong and it is an integral part of Dan's daily routine, who feels that this sight accompanies him every moment of the day.

The computer room: a solitaire game with moments of pleasure

The computer room in Dan's house is a perfect place to relax and disconnect. Dan likes to play solitaire, a game that allows him to concentrate and focus on small moments of pleasure. This is a corner where he can take a break from the routine, relax and enjoy the peace around him. His computer serves him not only for work or communication, but for him also as an opportunity to relax and be in focus with his soul.

The TV lounge: moments of entertainment and daily news

In the living room there is a TV corner where Dan is and spends many hours. Here he watches the news and feels involved in what is happening in the world, or alternatively chooses to be animated with films that provide him with other experiences. The television in his home is not only used for practical needs, but also for pleasure and recreation, and this is another way in which Dan manages to feel connected to the world around him.

Dan's personal creations: a collection of passionate sculptures

One of the unique features of Dan's home is the impressive collection of sculptures he created with his own hands. Each sculpture is a personal creation, carrying with it a story or a certain feeling. The collection is an essence of creativity and handiwork, and it not only decorates the house, but also provides Dan with a source of inspiration and daily pleasure.

Dan's kitchen: the place where culinary loves come true

The other corner of Dan's house, which especially characterizes him, is the kitchen. This is a place where not only food is created, but memories and tastes are also created there.

Dan loves to cook and experiment with his favorite foods, and every meal made in his kitchen is a moment of clear pleasure. The use of fresh and varied ingredients emphasizes his true passion for food, and demonstrates his love for creativity in the kitchen as well... and on the occasions when he does not tend to overexert himself, he does not hesitate to order himself unique food dishes from various restaurants around the city, and especially from his favorite Chinese restaurant 'Yan-Yan' - or Sometimes even drive to the 'Shear Haemakim' and buy prepared food dishes there.

Dan The exciting achievements of Dan Klashko - never give up, always fight

Dan Kalechko's achievements are not limited only to integration at work, but also to the influence on those who suffer from situations similar to his own. In his book, Dan weaves his personal story with insights into life in the world of silence. He not only tells about his personal struggles (including age and health issues) but also encourages others to face challenges and find the way to prosper - despite the difficulties.

Kalechko, praises the city of Haifa with great excitement. Although he had the privilege of working at the Zim Company, where he was entitled to free cruise tickets to all corners of the world and even visited them - he chooses to emphasize the beauty of the city where he grew up. Although he was privileged to participate in important Deaf Olympiad conferences throughout Europe and the United States, Kalechko claims that "none of the places he has stayed compares to the character and exclusion of Haifa."

In his eyes, Haifa - the northern city in our country is the most beautiful in the world, and serves as a testimony to his deep love for it and the integration of deaf and hearing culture in it, things that testify to his courageous connection and personal experiences.