At the barbershop

Prosper Vaknin has been cutting hair at the Officer Training School for the past 34 years.

By YAAKOV KATZ
Transportation Minister and former chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Shaul Mofaz was his favorite customer. Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yoram "Ya-Ya" Yair, former head of the IDF's Human Resources Department, was one of his most difficult. Prosper Vaknin has been cutting hair at the Officer Training School for the past 34 years. He has given tens of thousands of haircuts, some with electric clippers, others with scissors. Earlier this month, Vaknin received a citation of excellence from OC Ground Forces Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrahi. "All of the cadets come to get haircuts from me," he says. "Especially before the graduation ceremonies." When Mofaz was commander of the school from 1984 to 1986 he used to regularly get his hair cut by Vaknin. "He was easy to cut," the 64-year-old Vaknin says. "Ya-Ya [who was commander of the school from 1979 to 1981] on the other hand was difficult. He had a wave in his hair and was always worried that I would cut it off." Have the cadets changed over the years when it comes to the type of haircuts they want? "Today they are more spoiled," Vaknin says. "Years ago they were more down-to-earth."