Palestine

The main reason my interest in the history of pre-State Israel is so fascinating is because I can visit the places where history happened. Two recent books highlight two of the people involved in this history.

Laura S, Schor's The Best School in Jerusalem: Annie Landau's School for Girls, 1900-1960 (Brandeis University Press, 2013) chronicles the history of the school as well as the history of the State. Annie Landau moved from London to Jerusalem in 1899 to teach English at a girls' school. The school was started in 1864 by Moses Montefiore, and named the Evelina de Rothschild school when it was endowed by her husband in her memory. With Annie's strong personality and leadership skills, she soon became of the head of the school. During her tenure the number of students increased significantly, the fields of study expanded to meet the needs of the students and the community, and the school really did become know as the best school in Jerusalem. The school's history was entwined with Israel's history, as Evelina welcomed new immigrants, saw its graduates working in British Mandate offices, and continued providing instruction under challenging conditions in the War of Independence. The school is now in the Rechavia neighborhood of Jerusalem, but it was once on the corner of HaNevi'im and Shivtei Yisrael, located in Frutiger House, the home of a Swiss banker who went bankrupt.

Fruitger House in the early 20th century

The building is now known as Machanayim House, and it now occupied by the Ministry of Education. Or is it? I paid a visit, and I was not able to get close and take pictures. Could it be that the Evelina School is now occupied by the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic? Mosad? Shabak? Who knows!

Daniel S. Chertoff's father, Mordecai S. Chertoff, went to Palestine in 1947 and became a correspondent for the Palestine Post (now the Jerusalem Post). He corresponded with his family about his work and about what was going on: the danger, the elation of November 29th when the United Nations voted for partition, and the loss of friends to Arab violence. Daniel's book, Palestine Posts: An Eyewitness Account of the Birth of Israel: Based on the Letters of Mordecai S. Chertoff (Toby Press, 2019), is both historical and personal. The letters describe the convoys trying to break through the siege of Jerusalem, as well as Mordecai's love life. Mordecai gives an account of how the Israelis broke the blockade at Bab el Wad.

Bab el Wad in 1917

Bab el Wad saw fierce battles during the War of Independence (1947-1948). In Arabic, it means "Gate of the Valley," and now it is called Sha'ar HaGai ("Gate of the Valley" in Hebrew). The trip from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem (that now takes less than an hour with no traffic) used to take three days. The Ottomans upgraded the road in 1867, which reduced the time of the trip to two days. The Ottomans built an inn in 1869, which was the only place along the road where travelers could stop for the night. The inn had some famous visitors, including Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary, King Edward VII of England, and German emperor Wilhelm II. Abed Kouttainay's family lived in the Khan and ran the inn. He remembers serving British soldiers beer in this video.

Israeli soldiers fought long and hard to gain control of Bab el Wad. They took positions in the surroundings mountains, and held their posts for six days under heavy fire. It is now a National Memorial Site run by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Since it is a ten-minute drive from where I live, I went to take the tour. Films of eyewitness accounts dominate the presentation, but there are several artifacts inside and several vintage vehicles outside. I was thinking they will be bringing a lot of school tours, and as I was leaving, there was a big group of high school students. After watching all the films and walking around, the place that I pass on the highway has taken on new meaning.

I hoped to see some Real Cats of Israel wandering around, but there must have been hiding. Our friend Noga has grown quite a bit since we last saw her:

Happy Reading!

A Crack in the Earth

 In 2004, Haim Watzman traveled from Eilat to the Upper Galilee. His account, A Crack in the Earth: A Journey Up Israel's Rift Valley, was published in hardcover in 2007 (Farrar Straus Giroux) and in paperback in 2012 (Argo-Navis). The book is presented in three parts. The first describes the landscape of Southern Israel, and the geologic events that produced different rock formations, elevations and drops, and left fossils and other evidence of incredible activity over millions of years. Much like in Geology class, the different time periods and definitions (a graben is a valley with a distinct escarpment on each side caused by the displacement of a block of land downward (an escarpment is an area of the Earth where elevation changes suddenly, formed by either erosion of faulting)), went above my head, but the areas he talks about are amazing -- some say they could film the Star Wars movies in these desolate expanses.

Arabian Babbler

Mount Ayit - Vulture Mountain

Paran River

In Part Two, Watzman describes the area from the Dead Sea to Sha'ar HaGolan, just below the Kinneret. Driving up Route 90, his passes sites from ancient history (Masada, Qumran, Qasr al-Yahud) and more modern history (Beit HaArava). He passes small communities (Naama, population 165; Gitit, population 504; Hamra, population 173) until he comes to Tirat Tzvi (population 901) in the Beit She'an valley. This kibbutz was founded in 1937 and named after Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer, one of the fathers of the Zionist movement. The kibbutz has a meat processing plant, fish ponds, and is the largest date-palm grower in Israel. 

Hamra

Tirat Tzvi

Part Three is more personal, as Watzman revisits places in the Galilee he first encountered when he arrived in Israel, then 25 years prior:

A land becomes mythical in three ways. When it is distant in place or time, we imagine how it would be if we were there. If it is the land we live in, we attach to the places around us our stories about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. And if we lived there once, we inscribe in it stories of the tribulations and exhilarations of our younger half-forgotten selves. (page 137)

Watzman's "tour" of the Galilee includes the grave of Rachel the Poetess, the Bedouin village of Tuba, Kfar HaNasi, Rosh Pina, and Hatzor HaGlilit. He also visited several archaeological site, including Kherbet Shura, the site of a ancient synagogue; the ruins of a 12th century Crusade fortress, Jacob's Ford, the site of one of Saladin's victories over the Crusaders in 1179, and the "Daughters of Jacob" bridge over the Jordan River, where there is evidence of human habitation from 750,000 years ago. 

grave of Rachel the Poetess

Kherbet Shura

View from Rosh Pina

"Daughter of Jacob" bridge over the Jordan River

Despite the restrictions because of COVID-19, through reading A Crack in the Earth, we were able to take a tour and read about the history and beauty of the Land of Israel.

As for The Real Cats of Israel, they are happy in the backyard:

Happy Reading!

A Catalog of Librarians

They say "birds of a feather flock together," whether it be a host of sparrows, a chattering of starlings, a murder of crows or a pandemonium of parrots. 

What do you call it when there is more than one librarian? Some have suggested a shush, a volume, a stack or an answer, but I liked a catalog better. So why did I need to know what a group of librarians is called?



Because I was very excited to meet a former librarian. She managed a very small collection, and a recent Sydney Taylor Book Award winner is based on her story.  Yes, people, I met

THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ

Dita Kraus lives in Israel, and I was thrilled that when I contacted her, she graciously allowed me to visit. I don't think I had a lot of expectations about meeting her, but I had a lot of questions, most of which were answered by, "it is a work of fiction based on my experiences." But her experiences were amazing. If you haven't read the book, Dita did not even know she was Jewish until the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia. Her family was deported to Terezin, where she was in the chorus of the opera Brundibar. She took painting lessons with Friedl Dicker-Brandeis.

From Terezin, her family was deported to Auschwitz, where they were assigned to the family camp in Birkenau. It was there, as a fourteen-year-old, that Dita was assigned to be an assistant in the children's "school," and given the responsibility of taking care of "the library."  She would keep track of who "checked out" books and she would hide the books at the end of the day. She did not know what I imagined a library in Auschwitz would look like, so she shared the picture below that she drew: 

After the Holocaust, Dita returned to Czechoslovakia. She also reconnected with Ota Kraus. He was one of the counselors in the children's camp, but Dita and he did not really interact because he was much older than she. They married and moved to Israel in 1949. In the book, there is a beautiful speech by Fredy Hirsch about making aliyah. Since she and her husband had known Hirsch, I asked about his impact on their decision to move to Israel. Dita told me that her husband was a Zionist, and it was his decision to move. They taught English at a boarding school for 29 years and had two sons. 

Otto (Ota) Kraus

Ota (Otto) died in 2000. He published several novels: Land Without God, Mountain Wind, Tel Kotzim, and The Dream Merchant and Other Galilean Stories. I picked up a copy of The Painted Wall, Ota Kraus' "literary adaptation" of events that happened during the war. In his book, Dita is known as "Dasha," and "shepherds" H.G. Wells' A Short History of the World, Elemental Geometry for High Schools, a French novel, a Russian grammar, an outdated atlas, and "three quarters of a 19th century Czech village novel."

Dita speaks Hebrew, English, Czech and German. She is still quite active -- visiting Prague twice every year, speaking to classes about her experiences, maintaining correspondence and selling her late husband's books. She has recently written her own memoir (in Czech), and she continues to paint. I picked up a print with two of my favorite flowers -- sunflowers and anemones (calaniot).

So, on the one hand, it was such an honor and pleasure to meet Dita. I don't think she understood how emotional it was for me, especially after reading about her and learning about her life story. On the other hand, I think I learned an important lesson about romanticizing the Holocaust. Dita was happy to talk about her painting and the locations of the camps, she did not talk about any of the horrors. While her children were exposed to the Holocaust because most of the Kraus' social circle were survivors, they only talked about people and places, never details about the atrocities. 

No Real Cats, but something equally great - after I visited with Dita, I drove a little farther up the highway and bought some cheese and freshly picked strawberries - the completion of a great day.

Happy Reading!

Positively Israel

Librarians and teachers are always looking for resources about Israel that are educational but also fun. While I usually shy away from straight promotion, I recently met two entrepreneurial ladies who sensed a need in the community and are filling it.



I met Miriam Lottner at a local mega-mall (a variety of vendors rent tables at a local hall and the community can find all kinds of gift items, housewares, services, etc.). She is the driving force of the new and innovative game Reveal Israel. The game was created by five mothers, who met through a mother's networking group, who decided that their kids should be playing Jewish games and learning to love Israel in the process. The amazing thing is that in the deck of playing cards there are more than 70 locations in Israel (photographed by Miriam) that "reveal" the history, geography and culture of the area. One feature I love is that there is a map on every card that shows where the site is located in Israel.

It is three games in one: a matching game similar to Spot It! but all the symbols have to do with Israel; a quiz game with questions and answers, and a spin game to challenge older players. While the target age is six to twelve, the game has fans ranging in age from three to 90, as it is easy to play and compact enough to bring wherever you go. 



The game has been so well received that many more are in the works: Reveal Chai - an exploration of Jewish Life, Holidays and Customs; Reveal Jerusalem - celebrating 50 years since the reunification of the city; and other locations including Florida and New York City.

The game comes in both English and Hebrew and is available at their website. You can also contact them if you are interested in creating a deck for your city or state.

The goal of String Bridge Kids is to help kids connect to their Jewish heritage and tradition through creative expression. Leah and Yossi Karp are originally from Melbourne, Australia. They and their six kids currently live in Israel.  They formed String Bridge to give young people a creative outlet and tactile experience while learning about Israel.

Named after the iconic modern landmark at the entrance to Jerusalem, the company currently offers a choice of two different boxes of craft projects:



Hello Jerusalem! includes three great projects: a shopping bag stamped with a design of the domed buildings of the city, a mezuzah, and a Jerusalem scene with the String Bridge.

Hello Teva! introduces young crafters to the sight and sounds of the rest of Israel with a decoupage vase, a model of the Sorek Stalactite Cave and a panorama of kayaking on the Dan River.

"Every craft (3 per box) comes with instructions to do the craft, as well as "5 Fun Facts" about the craft." For the mezuzah, for example, the Karps interviewed a sofer stam and contacted mezuzah artist Ester Shahaf. For the String Bridge craft, a map of the light rail, translated from Hebrew to English especially for String Bridge is included.  "We make sure to give a page of interesting information, pictures, websites or maps on every craft."

The boxes are most appropriate for those aged six to twelve, but younger kids (and adults) will also enjoy making the projects. The boxes are sent directly to the child, and he or she will also receive a card on their birthday. String Bridge also has an affiliate program and the boxes are available as fundraisers for your organization.

And there are more on the way! Get Festive! is a six-pack of boxes featuring the major Jewish holidays, and different themes including art and the Seven Species are also in the works.

In the summer heat of Israel, the real cats are looking for shade:

HAPPY READING!

A Day at the Library

Thank you to my friend Tanya for inviting me to join her and her colleagues from ETAI (English Teachers Association of Israel) at their winter event at the National Library of Israel.

 My interesting and informative morning began with a presentation by AJL colleague Nachum Zitter about the history of the library and its collections. From there, the first stop was the map room, where Ayelet talked about the maps. While some of the originals are in huge books, many posters have been made, and it was interesting to see the different depictions of Israel, some of which included bible personalities and sea monsters.

Part of the map collection at the National Library of Israel

From the second floor,there is a great view of the stained glass windows. It was a rainy day, so I did not see them in their full glory (another reason to return for another visit). 

From there, it was on to one of the nine reading rooms.

After the short tour, the group heard about the resources available, in English, at the National Library: classes, programming and tours and their website - 

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL ENGLISH WEBSITE

The site includes an open access digital primary resource database and educational activities and games. To give students and library patrons a multimedia experience, you can check out the audio recordings available at the Bella and Harry Wexner Libraries of Sound and Song and find songs and chants.

Another project, also available online is "Time Travel," which is a collection of Israeli ephemera (posters, pamphlets, menus, etc.). The collection is searchable by company, time period, language and more.

At one time the library had a program for bar and bat mitzvah-age students to do research on a subject of interest. A video showed the delight of one boy who was interested in the Bermuda Triangle and discovered the magic of the library. Another student did her project on Surika (Sarah) Braverman, the "first lady of the IDF," Braverman parachuted into Nazi-occupied Hungary with Hannah Senesh, but was able to escape. The girl was able to travel to Kibbutz Shamir and interview Surika as part of her library project. While the one-on-one program is no longer available, classes and groups can arrange to do research at the library.

A plug for ETAI and then some real cats:

"Founded in 1979 by teachers for teachers, ETAI's aim is to provide professional support, advice, teaching ideas and background knowledge to teachers of English."

Happy Reading!

Cats and Israel

One thing you notice when you are in the major cities of Israel is the number of feral cats. One 2012 study estimated 2 million stray cats running around Israel. Considering there are about 8 million people, the number is staggering.

Most people do not like these furry creatures, who are often found eating out of garbage dumpsters and have been dubbed "Israel's squirrels." There are also large colonies that are often loud and smelly.

But for cat lovers, it's kind of a treat to see the variety of felines and their playful kittens. Two recent books combine two of my loves: Israel and cats.

The Cats of J-Town

In Raphael N. Karp's The Cats of J-Town: A Clash of Colonies (Contento de Semrik, 2014), something is brewing in J- Town. The Teacher, who is the leader of her colony, calls in Flax and Hiker. Their mission is to deliver a message to the leaders of the 45 colonies throughout the territory: the Teacher is calling a grand meeting in the junkyard of the Old City to insure that the colonies live together in relative peace.  The cat colonies, to one degree or another, follow The Shargtha Laws: nine tenets that including respecting your fellow feline and not being greedy.

This is also the coming of age story of Flax, a young cat who has never ventured outside his colony's territory before. This mission challenges him in many ways, and he returns a changed cat. First he and his "guard" Hiker encounter the Deocats, who are either black, white, or black and white, and led by Mushka. They also pray (in Shargtha Law -- Hatsis) nine times a day.  While Mushka tends to be a Lubavitch name, it looks like the cats stumbled into Meah Shearim, with the cats rigidly following the laws and praying in groups. The female cats pray separately from the male cats, and if perchance a calico is born in the colony, she will be sent away.

The next colony are the Climbers, led by Zimra.  They are much more laid back, vegetarian cats, who only have nine cats in the colony. They also practice Catscension, which is a method of cat focus and meditation. Flax tries it and has amazing results.

From there they visit the Chasers -- polite and speedy, then onto the "Faircats," who area all shades of ginger, yellow and light brown;

the "Rollers," who roll and groom;

Easterners -- very religious cats who keep themselves busy hunting and grooming,

Shufflers, who enjoy dancing, the Authenticats, who also host the cat army, and the self-proclaimed "Protectors of J-Town," who seem to be the anarchists of the group.

When the grand meeting takes place, there is definitely tension.  The Deocats see the meeting at pointless unless the "Protectors" show up.  They finally make their appearance, and their leader, No-Tail, tries to convince the gathering to abandon the Shargtha.  When No-Tail's colony surrounds the junkyard, Flax and Hiker organize the cats for battle and...NO SPOILERS - go and read the book!

Did I love this book? Of course! It reminded me a lot of Erin Hunter's Warrior Series with the different clans and the codes and the prophecy and ALL THE CATS!

FLAX

Hiker reminded me of one of the cats that frequents my backyard, whom I have been calling Notorious B.I.G.

The Cat at the Wall

After Three Wishes and a teaser on the back cover that begins "On the West Bank...", I did not have high hopes for Deborah Ellis' most recent book, The Cat at the Wall (Groundwood Books, 2014). But I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued by Clare the Cat. She was a 13-year-old girl growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania when she was killed.  She comes back as a cat in Bethlehem in the Middle East, and is in the middle of a tense situation: Israeli soldiers have commandeered a house to use for surveillance, unaware that a young boy is hiding there. Clare, who was a rather selfish and snarky pre-teen, uses her new felines skills to help the boy.  I loved Clare's voice, and this time around Ellis shows the nuanced and complicated relationships between different factions in the region.

I imagine Clare:

Coincidentally, or maybe not, as I was reading these books, a colony moved into my area. Here are the cats of B-Town:

AXLE

WHITEY

A-4