the visit of the Israel Association of Writers in English to Chaim Weitzmann’s home proved to be extremely inspiring, even though I’m sure no poems will result. The combination of science and vision that resulted in the State of Israel is quite amazing. I know the present situation does not appear so optimistic but to reconnect with our past as well as our historic past was very refreshing.
We explored the building, designed by Eric Mendelsonn, and, after a reception at Ricky Freisems, went to explore the art and poetry decorating the barriers that protect that repairs of the 52 buildings damaged by the rocket attacks from Iran. Our poems surprised me. They fit right in.
A few representatives of The Israel Association of Writers in English spent the afternoon at the home of the first president of Israel, Chaim Weitzman. This is his passport. Note the passport number.
The house is very impressive and I will show some of the photos of it soon, as well as the poems of the writers of the IAWE that add to the wall decoration of the rebuilding of 52 buildings in the Weitzman institute. But now I fear I would not do any of it justice.
I’ve been spending the last few years researching a few people in the Holocaust, and I’m more and more amazed by important information that hasn’t come out yet.
My research isn’t about my family – I’ve pretty much given up on the possibility of finding out even whether my first cousins were saved. I’m talking about people who are well-known. There remains vital facts that need to emerge, and even though in the past I’ve joked about “holocaustics” I’m discovering the importance of uncovering whatever remains.
Like every bourgoise lady I know I was thinking about whether to save for the certainty of hard times ahead, or to spend all my money now and enjoy as much as i can. In the meantime it has been too lot of just go out and look for things to buy. But today I convinced myself to just wander around Shushter strip mall and spend whatever I feel like spending. It didn’t work out to be spectacular. The passion, the desire to acquire, and the joy of possession has diminished. How can I have fun when so many people are suffering from the absence of basic necessities. So I manage to squeeze out the luxury of a back brush – 37 shekel, kale – 20 shekel, and the big splunge – a pair of gold earrings – 200 shekel. There was nothing more I could think of to spoil myself and Ezi.
The backbrush was too harsh for me, but perfect for Ezi.
I’ve been forgetting things lately. Trivial things – like checking to see if we’ve run out of kale, or whether I let the cat out. But today, when my favorite person, my osteopath, called to ask why I didn’t show up for an appointment, I thought I must have been struck with dementia. Later, throughout the day, various people reminded my of other events throughout my life that I’ve forgotten – usually bad things that happened or that I did. And there’s so much to forget. And when I remember, I reevaluate. I forgot, for example, that today is the day of the primaries for Netanyahu’s party, and how carefully he’s arranged a victory and the fascist government to protect him from prosecution. I forgot that there are at least 10 of the candidates who are under investigation for serious crimes. I forgot that I haven’t been on vacation for a very long time – the kind of vacation where we swim, have massages, meet with friends, and talk about the view.
it was like I had been drugged. I couldn’t move. Shabbat was shabbat. and now we’re going back to the week. Suddenly I understand the concept of a day of rest. Friday night we didn’t cook but went to Yulia. This made it even better.
A dramatic presentation at the Eyal Ofer museum on the exhibit about the architect, Rami Carmi, brought us out of the house on a Friday afternoon. The architecture of the country, especially Tel Aviv, had a great deal of ideology. Brutalism, the look of naked concrete, was part of the idea of democracy – nothing pretentious, nothing impressive, everything practical and useful. Except that it didn’t always work. Most of the time it tried to invent new experiences, and sometimes couldn’t be based on earlier forms. Inventing the wheel led to some big mistakes. Just outside the museum, for instance, the Habima square, with its lack of shade in the burning sun, doesn’t quite work in the daytime.
Still, you have to admire the inventiveness. The dramatic presentation required the audience to move with their folding chairs from room to room, from floor to floor, often without explaining the reason for their move. And yet it was riveting.
It helped me to see another angle of the experiment that was Tel Aviv.
the song sung by Yudit Ravitz has been on my mind for days now. The intertwining of erotic and religious drove me mad. listen
so i translated it = with the consultation of chat. this is the first draft
Leah Goldberg
forgiveness
You came to me to open my eyes, your body my gaze, my window and mirror. You came like night that comes to the owl, to show it all things in the dark.
And I learned: the name of each lash, every nail, and every hair on naked flesh; and childhood’s scent—the smell of glue and pine— is the night fragrance of the body.
If there were torments, they sailed toward you, my white sails into your darkness. Permit me to flee, permit me to flee to kneel upon the shore of forgiveness.
The month told fortunes with chamomile petals, plucked out my days, cast them to the abyss: radiance and torture, sorrow and pleasure, through the interpretation of the dream.
Then I sighed, tied your shoes, and silently walked you to my low threshold. And on the way to her, in all your paths, my sorrow blossomed like a smile.
And I knew every vow of betrayal you had sworn, and stored up for you the serenity of days. And bowed my yielding head when you returned— returned, intimate and guiltless.
the visit of the Israel Association of Writers in English to Chaim Weitzmann’s home proved to be extremely inspiring, even though I’m sure no poems will result. The combination of science and vision that resulted in the State of Israel is quite amazing. I know the present situation does not appear so optimistic but to reconnect with our past as well as our historic past was very refreshing.
A few representatives of The Israel Association of Writers in English spent the afternoon at the home of the first president of Israel, Chaim Weitzman. This is his passport. Note the passport number.