Hello everyone,
Israel, 1953
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| abandoned house, turned art gallery |
After searching long and hard for a new place to live, my parents found and purchased an abandoned Arabic house, on the border of Tel Aviv and Jaffa... There were over four buildings on the property, which probably belonged to a wealthy Arab with many wives, before the war... My parents said that whoever lived there, must have escaped during the 'war of independence', to one of the neighboring Arab countries... The property was surrounded by a tall and thick stone wall, with gigantic wood door, decorated with a bronze "Hand", which announced the arrival of visitors...This"Arabic Palace", was located between Jaffa and Tel Aviv... Years later, these old exotic stone houses, would become very much in demand... Many artists remodeled some of these run down dwellings and turned them into beautiful Homes, Art Galleries, Night Clubs and Boutiques... However, when we left our 'home on the sand dunes' and moved into the present residence, it was almost unheard of, that an Israeli family of 'Sabras' (born in Israel) would live in one of those old, neglected"Villas"....
My fifteen years old brother hated it! "Why did you bring me here?!" He was yelling, his face red with rage: “My friends are going to laugh at me,when they find out that I live in an Arabic House! I would rather go back to that 'Sahara Desert' which you dragged us, after that stupid Vegetarian Moshav! And now to This Thing!" I was stunned to see my older brother bursting in to tears! I have never seen him cry before .."I wanted to stay in Jerusalem! Why did you take me away from my friends?First you drag me to that stupid vegetarian Moshav, then to the house you found in the "Shara Desert" and now This old Arab house!" Romi yelled at my parents and ran out, slamming the door behind him..."Poor Rami!" Ima started to cry, "I told you we shouldn't move here!" Xshe said to, my dadX "But you insisted, just because it is within a walking distance from your new job! You always think only about yourself! Why did I ever listen to you?!" X Ima answered crying and left the room...X
Unlike my brother, I fell 'madly in love' with this deserted 'Arabic Palace', the moment I saw the tall stone wall which surrounding it...There was a massive old wooden door in the middle of that wall,which was decorated with a 'Bronze Fist' and 'Metal Plate' underneath; when visitors came, they would bang the 'Fist' on the plate to announce their arrival... Around the house was a neglected garden, with dry flower beds and two gigantic Mulberry Trees which needed water badly! I couldn't wait for my parents to buy this house so I can come to there aid...
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| Scheherazade |
I became an obsessive reader... One of my favorite books, was x"A Thousand and One Nights". It had stories about a beautiful woman named; "Shchrerazad" who was "A Weaver of Wards" (Story Teller...) My favorite story was Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves... I was looking around, trying to visualize an Arab king who was probably the previous owner of this "Palace"... On the right was a very large and long room, with arched windows; which I decided must have been the 'Harem", where the women lived... I was visualizing them wearing the flimsy colorful pants ("Pantaloons") and Transparent Vales, covering their faces; like in the movie 'Ali Baba and his forty thieves'... In my imagination I could see 'Belly Dancers' dancing for their master and feeding him grapes and other sweets, the way I have seen it done in the movies...
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| Ali Baba and the forty thieves |
There were two old big (actually Huge) Mulberry tree; growing in the Yard I decided that these trees, were previously “Good Giants", turned into Trees by an Evil Sorcerer and was determined to learn the right 'Magic words' which will "Break the Spell and Free them!" When these liberated trees would ask me if they can be my Servants, I would say No! Telling them how the Jewish People are against slavery, because our Forefathers were slaves and worked hard in the hot sun of Egypt! However, I would be very happy if these beautiful trees would agree to become my 'Giant Pets', protecting me and my family from enemies like Hitler; who put the Jews in Concentration Camps and killed them in Gas chambers... I would also ask them to protect my family and friends, from enemies like the Arab Countries who 'Wish to drown all the Jews in the Mediterranean Sea and take away from us the 'New State of Israel" which God gave the Jewish people as a gift...
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| Mulberry trees |
After we finally moved to our new home, I used to climb on the these trees, which I believed were "Bewitched Gentle Giants"... I would comfortably snuggled on some of the stronger branches, read my book and eat the sweet fruit... One of the two trees was covered with black berries and the other, with light green (bouth delicious and sweet) My parents shared the 'Palace', with two other families from Bulgaria..At the summer some of the neighbors would come to the yard and sit in the shade to enjoy the fresh breeze... (No Air Conditions yet) Even though our 'New Comer' Neighbors, did not speak Hebrew, we got along by using 'Pantomime', in order to understand each other which I found to be lot's of fun....
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| Shlomit (right) and me |
My school in Jaffa was about a half hour walk... Most of the students, were kids who arrived to Israel, from different countries in Europe when their parent escaped from the Nazis... I was fascinated by their stories! In my class room, were kids from Poland, Hungary, Germany, France and Romania... Others came from Italy, Spain, Greece,Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and other European Countries Several years later, Israel would embrace the New Comers, who escaped the Arab Countries Egypt Syria, Lebanon,Yemen, X Moroco and Tunisia...In my new class was only one more student besides me, who was born in Israel... We were named "Sabras" (Sweet, wild x Cactus frute) Since bouth of my parents were born in Israel I recived 'Double Admiration”...
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| My 6th grade class Jaffa, 1955 |
My school was located in Jaffa and the students spoke many languages The Principal and Teachers were telling us, how important it always was for the Jewish people to be united; especially since we have just lost six millions members in the Gas Chambers of Nazi Germany! It would take some time, to unify the separate groups of kids, who came from difrent countries, but eventualy it took place! When I was about twelve our Principal and teachers helped us create a 'Student Government', modeled after the Israeli government... Daniela, was born in Poland became our 'Student bodey' Ministar of Educatiion". Abraham Berkowitz who arrived from romenia with his parents was the Ministar of Finens and I, who's parents were born in Israel, was given the title of the" Minister of Social Affairs" in our School's Governmaent and asked my mother to excplain what it means...
One of my most cherished memories, is the day I came to our School Principal’s office and told him that I noticed how some of the kids, come to school wearing 'Torn and Ragged clothes'.(After all I was the Minister of Social Affairs) It was a very cold winter and I suggested that the students donate some of their old clothes, which no longer fit them to the needy children in our school... Mr Shribman, my handsome principal (with whom I was secretly 'in love') thought it was a Great Idea! He complemented me for thinking about it (and even stroked my hair!) The next morning, I was standing by the principle's side, in the school yard, in front of all the classes (where we always stood before going in to our 'Class rooms') The principal put his arm around my shoulders and said: "Shira Cohen, who is the Social Affairs Minister of your Students Government; would like to talk to you about something important"XHe gave me the microphone and I explained to the students, that some of our 'school friends' parents, are unable to find jobs, therefor they can not buy new cloths for their growing children and asked them to donate some of their old clothes, which are still in good shape, but were too small, to share with the needy students...
The following morning, the nurse and I were under an 'Avalanche' of Donations... The small room was full with clothes, almost up to the ceiling... After I 'dressed up' some of the most needy students the teachers and our principle, sent messages to other schools in Jaffa, to send their needy students to pick up the rest of the clothes... It was a very cold, freezing and rainy winter day, six students from different schools, were waiting to collect the left over clothes, when I noticed one of them ,who was was a couple of years younger then me... His lips were blue and chapped from the cold weather, he was wearing a thin faded, torn sweater and pants full of holes. I noticed that he had no socks on, and was wearing open sandels with out socks, in this freezing day! Hoadver, what shook me the most was the expression I saw in his eyes: It was a mixture of Shame and Resignation; a look which I had never seen before in a child's eyes..... I felt a sharp pain in my heart and began to search among the pile, for cloths in his siz, finding a pair of winter pants, long sleeve shirts and a beautiful Imitation of an old leather Jacket...“This is for You! Go to the Boys Bathroom and put them on!" When I came back home was unable to stop thinking of this cold and shivering little boy, in his torn cloths and reaped sandals shivering in the cold winter day and began to cry... I read before about poverty, but this was my first time I come in touch with a real one...
I was beginning to understand the meaning of 'Social injustice'... Realizing that beside my safe home there was another world of Pain and Hopelessness... It was on that cold and rainy winter day,when I was able to understand for the first time, the full meaning of the words 'Poverty and Compassion'... The new emotion was "A kind of 'Love which Hurts'... From that moment on, the person I called “Me”, began to change... I was growing up! Years later I found a Chinese Proverb which said; “Doing good, is the only pleasure which Never wears off...” Later, when I would be asked what is my favorite Hobby, I answered "It is to make people happy!"
With Love and Light,
Shira
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