Givat Hulon - The Hills of Sand . V, OO ( XX) X Photo of reading books VV

Hello everyone,

 Sand Dunes

Sand dunes

   Many of us must have seen photos or movies, showing the Sand Dunes of the Sahara Desert... This was what our new neighborhood, Givat Hulon (Hill of Sand) looked like There were about fifteen newly built houses, surrounded by mountains of sand. I was fascinated!  Being used to the narrow sand strip next to the Mediterranean blue water   of the beach in Tel Aviv. I was' Awestruck', by the largeness and majesty of this "Ocean of sand", where our new home was now built on... It was a total  contrast between the Moshav and our previous dwelling Jerusalem, which was Grey with paved roads and side walks...The 'Moshav' was Green, surrounded by trees and vegetation...This new settlement called Givat Hulon (Hill   of Sand) was located twenty minutes away from Hulon, the 'Big City'. Our new  Neighborhood color   was pure solid Yellow,mixed with Orange during Sunset... The colors kept on changing into different shades; depending on the time of day and the position of the sun...

    Our new home was about twenty minute bus ride, from the 'Big' city of Hulon,where my brother and     I were going to school...  We had to take two buses which picked up more passengers, at several small settlements, on the way to the Big city...  By the time the bus (which usually came late) stopped to pick    up or drop off passengers; I was always late to school... During the winter, fierce winds caused the sand   to cover the road and the bus was unable to reach our neighborhood...We had to wait for a bulldozer, to come and clear it up, which could take several days...  A strange collection of people lived in our new neighborhood... There were only eight families, mostly Concentration Camp Survivors... One of them     was the Yakobovich family, which escaped Germany with two beautiful small blond daughters; Zelda who was six years old, and her younger sister Clara who was four...The girls looked just like their pretty mother Lotti, whos Jewish husband Markus, was hidden in the basement of her parents house in Berlin during the second World War... When the war was finally over they came to Israel... 

   One day as I was playing outside, I witnessed Lotti and her next door neighbor Mrs. Glikman, having   an argument, about hanging the laundry on the common clothesline, between their two houses. Actually   it was Mrs Glikman, who was having the argument... Lotti was a gentle woman, who would never raise her voice in anger, but Mrs Glikman, who was an unpleasant and bitter woman, was disliked by everyone in our new small community...  At the beginning, people felt sorry for her, because she lost her entire family in the Gas Chambers: Parents, Husband and Three children... Lotti lived next door to us,with her second husband and their son Peter, who was younger then me in a year. As time went by the neighbors began to resent Lottie's mean spirit an outbursts:"She Is Not The only one who lost family members in Hitler's concentration camps! This doesn't give her the right to lash at others!" They complained.. 

   I was playing outside one day, when Mrs. Glikman began to scream, berating poor Lotti, for hanging  her wet laundry on 'her portion' of the rope, which they bouth shared... Lotti tried to calm her neighbor with her sweet smile and soft words. She pointed out that Mrs Glikman, didn't even have laundry on the line at the time, but Mrs Glikman's face became a Mask of Hatred; "Go back to Germany, you filthy Nazi!  You are not even Jewish! This country is for Jews Only! Go back and take your two Nazi kids with you!"    I was shocked and ran home to my mom, crying and confused... I couldn't understand how why Mrs Glikman, is so Angry and Mean to sweet Lotti... "Ima, is it true that Lotti is a Nazi?" I asked my mother who was sweeping the constant thin layers of sand covering our porch..."No!" my mom said, "Lotti is not Jewish, but she is not a Nazi! She actually saved her Jewish husband from the Nazis, by hiding him in her parents basement! Mrs Glikman is wrong! Not all Germans were bad, but we should not forget that the Nazi's killed Mrs Glikman's Family, she has no one left, it probably made her a bit crazy; we should feel sorry for her!  But I was still confused: "So why are all the neighbors so mean  to her? I asked. Ima sighed and walked away, mumbling that there are all kinds of people in this world...

 Nazis

Nazi flag

   A week later Clara our seamstress and neighbor next door, came to our house in order to make Alteration for some of Ima clothes, on our Singer Sewing Machine.       I was sitting nearby, watching with fascination, the seamstress, with several pins  between her lips; crouching on the floor and was amazed, how she was able to talk without swallowing some of them! At one point I heard her saying to my mother something which garbed my attention... She was explaining that the reason she was  able to stay alive in the concentration camp, was because she and her Identical Twin Sister, were taken    to a special place, where the criminal Dr Mengale, was conducting Horrific Medical Experiments on sets of identical twins..."One day my sister and I were crying for our mother, after all we were only four years old! The Nazi Capo who was in charge of the "Mengale's children program", dragged us outside and was pointing at the cloud of smoke rising from the 'Crematorium' (were the bodies were burnt) "You want your mother? there is your mother!" Ima looked as if she was about to cry..."Is this is why you never married?" She asked gently. "Yes, x what reason do I have to get married, after these Nazi Monsters, took out my womb for their terrible experiments?" She said. My mother nodded her head, wiped her tears and reached out her arms to hug me...

D. Pirates and Curry

   A few houses away from our home lived a Jewish couple from India, with their son Tommy, who       was about my age. His parents who were very tall and dark, spoke English with a British accent and    kept themselves apart, from the rest of the neighbors... The rumor was that Tommy's Jewish father, was    a high ranking officer in the British army in India, before it's Independence. After the British left India Tommy's Jewish parents came to Israel... They were very strange and had stranger rules and regulations Whenever my mother would invite Tommy to have lunch or diner with us, he would refuse; saying that    he was forbidden by his parents to eat at other people's homes; unless they had a formal invitation..."  What is Formal invitation?" I asked him, but he shrugged his shoulders saying:"I don't know"... I was determined to help Tommy break this 'Stupid Rule!' "You live in Israel now, you have to be like all the other kids here, otherwise no one would want to play with you!  Here in Israel we always eat at each others house! Do you want the kids to think you are Weird and laugh at you?!" Some times after poor Tommy could no longer resist and ate with us, he would later rinse his mouth, rubbing his teeth with      Toothpaste which I put on his finger  and  was asking me to smell his breath, to make sure    that his parents wouldn't find out that he ate outside his home... I felt so sorry for him!

   Tommy was different from any other boy I have known before... He was extremely polite, shaking my parents hands whenever he came and left our house and thanking them for their "Kind's hospitality... My fourteen years old brother Rami, was mimicking and making fun of Tommy's "Gentlemanly Manners"... It made me very upset and I asked my parents to 'Make Rami stop laughing at him and couldn't understand why my parents found it funny... Tommy and I would often climb to the top of an abundant Water Tower, making believe we were on an island we just found, after our ship was sunk by Pirates... We used  'Make Believe' Binoculars, to scan the horizon, hoping to spot a Ship which will come to our rescue and take us home...  Even though I knew how Tommy's parents felt about kids who eat at other people's homes, I didn't say "No", when I was invited to have dinner with the Three of them, when we played at his house. At one point I saw Tommy's mother cringed, as I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, rather then use the pretty embroidered white napkin she gave me. X"Didn't your parents teach you, that people should never wipe their lips with their hands"? she said to me."Why should they?״ I asked using my 'Combative voice'. X"We learned from the British that civilized people must use Napkins when they Dine!" The mother said"."Well this is Israel not England or India!" XI answered,x "Here we don't use 'Cloth Napkins', only Paper Napkins!" X The three of them were looking at me with  astonishment, but I was not done yet...X "Maybe the kids in India are not aloud to talk back to the Grown Ups, but my parents say that in Israel, we have no time for Old Silly Manners!" X I said

Curry dishes

   At dinner, Tommy and his parents were taking small spoonfuls of what seemed to   be Ketchup, from a bowl at the center of the table...I put some of the"ketchup"on my food, tasted it and started to scream... It was very,very,very Hot! Covering my mouth with the napkin; I ran to the bath room as fast as I could, to rinse my mouth again and again... It was the only time I saw Tommy's mother, who never cracked a smile, laugh Uproariously... This incident broke the ice between us... My parents invited them to come and eat with us, but they politely refused and it made me feel very sorry for them,  and Tommy, as    I was thinking how lonley and isolated they are going to feel in the future and how lonley poor Tommy is going to be...

E. My New School

     I was the new student in a class where the kids knew each other since the first grade...             It was difficult to make new friends, but I have always been extremely friendly and outgoing kid and Eventually made friends with a few few girls, but I couldn't stay to visit with them after school, because I would miss the only bus back home. Even though Tommy was a nice boy, he couldn't take the place of a girlfriend and I felt very lonely... One day on my way to school I passed next to a deserted garden and heard what sounded like a 'Baby's cry'...  As I      looked around, I saw a tiny black and white puppy, all by himself next to a bench... The poor little dog was trembling and seemed to be very scared. I hugged the puppy gently, covering him with my sweater   and was putting in his mouth a few a peace of the 'Whole Wheat' sandwich, my Mom put in the lunch box; but the puppy wouldn't eat; it probably needed milk... Everyone gathered around me to look and touch my puppy... We decided to hide it from the teacher and I put the tiny pup in my open desk drawer 'David the Trouble Maker', imitated the dog's cry and was sent to the Principle office, during the break      I was the 'Center of attention"... Everyone was gathering around me and the sweet puppy, stroking and trying to feed it a few crumbs, from their lunch box; but my puppy didn't eat and snuggled by my neck

   It is hard to describe the rush of emotions, I was experiencing at that moment...The tenderness and    love I felt for this 'Small vulnerable creature', who chose Me, to protect and take care of him! I will    never forget the Joy I felt, when my puppy stopped shaking, after I stroked him and whispered in his      ear how much I love him... When I came home, we found out that the puppy was not 'Him' but  'Her'      We named her Nava! (Biblical name for a pretty girl). From that moment on my life changed! I was   never lonely again, even school was more' bearable' now... The kids in school wanted to hear all the  funny news about Nava and were laughing, when I told them how she stuck her head into a plastic container and was running all over the house, bumping into the furniture... From then on I couldn't       wait to get off the bus, run home* lie on the area rug play with Nava, who was jumping all over me      and licking my face...         

   Even though the kids in school were much more friendly now, I still hated to be there...There was an      influx of New Immigrants to Israel, who came from the Arabic countries and some of the the new students could barely speak Hebrew... I was bored with the lessons, which the poor overworked teacher, was trying  to teach, in a class where half of the students didn't even speak Hebrew... XI hide in my desk the books      which I borrowed at the public library and was reading while the frustrated teacher, was trying to teach  the restless students... As much as I hated being in school, I loved the public library, which was located      next to my bus stop. I visited the library twice a week and picked up several books to take home. Books  became my escape from the 'Unfamiliar Emotions', I began to experience and was unable to understand Years later I would realize that besides loneliness and isolation, I was exposed to the growing tension in my home... My parents were at War! Ima wanted to move and "Live next to Normal and civilized people  But my Dad's ego refused to let him admit (even to himself) the mistake he made by allowing the cunning Real Estate Agent, convince him to buy a house in this tiny 'God forsaken place' and believing that it is about to become even bigger then Tel Aviv!

 Escaping  school

    One afternoon, as I was sitting on a park bench next to the public library, waiting for the bus to take         me home, a brilliant idea crossed my mind: "Why should I keep on going to school if I hate it so much   I'll be better off  skipping school altogether, sit on a bench in the park next to the library and read books  all day! And so I did... Each morning after getting off the bus, instead of going to school, I was  spending my time in the beautiful park, reading books... From time to time I would use one of the empty swings which usually had big lines of kids waiting for their turn and go back to my reading, until it was time to take the bus home...Very few people had phones in those days and our teachers, were having their hands full with new students, who's families were expelled from the Arab Countries and therefor, arrived to  Israel Penniless... These 'New Comers' who did not speak Hebrew, were having a very difficult time in communicating with the rest of the kids in the class...           

   One day during the break I was observing the 'Madness' in my class and feeling sorry for the young Substituted Teacher, who was trying unsuccessfully to bring order to the classroom. X"If I get out of school no one would know that I left!" I told myself one day... The following month instead of going       to school, I went to the park and was sitting on one of a benches, with a book from the library, and       was reading (actually 'Deva wearing')X Dickens Hebrew translation of stories for young readers like  "Treasure Island, Gulliver's Travels,' Arabian Nights,'Russian Tails', the Secret Garden" and others...         I enjoyed Hans Christen Anderson's stories, especially the one about the 'Little Match Girl,who was trying to sell matches in a street corners, during one of the coldest Danish winters and froze to death          I became a 'Compulsive Reader'! My brain was filled with images of those I was reading about, who became my 'Best Friends' and I was no longer lonley...

   Eventually, my parents found out about my "Adventures"... To my great surprise (and relief) rather    then punishing me they became very angry with my Teachers and the School, for not noticing my long absents!X The embarrassed Principal stuttered his apologies (spitting saliva as he spoke) promising my raging parents, to make sure it will never Happen Again!" When we came home I was expecting some kind of punishment and was silent during the bus ride; which was unusual for the 'Chatterbox' I usually was... At home, my parents put on 'Stern Faces' and asked me to give them my promise never again to   run away from school!" I stood erect with my hand on my heart, swearing: "Never Again! Later I was listening to my parents whispering in their bedroom:"Did you see how cute she was, standing with one hand on her heart, swearing she will never again run away from school?" Ima giggled."She is so cute    just Adorable and has lot's of Chutspa! (Guts!)" My Dad was saying proudly!"She must have learned  more from the Library then  in school!"... I realized there would not be punishment! Sighing with relief     I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and fell into a peaceful sleep...

With Love and Light,
Shira

Paradise Lost and Sand Dunes... V,O

Hello everyone,

Israel 1948-1951

Our neighborhood
in Jerusalem

    The War was over... The siege on Jerusalem came to an end and the British      left our country for good!... My brother Rami and I, were excited to come back        to our neighborhood and friends! We could see the distractions which the War     left behind; Mr Kaplan's Grocery Store, suffered a direct hit, killing him and destroying the building, except for one wall... Uri, my brother brother's best friend who lived in the apartment building next to ours, lost a leg! The candy shop became a Kiosk and the Greengrocer's store, belonged now a Shoe maker.  Our neighbors were glad to see us coming back and Rami and I, were happy to play again with  our old 'Neighborhood friends' as we did before the war...My father was busy working in his Garage, I returned to my kindergarten and Rami went back this school. Every Saturday we went to visit my father's dad, Saba Eliyahu, in the"Old People's Home"; where he lived... During the summer, we would move to Tel Aviv for a few of weeks, to enjoy the warm water of the Mediterranean Sea... Our Vegetarian parents old us that :"Salt water and Sun are good for our health; especially for growing children like you!"

Lemel School

   I have 'Vague Memories' from the day we were sitting around the radio, listening  to our new Prime minister David Ben Gurion's voice, who was behind the creation of the State of Israel! Another clear memory, is my first day in First Grade at the Lamely School, where most of the neighborhood's kids, were attending. I remember  how overjoyed I was (almost Ecstatic) when I was finally able to Read! It was like Magic, to see a short sentence suddenly 'Jumping at me' from the page! One of the stories I read, was about a family who lived in a 'Moshav' (Agricultural Village). I can still remember the red tractor, green fields and the few white and black cows walking around, eating grass all day...

    Each morning the students would be standing in lines at the school yard, watching with awe, the       Flag with the blue Star of David, being raised up to the top of the pole...With hearts full of pride we    sang 'Hatikva' (our National Anthem) before walking to our class rooms. On the walls, were the photos      of Theodor Herzl; the Visionary Leader of our Jewish state, Chaim Weizman; the first first president of Israel, David Ben Gurion; our first Prime Minister and Golda Meir, the "only woman in the Government" who would serve at one point in the future, as the Prime Minister of Israel, during the Six Days War...

Theodore Herzl	Chaim Weizmann	David Ben Gurion	Golda Meir

   As I have written before, my parents were among the first group of "Vegans" in Israel; which were "Extreme Veterinarians". I remember my mother in our small kitchen, grating carrots and squeezing        out the Juice, through a 'special cloth', in order to separate it from the Pulp (No 'Cuisinart' in those days)    so her children drink fresh carrot juice:"Which is the most important of all juices!"  There were 'Three Deadly Whites' which were forbidden in our Vegetarian Kitchen: Bleached Flour, White Sugar and Salt!  (A bit of 'Sea Salt' was allowed') My brother and I, took every opportunity, when our parents were not around, to grab the 'Sweets' which were offered to us, by our Aunts and Uncles, who would shake  their heads with pity, feeling sorry for "The deprived children, who are not aloud to have White Sugar...

  When I was about seven, at the middle of my Second Grade, my parents decided to leave Jerusalem    and move to a 'Moshav: The agricultural Village "Mishmar Hashivah". This agricultural community      was different from others, since it was available for 'Vegetarian Families Only!' My parents said they    had enough of "This Unhealthy life in the big city, with the exhaust fumes, people are forced to inhale   and the Asphalt roads and sidewalks, which are "Choking the“Prana!”(Life giving energy)...  It is known, that these obstacles, are preventing 'Mother Earth', from sending us it's Nutrients and Healing energy... This was the only 'Moshav', which accepted Vegetarians Only! "We wish to raise our children    in Nature; have them breath Clear Air and eat Home Grown fruit and vegetables, free of Pesticides and   be Judged and Ridiculed, for our belief in Vegetarianism! Here we are all the same...

  My parents couldn't wait to move and live in a place, where they will no longer have to justify their   'Way of Life'; to their neighbors, friends and family members; who were concerned about Rami and       me, for not getting enough Nutrients and Protein, because of the "lack of meat" in our diets... They      were tired of being judged or made fun of, because of their Vegetarian way of life... We couldn't wait       to meet the new neighbors, in our Vegetarian Community! People who are like us, who were sharing     the "Same Ideals'! There was no Television in Israel during that time...Every evening after dinner, our parents would sit next to the 'Glass top table' (with the photos underneath) reading books and magazines about Vegetarianism; learning how to plant and harvest, what was the amount of water for the plants and how to protect the 'Young Buds', from the Elements,without using Chemicals which are "Pure Poison" "We'll live in Nature now! You kids will grow up to be healthy and strong! People will no longer look at  us, as if we are 'Weird', because we are Vegetarians; since our neighbors and their children (your new friends) are also like us!”

   Rami and I were watching and listening to our parents, who were sipping Herb Tea and nibbling         dry dates, figs and raw almonds (Instead of cakes with "Poisonous White Sugar!") "What about my  school and  friends?" My brother was lamenting, but my parents laughed..."Don't worry! You will            be going to another school and have many new friends!" I began to cry:"But I don't want to move             to another place, I don't want new friends, I want my old friends! I don't want to live in a House!             I  want to stay in our Apartment!" I said. "Keep quiet dummy!" My brother said to me:"Just shut         up!" I began to cry harder and my parents told  my brother that wards like these are not allowed               in our house! Rami made 'a face' at me and left the room... I still remember the "Sweet Revenge"              I felt when I stuck my tongue at him...

   One day a big truck stopped in front of our Apartment Building, in Jerusalem and our possessions    were loaded on it...The furniture were covered with our blankets and towels, so were our lamps and    other breakable things. The 'glass book shelves', our big table's glass top and two mirrors, were also warped, so were the plates, cups, glasses and other small "Breakables; where warped with old News Papers. Next came the boxes with our pots, pans and whatever remained at our kitchen and loaded on    the truck...The chairs, were carefully wrapped with our blankets, my mother's Singer Sawing Machine  and our tall old Grandfather Clock, which was playing every fifteen minutes, parts of the tunes which    Ben in London, was playing...The Neighbors came to say goodbye, bringing cakes, fruit and candy!      The women were crying; hugged and kissed us and the men looked sad, when they shook hands with      my father. We stopped to part from my dad's partner Moti and the employees and after all the 'Hand shaking, hugs, back clapping and good luck wishes; we finally took of to materialize my parents dream   of a new healthy life, in the Vegetarian Moshav...

The Moshav

First corn

   Living in the Moshav made me feel as if I was Alice in Wonderland! Growing up in the Gray old city of Jerusalem    I was fascinated by the colors of the flowers, butterfly's as well as all the Birds and 'Crawling Creatures' I have never seen in Jerusalem! Almost everything was new and colorful: The  flowers and fruit trees, the yellow dry leaves in the Fall and  the fields of Vegetables... It was all  so new to me!  I once found a plant, which 'Sprayed'  my hands with 'Dark liquid' similar to Ink... It gave me a great idea: "I'll collect this 'Natural Ink' and sell it to 'Vegetarian Stationery Stores, because it did not contain any Chemicals!" I decided not to tell anyone about it, so people wouldn't 'Steal my Idea'; just like my dad's  "Patent", his ' Elusive invention, of "creating a  motor" which would be running by the Energy of Gravity!" (what ever it means...) 

   My new school was located in a small town named Yazur; a thirty minutes walk from our home.        My    next door neighbor Yehuda and I, were in the same class. Every morning he would stop to         'Pick' me up'  and we would walk together to the school, talking and laughing... I believe that even though, we were  only eight years old; we had some kind of a 'Childish Crush' on each other. Before      our arrival, the two of us would split and walk separately; so the kids wouldn't Tease Us about walking    Side by Side... Life was good; with only a few painful moments in between...   One of the biggest Humiliation, which would follow me throughout my school years, was caused by the fact that in this    new school, the student already learned the 'Multiplications Tablet', which I didn't learn yet Jerusalem   For some reason I was afraid to tell my new teacher, that I didn't learn it yet and was cringing, trying      to disappear, when she would call on a student to come to the blackboard, take the white chalk and     solve the 'Math Problem' written on it, fearing that the kids may think I am stupid...

A mystery
cave...

Old stairs 

 

    My parents were busy getting to know their new neighbors, they met  in  many meetings, where they talked about the way of growing and selling their crops (Individually or Collectively)... I was walking 'Intoxicated  by the Nature around me (Maybe my parents were right about the power of 'Prana and Chi'...) It was amazing to discover a new, ever changing world!  Walking 'Barefoot' on the brown warm earth, climbing trees, hanging on the branches, falling, wiping away a few drops of blood from my bruised knees.X I also discovered old broken stairs, which were leading to Nowhere..." Dr our vegetarian  Physition Dr Netach, was treated as if he was some kind of a God... In his 'Fiery Speeches' he was condemning the "Medical Doctors", who are "Poisoning' people with Toxic Medicines!" He said in his loud voice (almost Screaming), waving his thin arms  and was rewarded by loud cheering and Hand Clapping of his Vegetarian Admirers... Dr Netzach warned his followers, who were looking at him as if  he was some a 'kind of a God', to refuse giving the children  Immune Shots; since "These shots are nothing but Pure Poison!"... In those days "Immune Shots" were given in the school... Our parents told Rami and me, to run away if anyone tries to inject us! (to which we were glad to obey!)  Dr Netzach was very tall he had thin arms and yellow long hair... His shy 'Mousy wife', was always busy nursing a new baby, or wiping the 'Running Nose' of one of their five small, blond children... His kids looked just like their father with Blondish long hair, down to their shoulders (even the boys)... Dr. Netzach, was adored by all his Vegetarian Followers: Whatever he said was received as one of the 'Ten Commandments'! I disliked him! (to put it mildly) When ever he looked at me, I felt as if his pale blue eyes, were digging  into me, wanting to find out all my little secrets... With the natural intuition of a child, I did not trust this man...Whenever I saw him coming towards me, I would run to hid behind a tree or a rock... Dr Netzach  (who seemed he could see everything) would yell at me to come out; but I never did...  

   I was too young to realize what was going on, when my parents' Dream' was turning into a Nightmare and Cruel Awakening... My father was a Mechanic not a Farmer... Some of the vegetables he worked so hard to plant, shriveled and were' rotting away'... ("Not enough water? To much water?") The fruits  on   our trees were eaten by birds...("No Pesticide!" Dr. Netzach sad...) I remember my 'poor dad', standing and watching the Corn he planted, growing tall and green, then turning into yellow and die...  

The flood

  The water level was High and Rising, we were unable to leave the house...The   only 'Good thing', was the news that we 'Couldn't get to school', because of the floods... People in boats were delivering Drinking Water, Bread and other kinds of necessities. The small group of neighbors, who were shocked and disillusioned, as much as my parents, were now fighting with one another... My Dad became very ill and my 'shocked mother', was tormented by paralyzing fears and worries, about the results of the "Disaster" and was watching their "Big Dream", collapsing in front of her eyes:"Why did we ever Listened to your Crazy Vegetarian Sisters, who 'Brain Washed' us, to come to this place? " Ima would tell my dad: "It is your older sister Shoshana's fault! She is the one, who came back from Germany, with all these crazy Vegetarianism  Ideas and Brain Washed all of us! Why did you sell the garage? How can we feed our children? What are we going to do?!"

   My Mom escaped' into a “Cleansing Fast” of eating nothing Solid and drinking Orange Juice, mixed with Green Juice only... (In the future this 'Behavior' would be called "Anorexia Nervousa"). Ima was losing a lot of weight; becoming very thin and uncommunicative... "Don't worry so much!"X my father      said;X"You know that my partner Moty, owes me the money for half of the Garage and has been sending me parts of it, every month! We have what to live on, until I find a job! After all, I have a Good Profession and Years of Experience as a Mechanic My poor dad tried to assure her... My father was our family's 'Eternal Optimist' and was trying to calm down our frightened mother...Unfortunately, this time he was unable to do so...The Currency was going through one Devaluation after another, Making  his partner's  payments almost worthless"... The "safety net", which was supposed to 'keep us afloat', until all the vegetables and frute were ready for the markets, was disintegrating and my poor father, who blamed himself for the move, became gravely ill... Even though I was only nine years old, I was mature for my age and very sensitive... I became very ill and Dr Netzach's Herbal Medicine did not seem to help much...

Children's hospital

  My father's brother, uncle Aron, received an 'Urgent Letter' from my despaired mother, asking him to come immediately (No phones during those days) He had      to change three busses, before finally arriving to our home... When he saw how    sick I was, my uncle accused my parents of being"Fanatic, Crazy Veterinarians"   who trusted a 'Fake doctor!  He then went to see him and was yellin that “If this child dies, it would  be Your Responsibility!" Dr Netzach, who seemed very scared, got over his aversion for the 'Conventional Medicine' and instructed my parents to take me to the nearest hospital right away"!

   In later years, I would often wonder if getting so sick, was my way of 'Escaping, what seemed to be        my parents "Breakdown"... My father's black hair, seemed to turn Partially White"over night",within     one year, he started to look like an old man... My mother seemed to be a shadow of herself... At night  after my brother and I went to our room, we could hear them arguing and blaming each other, for the decision of selling the garage, leave Jerusalem and move to the Moshav... "It is all your Sisters fault!"   my mother was daying: "Your sister Shoshana and her Crazy ideas of Vegetarianism! She was the one who pushed us to make this Terrible Mistake; selling the Garage and move here! Why did we ever listen  to her?! We were so happy in Jerusalem!"  It was during my two weeks stay in the Hospital, that I started  to be adivted to books! I was eight years old, when I picked up a book at the Children's Library of the hospital and read it from beginning to end in One Day! The book which was translated from English to Hebrew was 'The Last of the Mahicans' (Adopted for young readers)... From that moment on, I began to 'Devour' Books, I becoming an "Obsessive/ Compulsive Reader!" Reading, became my escape to another world... Away from the Harsh Reality of my parents fears and Teen Age brother's bitterness and rage, over moving away from his friends in Jerusalem... I was becoming a "Compulsive reader!" Even now, so many years later; there is nothing like a good book, to lift my spirit up to another world;calming my busy mind and sooth my soul...

    My parents were growing apart... The only thing which united them, was the frantic search for a way       out of the 'Wreckage of their dreams' and the urgent need to find a safe Harbor, for their small family...   My Dad was finally able to find a job as a Mechanic, in one of the Post Office Garages in 'Tel Aviv', next to the Old City of Jaffa... It must have been 'Humiliating' for my 'Proud' father, to find himself  'Starting All Over', after having his own Garage... Somehow my parents were able to sell the house in the Moshav  ("For a third of what we paid!") and find another one in a small neighborhood, next to the large city of Hulon... The few houses were built on ' Sand Dunes' and looked like  the photos, I would later on see of  the 'Sahara Desert'..."You don't realize what a Great Deal you made!" The 'Slimy' Real Estate Agent, was telling my poor parents: "In a short time this place, is going to become bigger then Tel Aviv! Mark my words! I am promising you that the price is going to Quadruple, in less then a Year!”  My poor parents believed  him (what else could they do?)  Many years later, during one of my visits to Israel, my brother told me that this "God forsake Place', is still there and looks the way it used to be ...

With Love and Light,
Shira

Politics, Zionism and the Birth of Israel . V,O

Hello everyone,

  After the establishment of the state of Israel; when I was about five years old, I was witnessing my parents and their friends arguing before the elections, whenever they came over for a game of cards... They were speaking loudly, trying to convince each other, that their political party was the right one!  "Among four Jews, there are seven opinions!" My parents friends were saying, as they set at the table to   play cards... No wounder there were Eleven political parties in Israel, during the 50's! Below are five... 

Achdut Havoda	Haganah	Poaley Zion	Mapai	Mapam

   I used to dislike the noise of these loud arguments, fists banging on the table, bursts of anger, which were followed by loud laughter and a strong "Friendly punches" on each others shoulders and arms... There were always 'Arguments' going on during the card games,whenever my parents friends, came to  our home for a game of cards...When ever wards like 'Concentration Camps' were  used, one of the players would immidietly alart the others, to the kids in the room and the conversation would immidietly stop!

   After reading my blog for quiet sometime, I trust that my readers are more familiar by now, with the idea of the 'Energetic Power of our Thoughts and Words'... History has been teaching us, that the mind of only one Individual, could cause amazing changes for good or for bad... It also taught us how fast Great Ideas, as well as Lies, could spread like wildfires and be embraced by the Masses..." The Bringers of Light" were World Leaders, like Moses, Herzl, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, and many others, were the bringers of Light, while Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini - were the instruments    of the Darkness!

Hitler	German Children	Emaciated corpses in a concentration camp	The one who didn't! (raise his hand)

   The energies of Enlightenment and Darkness, are both equally powerful as well as contagious...      When Mother Teresa, was asked to join an Anti-War demonstration, she said: "No, I will not march Against    War but I will March  for Peace!" We should always remember, how the"Hate Energy" in     Nazi Germany, began by the voice of One Man; Hitler, who was spreading his evil ideology, eight      years, before it started to spread all over Europe, with a devastating speed of a wildfire; consuming countries and people on it's way... It took only one person like Hitler, to start a flood of Hatred and Darkness, yet even at the midst of this Madness, there was one person, one German, who had the    courage to resist evil by Not raising his hand! (Top right)                                                               

   Years before Hitler came in to power, after witnessing the collective outburst of Antisemitism in    France, during the Dreyfus trial in 1894, Theodore Herzl, the visionary Jewish journalist and writer realized the necessity of having a safe country, for the dispersed Jewish people in Europe... Herzl's    vision, was  the return of the persecuted Jews in Europe, to their Biblical Homeland; the old country        of Judea - Now Israel... Herzl spoke about his vision, in the First Jewish Congress in Switzerland...           It was attended by participants from seventeen countries... The Jews in Europe started to experience         a new wave of Antisemitism, social discrimination and violent riots. It seems as if Herzl was able to      see the up coming 'Concentration Camps and Gas Chambers, of the Nazi Regime... Herzl spoke, about   the necessity of going back to live in the old Jewish Homeland... "If you Will it -- It is not a Dream!"    The great man said...

Theodore Herzl

  Many of the young Jewish people, who were inspired by these       words, as well as his book The Old New Land, packed up their meager possessions and left Europe, heading to their fathers old homeland, the Biblical "Canan', which was named Palestine by the Romans, after they conquered Jerusalem, in 63 BCE 1517 and would eventually became a part of the Ottoman Empire... The members of the small communities   of Jewish and Arab families,were surrounded by swamps and mosquitos and suffered from poverty and hardship.They became gravely ill with  Malaria, which was killing their babies as well as the adults; It was not an easy life...

   Allow me to write about my Grandparents, who came to Israel from Russia, together with the early pioneers, who heeded Herzl's voice to "Go back to the old country, in order to build it up again!"...With hard work and great sacrifices, the newcomers turned Herzl's vision into a reality... After the First World War, life became somewhat easier... The victorious British army, was welcomed by the citizens of the Jewish state with great joy...  These newcomers, together with their children, the "Sabras" who were    born in Israel, would read in the papers, listen to the radio and watch news reels, the rise of Nazism in Germany and  They would follow how Hitler's army, was making it's way through Europe, devouring one country after the other... The world was watching the 'Hypnotic effect', Hitler had on the masse, which resulted in a new Tidal Wave of Antisemitism, which was never seen before, was spreading all over Europe, wiping out innocent man, women and children on it's way...

Israeli's dance after UN
declared the Jewish state

  The sons and daughters of the early pioneers in Israel, those who were born in 'Palestine' (as Israel  was named by the British) joined the British army during the Second World War and were fighting to defeat Hitler and liberate Europe... In 1948 Herzl's vision became a reality! I was about five years old when the United Nations voted "YES" for the idea  of creating a Jewish state, the country of Israel...I still have a vivid memory of sitting on my fathers' shoulders, waving a small flag and watch with excitement, the happy crowd, dancing and singing in the streets of Jerusalem...X"We have our old/ new country again; the country of Israel!

   These days, we are being called to work together, in order to stop wars and hunger, in many parts of the world and find solutions, for the Climate Change; help clean our oceans and the Air we breath, put an end to the senseless violence and killing around the world, eradicate crime and clear our planet from waist and  Air pollution... Could it be that we are now read, to turn our world into a new Garden of Eden? Mankind is born with the gift of having the power of turning Dreams into Reality... I would like to quote a few lines  which had a great impact on me... Unfortunatel, I can not remember, who was the Original Writer, since three different sources, claim it as their own...

   "What if you had a dream and in this dream, you are in a lovely garden, where you pick up a beautiful  flower. And what if you wake up and realize that you are still holding this flower in your hand?... "

With Love and Light,
Shira

The War of Independence . X ( move photo of Ben Gurion and Tank below) X V

1946-1948

Hello everyone   

   After the news, about the up coming Vote in the United Nations, regarding an Independent Jewish state in Palestine, the Arabs, sharing this small country, with their Jewish neighbors; became alarmed, fearing that if the U.N, would grant a Homeland to the Jewish people, they will be forced to lave their homes and properties...The Palestinian Arabs, turned to the Muslim countries Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq  Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, asking for help to" Fight the Jews!", in case the UN members, would vote for such a Partition... The British, were scheduled to leave Palestine, six months after the UN's resolution  The Jews, as well as the local Arabs, were holding their breath...

    My father, who was a child during the First World War, remembered the food shortages, during that period of time... One day he came home from work, carrying two huge sacks, full of "Tsnimim”(Hardtack) These were ' dry slices of bread, which was baked for a long time, were "Hard as a Rock" and wouldn't spoil, as fast as fresh bread X and "wouldn't spoil, for a long time!X" This war, may last for many months!" Aba (Dad) was telling our Ima (mother) "I have a feeling, that if the United Nations, will vote YES, for the Establishment of a Jewish Country; the Arabs will start a war! In this case, Jerusalem will be under siege!" X Ima, would have to soak it in water during the night, so it softens enough, to be be eaten the next day.x.."M Besides the bread, my father bought a tall, Tin Container, full of Kerosene, in order to  boil the water we may have to collect...  He and my mother, stood in line for hours, to buy bottles of olive oil, flour, rice, beans and brown sugar."What do we need all of this?! It would only spoil!" Ima said "I can smell trouble!” My father answered. I was only four years old and was wondering, what 'Trouble' smelled  like, so I began to sniff around, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't smell anything... “Maybe only Daddies can smell Trouble"... I told myself, because it seemed that Ima wasn't able to smell it either...

   On November 17th 1947, people all over the world, were sitting 'glued' to their radios, as the United Nations voted for the partition of Palestine, which would give one part of the country, to the Jews and    the other to the Arabs... Even though, the Partition meant that some of the Jewish Holy Places, would      be in the Arab side, the Jews were elated! ", After all, Abraham was the father of bouth; the Jews and    the Arabs!" The Jewish leaders were saying to their Arab neighbors in Palestinian, those,who's homes were in the Jewish side of the partition. Vehicles, with loud speakers,which were driven by Jews, were traveling among the Arabs, asking them 'Not To Leave Their Old Neighborhoods!' Promising, that none  of the Palestinians would be harmed, or chased away, from their homes if they will stay in the state of Israel and would be treated as equal citizens! The Arab's radio, ordered the Palestinian Arabs to flee, so      they will not be mistaken for Jews and would be killed, when the "Mighty United Arab Army"of Seven Arab Countries, will take over, making and make a 'Clean Sweep' of the small Jewish population, which remains in Palestine and Drown them in the Mediterranean Sea! "What chance these few unarmed Jews have to fight against the 'Great, United Force, of All the Arab Countries?"They promised,that theunited Liberating Forces, would be able to select, the best homes and land, of the Fleeting and Dead Jews and    warned that any Palestinian, who does not join our mighty Arab army, would be killed as a Traitor!   

The War of
Independence begins

Evacuating the wounded
and casualties

   Shortly after the U.N voted for a Partition, to Share Palestine between the Arabs and the Jews... A mob of Arabs, attacked Jewish settlements, stores and other businesses in and around Jerusalem, wounding and killing scores of people...My father and his partner Moty, rented their garage from Mustafa, the Arab owner of the property; he hid them in the basement before the shouting Arab Mob arrived which asked for  "The Two Jewish Mechanics, who were working in this Garage! "They did not come today!"X The Arab owner told the Mob...  My father and Moti stayed until they Mob Dispersed and came back home, late at night... I was very young (four) and was oblivious to the Historical Drama, which was playing around me... In the past, I met  Mustafa and played with his children, whenever I came to visit Aba in the garage. Mustafa was always nice! "He gave me and his kids candy and sent us to play Outdoors!"Some Arabs are bad but others are good;"Mustafa is a Good  Arab"! I was thinking, trying to clear the confusion from my young brain...

 

The Castel in the past

 In Israeli hands

   Since 1000 BCE, after King David concord Jerusalem   The Castel, which was a strong and Massive Fortification    stood on top of a high mountains, which surrounding the city, looked like some kind of a Big threatening Monster! Whoever held this strategic fortress,was able to prevent    the vital supplies of food and drinking water, from  arriving to the  city..By doing so,the Arabs hoped to eventually force  an Eventual Surrender...Throughout history, the inhabitants of Jerusalem gathered rain water, storing it in cisterns... If the rain was not strong enough, during the winter and the supply of water in the cisterns dried up, the people would collect water from the many Springs outside the city...

 

    Right after the United Nations declared Israel as 'Legitimate Country' and Home of the Jewish people  Five Arab countries, got together in a war against the Newborn State of Israel... The Palestinian Arabs who until then lived peacefully, with their Jewish neighbor,  were told that if they do not join the United Arab Army, they would be killed as Traitors!  They also warned to 'starve' the 150,000 Jewish people in Israel: Men, Women, Children and the Elderly... The Arabs were convinced that by withholding Medicine Food and Water, in addition of bombing the city day and night; the Besieged City would eventually have to surrender...  

Water rationing

Sandbags protection

The first move the Arabs made, was to take over the Castle    in order to prevent supplies of food, medicine and arms, from arriving to the besieged city... The small amount of supplies left in Jerusalem was rationed: Each person was given two slices of bread a day, with a measured amount of drinking water...The water was distributed by, donkeys, to the people who were waiting with buckets and cooking pots, to collect each and every precious drop of water...The  women of Jerusalem went to the open fields, to collect a wild vegetable named "Chubeza";so they could feed their hungry families; trying to avoid the shooting which was directed at them! 

 

The chubeza "fruit"

Wild chubeza

   The Air Raid sirens were going on and off as the city was bombarded day and night... My dad was busy in the garage fixing the cars, buses and few motorcycles, for the Jewish soldiers... My mother wouldn't let me or my brother get out of her sight and was taking us with her to collect the small amount of bread, each family recived... My brother and I were always by her side: “I don't want to go on living, if my kids would be hit by a shell and become Orphans, growing up without a mother... If we have to die, we are going to die together!" Ima said...

    After being cooped up inside the small apartment, my nine years old brother Rami, became restless   and rebellious... In spite of Ima's warnings, he would escape and run to join the neighborhood's boys    who were exchanged "Shrapnels" (remains of a bomb)which they collected from the streets. Rami was often spanked by our usually calm and loving mother, who never before raised a hand to hit us, X"You may be killed by a shell?!” I remember her screaming hysterically."I could be killed by a bomb right here in this apartment, not only on the street! I am already 'Dying of Boredom' in this Dungeon!” My brother said... One night when the Air Raid siren went off again, my mother was carrying me in her arms down the stairs, to the "safe" apartment of our neighbors, when a tiny flash of fire, zoomed about three inches from me... I could hear my mother's heart beating wildly, as she screamed with terror and squeezing me   to her chest.  As far as I  can remember, this would be the last time I will experience this kind of fear From that moment on, my family and friends began to be call me "Fearless Shira":I was never afraid!

 

Supply convoy
to Jerusalem

Destroyed armored

 

truck

   As the months passed by, the siege began to take its toll Several people in Jerusalem died from starvation and others from lack of Medicine... The 'Hagana' members tried again and again, to take over the Castel, in order to bring food for the besieged people of Jerusalem; but were pushed back with heavy losses...Convoys of trucks, loaded with medicine and food, tried time and again to get to the Besieged city, driving through a canyon called 'Bab El Wad' and were attacked by  Palestinians villagers, who opened fire from the surrounding mountains. Brave men and women were risking their lives time and again, in order to relieve the suffering of the 'Besieged city', by bringing the necessary Food, Medicine,Water and Ammunition to Jerusalem but they never stoped... 

   I remember the day I came home after playing with my friend Leora, who lived downstairs and saw my cousin Lea's husband Yosi, from Tel Aviv... I was staring in disbelief as he was emptying boxes on top of our table and sofa: Fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese, oil, sugar, tea, coffee, cocoa, sardines, jars of olives, jam and honey and other canned food...Yosi was one of the drivers who risked their lives, driving under heavy fire on a Dirt Road named Bab El Wad, situated between two tall mountains, from were the Arabs were shooting... Beside food,Yosi and the other drivers, risked their lives by bringing  Ammunition to the besieged and hungry city of Jerusalem! There were also packages of food, sent to my parents, Rami and me, given to him by worried and concerned family members in Tel Aviv, Givat -Ada, Benyamina and Ramat- Gan , in adition to a few toys: A big foot ball for Rami and a doll for me!

  

   I was standing near the door, watching with astonishment the 'Mountain of plenty'  which was growing higher and higher and was looking up at Yosi, as if he was a Magician or some kind of a God! “Ima, may I have an apple?” I whispered in my mother's ear... Yosi who heard me, picked up a red apple, wiped it on his shirt and  with tears in his eyes, handed it to me... "My God!" He said to mom:" Who would believe that a day would come, when we see our children go hungry?!.."

 

Bab el Wad Memorial

Throughout the siege, the people of Jerusalem took comfort from our admired Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, whos voice on the  radio was full of Courage, National Pride and Trust of finaly free the besieged people  of our city... David Ben Gurion was able to infuse everyone with Strength, mainly the new immigrants who lost their families in the Gas Chambers, before arriving to Israel, our beloved old Biblical Homeland...

 

   While the war was still raging, an old abandoned ro leading to Jerusalem, was discovered and the 'Hagana fighters' began to widen and clear it, in order to bring more Food, Medicine and Ammunition to the besieged city...  It was named the 'Burma Road'... Soon, trucks and armored buses  were driving at night, connecting the people in Jerusalem, with the rest of the country. eventually, after many mounths of Siege, a short 'Cease Fire' was declared and familie, which were separated for a very long time, were able to Reunite! My father insisted that Ima would take my brother and me, to her family in Rechovot, away from the dangers Jerusalem... 'Aba' (dad) was unable to join us, since he was busy fixing the few old cars, trucks, Jeeps, Buses and Motorcycles, which the Hagana solders used for the war   I will always remember the bumpy ride of the bus, on this unpaved 'Burma Road' and how 'Ima' told us   to 'Bend down!' whenever we were passing close to an Arab village, in case our Camouflaged bus would   be discovered... During the ride, I could tell that Ima was very scare and so were the rest of passengers who mostly consistent of Mothers and Children...

David Ben Gurion X

"Our" tank

Orange grove

   It was in 'Rechovot', I celebrated my fifth birthday, while the 'War of Independence' was raging on Three Fronts of our Newly Born country  Israel was fighting for its life! There was barely enough Ammunition to train the 'New Born' Jewish Army  which consisted of Israeli born men and women and 'new comers', who survived Hitler's concentration camp andbmanaged to reach the shores of 'Palestine', present time Israel... Most of these 'Newcomers' who lost their entire families in the 'Gas Chambers', and upon their arribvel, were given a gun and joined the newly born Israeli army, in order to fight against the combined forces of Seven Arab Countries...

    I have a very few memories from the time we spent in Rechovot... One of them, is playing 'Hid and Go Seek' in an Orange Grove, with my two cousins Yosi and Amnon. We played 'War' in a rusty 'old skeleton' of a Turkish tank from the First World War, which stood in an open field not far from our Grandfather's Locksmith Shop. We were running barefoot on the warm earth, playing "WAR, using the Oranges we picked from the trees. as 'bulets and bonms'... I also recall the day when the three of us were playing at home and the Air Raid Siren went off!  Everyone was running to the shelter in the basement, except for Amnon, my three years old cousin and me...  We were trying to hide inside his parents closet, before our mothers came in running and dragged us to the shelter... As far as I can remember, I was always fearless and was laughing, when others next to me were 'Scared to death'!  I often wondered if my 'Lack of Fear' began after that night in Jerusalem, when my mother was holding me in her arms, rushing down to the shelter, with Romi by her side and a Bullet, which looked like a small peace of fire, past right by me...  Ima was screaming and holding me tighter to her chest....Was it the  Higher Power', or my 'Lack of Fear' which protected me from Trauma, by changing the Fear of a 'four years old child', into Laughter?  Could  it be the reason why later on I would have No Fears at all?  Whatever the reason is; I would rather always be Laughing!

With Love and Light, 
Shira