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!
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The War of
Independence begins
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Evacuating the wounded
and casualties
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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...
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The Castel in the past
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In Israeli hands
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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...
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| Water rationing |
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| Sandbags protection |
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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!
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The chubeza "fruit"
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Wild chubeza
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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!
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Supply convoy
to Jerusalem
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| Destroyed armored | | truck
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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?!.."
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| 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...
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| David Ben Gurion X |
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"Our" tank
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Orange grove
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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
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