The War of Independence .VO ( move photo of Ben Gurion below) Unfinished...

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 mw and 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 within a short time of 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 small trucks and donkeys and carts, to the people who were waiting with buckets and cooking pots, to collect each every precious drop of water...The  women of Jerusalem went to the open fields, to collect wild vegetable named "Chubeza", so they could feed their hungry families...They were   trying to avoid the non stop shooting which was directed at them... Some made it and others did not...

 

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, or 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) 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, squeezing me to her  chest.  As far as I  can remember, this would be the last time I will experienc this kind of fear! From that moment on, my family and friends began to be call me "Fearless Shira", I was never afraid again...

 

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', were attacked by the Palestinians villagers, who opened fire from the surrounding mountains.Young 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 it was difaclt to do... 

   I remember the day I came home after playing with my friend Leora who lived downstairs, and saw  my cousin Lea 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 and 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 the two tall mountains from were  the Arabs were shooting... Besides the food,Yosi and the other drivers, risked their lives by bringing fresh Ammunition to the besieged and hungry city of Jerusalem! There were also packages of food, sent to my  parents, Rami and me, which were given to him, by our worried and concerned family members from Tel Aviv, Givat  Ada, Benyamina and Ramat- Gan...There was also 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 Ima,"Who would believe that a day would come when we see our children go hungry?..."

 xxx 

David Ben Gurion

Bab el Wad Memorial

   All throughout the war and siege, the people of Jerusalem took comfort from our admired Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, whos voice on the radio was full of courage and national pride and hope, to the besieged people of our city and the rest of the citizens of our New Born Israel...  Ben Gurion was able to infuse everyone with strength! Mainly the new immigrants,who lost their families, in he Gas Chamber before arriving in Israel, our old beloved Biblical Homeland...

 

   While the war was still raging, an old abandoned road, leading to Jerusalem, was discovered and the 'Hagana' fighter, 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 connected Jerusalem, with the rest of the country... After several mounts of siege, a short 'Cease Fire' was declared and families, 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 Jerusalem... Aba was unable to join us, busy fixing the few old cars, trucks, Jeeps, Buses and Motorcycles, which the Hagana members used for the war...  I will always remember the bumpy ride of the bus, on this unpaved 'Burma Road' and how 'Ima' was telling Romi and me to bend down, whenever we were passing close to an Arab village, in case they spot our camouflaged bus and shoot at us...I could tell that Ima was very scared and so were the rest of the passengers, who were mostly Mothers with Children...

"Our" tank

 Orange grove

   It was in Rechovot, where I celebrated my fifth birthday while the War of Independence was raging on three fronts of our newly born tiny country. Israel was fighting for its life.There was barely enough ammunition, to train the new born 'Jewish Army' which consisted mainly of Israeli born men and women("Sabras") and those who survived 'Hitler's Concentration Camps' and managed to reach the shores of 'Palestine' (present time Israel) Most of these newcomers, who lost their entire families, in the Nazis    'Gas -Chambers', were given a gun and joined the small, newly born Israel's army, fighting against the combined forces of Seven Arab Countries...

    I have very few memories from the time we spent in Rechovot... One of my memories 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 too far from the Locksmith shop of my Grandfather (my mothers dad) We were running barefoot on the warm earth, playing "WAR" throwing at each other the oranges, we picked from the trees... I also recall the day when the three of us were playing at home, when the Air Raid Siren went off!  Everyone was running to the shelter in the basement, except for me and Amnon, my three years old cousin... I was standing and laughing  uproariously, as I watched him trying to hide inside the Armoire in his parents bedroom when our mothers come running and started to drag the two of us in to the shelter...

  As far as I can remember, I was always fearless and laughing, when others next to me, were 'scared to death'... I was often wondering if my 'Lack of Fear', began after that night in Jerusalem, when my mother was holding me in her arms, rushing down the stairs, to the shelter and a Bullet past by me. Ima screamed  and was holding me tight, close to her chest....Was it my 'lack of fear or some kind of a 'Higher Power which protected me, by changing the Fear of a four years old child, into Laughter? Is this the reason why years later I would have no fears at all?  Whatever the reason is; I would rather be Laughing!

With Love and Light, 
Shira

Childhood Memories . V,O

Hello, everyone,

   Some of the closer friends, who know the story of my life, have told me, how admirable it is that in  spite of the Traumas of the Wars, which took place in Israel, during my early childhood, I can still have  "A great sense of humor and such a positive outlook on life!"... The truth is, that I don't believe my life      in Israel was bad at all... On the contrary; I had a wonderful and magical childhood; filled with adventures laughter and joy! To begin with; I was very loved by my parents and our large extended family. Being the youngest of the cousins, I enjoyed the special attention reserved for the "babies"... I have a few faded memories of myself as a toddler, sitting on the floor, playing with my toys, watching my mom walking back and forth between the two bedrooms of our small apartment, which consisted of a tiny "Salon" (living room) my parents small bedroom, the smaller room, my older brother and I shared and a tini kitchen...  I loved to watch my "Ima"(Mom) making up the beds, dusting, wiping the floor, cooking and from time to time stops to talk to me, stroke my hair or give me a kiss... She was often singing, together with the songs on the radio, songs in Hebrew and others from the movies:“Put the blame on Mame, boy.." and the Spanish song "Bésame, besame mucho!"(Love me, love me a lot!)

   In the middle of the "Salon" (Our living room) stood the polished wooden table, covered with a thick  clear glass...Underneath the glass, was a display of many black and white photographs. My parents, me  and my brother Rami, our extended families and a few of my parents close friends. love to look at them Most of the photos were taken in Israel, the others show a few family members, who live in Europe and    the United States. Most of the people in the photos were wearing strange clothes and hats.Putting family photos, under the table's glass (Rather then Photo Albums) was quite common in many houses, during those days... My mother would cover the gtable, with a plain white Tablecloth for our meals and with a special colorful, hand embroidered table clouth, when guests were coming over...

   I remember my father, sitting for hours at this table (during his free time) surrounded by white paper erasers, pencils, strange rulers and other instruments... He was making scatches of his "Invention", which he called His 'Patent'... Years later I would learn that my dad was trying to invent a device, which could collect the powerful energy of 'Gravity', in order to start a Motor going... This 'dream', kept alive his hopes for a better future for his small family, a dream which unfortunately never materialized, but it gave him hope and kept him afloat, during some dark and hard periods of life...

The photos under the glass...

   In later years my brother Rami and I, who were supposed to do our homework on this table, would get distracted by the photos of Ima and Aba's young faces, as well as those of our grandparents, aunts, uncles cousins and family friends,which were staring at us from beneath the glass... They looked very serious, no one was smiling except for my Mom, the rest seemed to be worried or even a bit scared... My brother and I often made fun of these photos, mimicing their expressions and were laughing at their strange outfits and 'Hairdos', until we would hear Ima's familiar scolding: “ Stop looking at the photos and finish your homework!”

    I have a vivid memory, of one winter evening in our small apartment which was crowded with my parents' friends, who came to play cards... Before the game they would sit around the table, which was covered with a fancy embroidered tablecloth (saved for gusts) eating oranges and tangerines ( in the winter), drinking coffee or tea and enjoying my mom's "Vegetarian cake", which was made out of whole wheat flour nuts and raisens, switened with honey and cinnamon...(no refined sugar in my mother's kitchen...) In the summer, there were watermelon and melon, slices of apples, pears plums berries and grapes (In adition to my mom's famouse cake...)  Most of the men, were smoking cigarettes and everyone was shrieking with laughter, at my father's jokes, written alphabetically in his notebook...

    I can see myself, around the age of three, standing next to the table, or sitting on one of my parents knees, curiously watching what was going on, while sucking my right hand thumb. A very short man named Beny (whom I named "The Little Man") was always teasing me by offering His thumb to suck      on, saying it tastes better then mine... I recall how I once touched one of the gusts bold head and said    that it looks like the Moon and was rewarded by fits of laughter and hand clapping.For a moment I felt  like a grownup,who was just accepted to this private, exclusive, mysterious club of the Adult World and then I began to worry that they were laughing At Me and began to cry...

   Someone would always start singing out loud, while playing the card game and the rest would join in, singing or humming... Others, would drum on the table with their fingers and frown at their cards, or complain that one of the women was too slow, to which she responded; "What's the rush? I am thinking!" "Since when do you think?" her husband  said, triggering muffled laughter, from the players and angry response from his hurt  wife... “Stop it, let's play and have fun!" My Dad, the Peace Maker, would say and the game resumed. When finally, the winner declared victory, standing up and triumphantly slamming his cards on the table, there would be a collective shout of protest: “Oh No! No!! I was just about to finish!" The people would lay down their cards, pointing out how close they were to win the game, looking at each other's cards, discussing what move they should have taken and commiserate over their bad luck, while the beaming winner would collect the bronze pennies,which the players previously left in the small plate at the center of the table and were now, watching the lucky winner, with different expressions of jealousy on their face...

   After a while, it was time to stand up and stretch, light a cigarette and sip the fresh tea Ima would bring from the kitchen, with additional slices of her freshly baked, healthy honey Cake; "Made with whole wheat flour, honey, raisins, nuts and a pinch of cinnamon"... "Wow! This is a great cake! Better than the cakes at Cafe' Kapulski!!" The guests would exclaim, smacking their lips as they tasted the "Healthy Cake" while Ima, blushing prettily, would say: "Well, I don't know if it tastes as good as the cakes at Kapulski Cafe', but I know for sure that it is much healthier!" A conversation would start about different topics, which would always end up with the second world war, taking place in Europe, cursing Hitler in Hebrew and Yidish, Russian, polish, English and even in Arabic... "May this dog Hitler rot in his grave!" "His grave? A grave is too good for this monster! He should be caught and slowly tortured to death! But  it seems that this 'Angle of Death' is unstoppable! Not only is he devouring most of Europe, he is now moving into Egypt!" "Oh my God, he is getting closer and closer to us, the border with Egypt is not that far! All we need now, are Germans marching through the gates of Jerusalem, God forbid!"

   Someone would noticed me standing by with my eyes wide open, frightened and confused by the change of mood in the room and alerted the others... They would then smile and laugh again, stroke my hair, hug me, pinch my cheeks and say: "Don't worry Buba'le (Little doll) We'll take care of you! You are safe here with us! Everything will be alright, God is on Our side, and he will help us destroy this monster Hitler may he burn in hell!!"

   On evenings like these I didn't want to go to sleep, even though my eyes were burning and I was having a hard time keeping them open... Eventually, I was carried to bed by one of my parents, followed by a chorus of calls, “Goodnight sweetheart... sleep well, sweet dreams!" I would lie under my soft blanket and listen to the sounds of laughter and familiar comforting voices and was feeling peaceful and safe... I didn't know, that these ""Big adults'" in my life were terrified, since many of them, did not hear from their families who lived in Europe, for several years... Looking at me, reminded them of their nephews and nieces and wounder if  the kids and their patents were still alive...The conversation around the table turned to the latest information about the war, which was on the radio, published in newspapers and in the theater, before the movie began... bNazi Germany has been devouring one European country after another and was rapidly advancing towards the Middle East... "How long do you think, it will take before they enter Jerusalem?" everyone was wondering ... Across the thin wall, I was snuggling in bed with Duby, my one ear teddy bear, enjoying the comforting and familiar sounds coming from the other room and was peacefully drifting in to sleep...

   On Saturdays we would go to visit Saba, dad's father, in the Old Age Home... I don't know who was older, the building or the people living inside...The stone building was surrounded by old, dusty pine trees and stone fence, on which I liked to climb and walk, holding on to my father's hand... A long corridor was  covered with black and white tiles, led us to the main building, which was decorated with dusty geraniums in old clay pots. Inside was a line of ten, white iron beds, standing side by side on each side of the long room, which smelled of medicine and disinfectant... In one of those beds was lying my beloved "Saba" My grandfather Eliyahu Cohen, Aba's dad!

My beloved Saba

   Saba's hair was white as snow and his soft beard, was fluffy as a cloud. I loved to play with his beard! I would comb it with my little fingers and clumsily tried to tie it with the ribbon which I removed from my hair... Saba's eyes were light blue, the color of the sky on a summer day... They expressed peace and patience, but above all his love to me... The intensity of this love was so strong, that when he looked at me, it felt like a physical caress... My Saba would hum melodies in my ear and tell me stories by drawing little cartoon characters, with a special pencil, which he put in his mouth from time to time, in order to make it wet... Once, when I was about four years old, I said to him; "You know what Saba? Old people and babies are the same"..." He smiled "Tell me how so my 'ziese meydel'e." (Yiddish for 'sweet little girl') "Well, old people are like babies, because they don't have much hair on their head, their skin is very soft and sometimes they sit in a carriage, just like babies and are pushed around... Oh, wait Saba! There is more! Old people and babies have no teeth this is why they must eat porridge..."  I can still feel the joy in my heart, as I listened how my Saba, was proudly telling my parents and his friends in the long room, what I have just said!! It made me feel very important, smart and grown up, especially since I was the youngest in our extended family and therefor was always treated as a baby...

    As we grew older, Rami and I used to play in our street, with the neighborhood kids... Whenever we had an extra coin, we would run to David's small candy shop! Even though we were told by our veterinarian parents, that refined sugar is poison, we couldn't resist!  Whenever we had a few coins, we would rush to the candy store, looking behind us, to make sure we are not being followed by our parents, like some of the 'bad guys" that we saw in the movies... After several times of eating the 'forbidden sweets' and realizing that neither of us dropped dead from "Sugar poisoning", we would sneak into the small shop as often as we could (when we had money)... The store belonged to a nice old man, Mr. Klinman, who stood behind the counter and knew, which candy, each of the neighborhood kids liked...I don't remember my brother Rami's favorite, mine was a pink little candy doll, the size of my thumb,which would melt in my mouth with out even chewing it, melting much too fast...

   The high light of our life was going to the Cinema! (Movie theater) It always began with the news bulletin, (which we couldn't wait for it to come to the end)... Who cared about Churchill or Stalin? Hitler and the war, it was all far away from us, children, who shrieked with joy, when Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck appeared on the screen... We loved the movies! "The thief of Baghdad, National Velvet and Lassie Comes Home..." We particularly liked Gangster movies and imitated them in our games later on; Chasing one another up and down the streets of our neighborhood, waving a piece of wood as a gun and yelling: “Hanzap!” (Hands up). The summers in Jerusalem were hot and dry, filled with the voices of vendors who came to our street with carts, pulled by donkeys... They were offering Watermelons, Sabras (cactus pears) Corn on the cob and cut up Sugar Canes... Others came pushing carts and offered to sharpen knives and scissors and old clothes,shoes and other household goods... The Ice wagon, pulled by a donkey, created     a lot of excitement, among the neighborhood kids...The "Iceman" removed the burlap sacks,which were covering the ice, and cut it for the Ice box (No electric refrigerators in those days...) The kids would fight over the bits of ice, which fell from the wagon, licking them as if they were "Escimos!" (Popsicle's"...

Rami and I
in the Snow

   The winters in Jerusalem were cold, the smell of roasted chestnuts, drifted  from the portable coal stove of the vendors. At home we would huddle around the kerosene stove, play indoor games, eat hot soups and warm porridge with honey and cinnamon... On the few rare occasions when it snowed, we would go outdoors, to make snowmen and throw snow balls at each other... Before we left our home, Ima (Mom) would wrap the two of us  in sweaters, coats, scarves, hats and earmuffs... She also made us wear gloves, wool socks and boots until we could barely move, like the little brother in the movie A Christmas Story, which I would repeatedly watch after moving to the U.S...

On the beach

   Life had its rhythms and rituals: School, holidays, birthday, celebrations and summer vacations! We  visited our families, who lived in the"Shfela"(low land) Tel Aviv, Hulon, Rechovot, Biniamina, Givat-Ada and Ramat-Gan. We loved the beach, where Romi and I chased the waves and joyfully splashed each other, being watched by the strict eyes of our parents... Our Aba (Dad) usually took off, to swim towards the far away rocks and  our worried mom, who didn't know how to swim, was standing on the shore and yelling to us: "Don't go too deep! Stop pushing each other under the water!! Keep your hats on, the sun is boiling hot today! Watch out for whirlpools! and stay close to the shore, so I can see you !"

   This was more or less the way my life was flowing, until the Second World War finally came to an end and shortly after, the War of Independence began...

With Love and Light,
Shira