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