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

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