Israel in Translation

Born in Haifa in 1922, Emile Habibi worked in the city's oil refinery before moving to the Palestinian broadcasting station in Jerusalem. Habibi was a lone voice calling for the acceptance of the UN plan for the division of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. Soon after the creation of Israel, he became a political activist, serving in the Knesset for 20 years.

After the shock of the six-day war of 1967, Habibi’s writing turned to satire and bitter humor. In 1974 he published The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist. Acknowledging a debt to Lawrence Sterne and Voltaire, the heavily-footnoted novel tells the story of Palestinians in Israel to date. Marcela reads a passage in which the protagonist describes a 'pessoptimist.'

In 1990, Habibi received the Al-Quds Prize from the PLO. In 1992, he received the Israel Prize for Arabic literature. His willingness to accept both prizes reflected his belief in coexistence; he said, "A dialogue of prizes is better than a dialogue of stones and bullets."

Emile Habibi died in 1996. Buried in Haifa, his tombstone reads, at his request, "Emile Habibi, Stayed in Haifa."

Text:

The Secret Life of Saeed The Pessoptimist, Emile Habibi. Transl. Trevor Le Gassick (Interlink World Fiction Series)

Saraya, The Ogre’s Daughter. A Palestinian Fairy Tale, Emile Habibi. Transl. Peter Theroux. (Ibis Editions).

Music:

Fairuz Ziad - Most Beautiful Sound Clips

Umm Kulthum - كوكب الشرق سيدة الغناء العربي أم كلثوم / أنت عمري

Born in Haifa in 1922, Emile Habibi worked in the city's oil refinery before moving to the Palestinian broadcasting station in Jerusalem. Habibi was a lone voice calling for the acceptance of the UN plan for the division of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. Soon after the creation of Israel, he became a political activist, serving in the Knesset for 20 years.

After the shock of the six-day war of 1967, Habibi’s writing turned to satire and bitter humor. In 1974 he published The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist. Acknowledging a debt to Lawrence Sterne and Voltaire, the heavily-footnoted novel tells the story of Palestinians in Israel to date. Marcela reads a passage in which the protagonist describes a 'pessoptimist.'

In 1990, Habibi received the Al-Quds Prize from the PLO. In 1992, he received the Israel Prize for Arabic literature. His willingness to accept both prizes reflected his belief in coexistence; he said, "A dialogue of prizes is better than a dialogue of stones and bullets."

Emile Habibi died in 1996. Buried in Haifa, his tombstone reads, at his request, "Emile Habibi, Stayed in Haifa."

Text:

The Secret Life of Saeed The Pessoptimist, Emile Habibi. Transl. Trevor Le Gassick (Interlink World Fiction Series)

Saraya, The Ogre’s Daughter. A Palestinian Fairy Tale, Emile Habibi. Transl. Peter Theroux. (Ibis Editions).

Music:

Fairuz Ziad - Most Beautiful Sound Clips

Umm Kulthum - كوكب الشرق سيدة الغناء العربي أم كلثوم / أنت عمري

Naomi Shemer is “The first lady of Israeli song and poetry.” She wroteJeruslaem of Gold” in 1967 and it became the unofficial second anthem of Israel after the Six-Day War and the reunification of Jerusalem.

Text: Jerusalem of Gold. Translated by Chaya Galai

Music: Ishtar, The Eucalyptus GroveYossi Banai, For all these things”Shuli Nata, Jerusalem of Gold,Ofra Haza, Jerusalem of Gold

Naomi Shemer is “The first lady of Israeli song and poetry.” She wrote
Jeruslaem of Gold” in 1967 and it became the unofficial second anthem of Israel after the Six-Day War and the reunification of Jerusalem.

Text: Jerusalem of Gold. Translated by Chaya Galai

Music: Ishtar, The Eucalyptus Grove
Yossi Banai, For all these things”
Shuli Nata, Jerusalem of Gold,
Ofra Haza, Jerusalem of Gold

Having grown up in a shtetl near Kiev, Sholem Aleichem wrote about the extreme poverty, pettiness and greatness of shtetl life, as well as the threat of conscription into the Russian army, pogroms and intermarriage. But, like the American author Mark Twain, he addressed dark subject-matter in such a light-hearted manner that the reader often did not realize their attention was being fixed on great suffering and injustice.

When Mark Twain heard of the writer called 'the Jewish Mark Twain,' he replied, "Please tell him that I am the American Sholem Aleichem."

Among Sholem Aleichem's quirks was a fear of the number 13; he gave his manuscripts a page '12a' instead of a '13,' and perhaps with good reason - he died on May '12a' 1916 at the age of 57. And it appears to be a genuine coincidence that this show should air on August '12a' 2014. We think he would see the funny side.

100,000 mourners attended his funeral at Old Mount Carmel cemetery in Queens, New York, in the largest funeral to date in the history of New York City. In his will he wrote, "Let my name be recalled with laughter, or not at all."

Text: Tevye the Dairyman and The Railroad Stories, Library of Yiddish Classics, Schocken Books, transl Hillel Halkin (1987).

Music: John Williams - Fiddler On The Roof Soundtrack (1971)Zero Mostel - If I Were A Rich Man (from Fiddler on the Roof)

Having grown up in a shtetl near Kiev, Sholem Aleichem wrote about the extreme poverty, pettiness and greatness of shtetl life, as well as the threat of conscription into the Russian army, pogroms and intermarriage. But, like the American author Mark Twain, he addressed dark subject-matter in such a light-hearted manner that the reader often did not realize their attention was being fixed on great suffering and injustice.

When Mark Twain heard of the writer called 'the Jewish Mark Twain,' he replied, "Please tell him that I am the American Sholem Aleichem."

Among Sholem Aleichem's quirks was a fear of the number 13; he gave his manuscripts a page '12a' instead of a '13,' and perhaps with good reason - he died on May '12a' 1916 at the age of 57. And it appears to be a genuine coincidence that this show should air on August '12a' 2014. We think he would see the funny side.

100,000 mourners attended his funeral at Old Mount Carmel cemetery in Queens, New York, in the largest funeral to date in the history of New York City. In his will he wrote, "Let my name be recalled with laughter, or not at all."

Text: Tevye the Dairyman and The Railroad Stories, Library of Yiddish Classics, Schocken Books, transl Hillel Halkin (1987).

Music: John Williams - Fiddler On The Roof Soundtrack (1971)
Zero Mostel - If I Were A Rich Man (from Fiddler on the Roof)

The grandfather of Yiddish literature, and one of the founders of “modern” Jewish literature, Mendele Mocher Sforim. He "wanted to be useful to his people rather than gain literary laurels,” and his satirical, critical stories got him chased from town.

Text: Of Bygone Days - translated by Rayomond P. Scheindlin. In A Shtetle and Other Yiddish Novellas” ed. Ruth Wisse. Wayne State University Press, 1986.

Music: Avraimi der Marvicher, performed by Chava AlbersteinDi Goldene Pave by Ana Margolin, performed by The Klezmatics & Chava Alberstein

The grandfather of Yiddish literature, and one of the founders of “modern” Jewish literature, Mendele Mocher Sforim. He "wanted to be useful to his people rather than gain literary laurels,” and his satirical, critical stories got him chased from town.

Text: Of Bygone Days - translated by Rayomond P. Scheindlin. In A Shtetle and Other Yiddish Novellas” ed. Ruth Wisse. Wayne State University Press, 1986.

Music: Avraimi der Marvicher, performed by Chava Alberstein
Di Goldene Pave by Ana Margolin, performed by The Klezmatics & Chava Alberstein

'Ruth' is a little street in Tel Aviv, nested near Dizengoff Square and off the other little streets named after Biblical heroines such as 'Esther HaMalka.' Both Ruth and Esther were immigrants, and so it's appropriate that the Ministry of Absorbtion for new immigrants should be located here.

While Esther was a covert Jew, Ruth was the most famous convert to Judaism in history. As a Moabite, she was explicitly forbidden to marry an Israelite, but nevertheless she became the great-grandmother of King David.

Jews read the Book of Ruth during the holiday of Shavuot. Today we hear Linda Zisquit’s lively translation of the first chapter, which for at least two years was placed on banners over Chen Boulevard in Tel Aviv between Passover and Shavuot.

Text:

The Book of Ruth - Introduction and free translation by Linda Zisquit

Music:

Michael Levy – King David’s Lyre, Echoes of Ancient IsraelAyelet Ori Benita – Cycles

'Ruth' is a little street in Tel Aviv, nested near Dizengoff Square and off the other little streets named after Biblical heroines such as 'Esther HaMalka.' Both Ruth and Esther were immigrants, and so it's appropriate that the Ministry of Absorbtion for new immigrants should be located here.

While Esther was a covert Jew, Ruth was the most famous convert to Judaism in history. As a Moabite, she was explicitly forbidden to marry an Israelite, but nevertheless she became the great-grandmother of King David.

Jews read the Book of Ruth during the holiday of Shavuot. Today we hear Linda Zisquit’s lively translation of the first chapter, which for at least two years was placed on banners over Chen Boulevard in Tel Aviv between Passover and Shavuot.

Text:

The Book of Ruth - Introduction and free translation by Linda Zisquit

Music:

Michael Levy – King David’s Lyre, Echoes of Ancient Israel
Ayelet Ori Benita – Cycles