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Israeli Poets As Change Agents

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Israeli Poets As Change Agents ISRAELI POETS AS CHANGE AGENTS Congregation Beit Simchat Torah Lehrhaus Judaica Fall 2020 RABBI REUVEN GREENVALD ([email protected]) WEEK ONE: THE NEW MIZRACHI POETS ADI KEISSAR Adi Keissar (b. 1980) grew up in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem to a family on Yeminite origin. She is an award-winning poet and the founder of Ars Poetica, a monthly evening of poetry reading that begin 2013 to showcase the new Mizrachi wave in Hebrew poetry. The name, ars poetica is play on words between the Latin, ars) which is derogatory term for Jews from Middle Eastern and North) סרע ,Art of Poetry,” and the Israeli slang“ African countries. The term derives from an Arabic word meaning, shepherd. It’s a put-down saying someone looks we can hear her giving ( נא י תיחרזמ ) ”or acts like a pimp. In this excerpt from her poem, “I am a Mizrachi woman voice to the how she understands her identity in Israeli society: ֲאנִי ַה ִמּ ְז ָר ִחית I am the Mizrahi woman ֶשׁ ַא ֶתּם א ַמ ִכּי ִרים that you don’t know ֲאנִי ַה ִמּ ְז ָר ִחית I am the Mizrahi that you don’t mention ֶשׁ ַא ֶתּם א ַמ ְז ִכּי ִרים who knows how to read aloud ֶשׁיּוֹ ַד ַעת ְל ַד ְק ֵלם all the songs of Zohar Argov ֶאת ָכּל ַה ִשּׁי ִרים and reads Albert Camus ַ ֶשׁל ז ֹהר ראַ ְ גּ וֹ ב …and Bulgakov וְקוֹ ֵראת אַ ְל ֶבּר ָקא ִמי וְבּוּ ְל ָגּקוֹב ... Because on TV there are only commercials ִכּי ַבּ ֶט ֶלוִי ְזיָה יֵשׁ ַרק ִפּ ְרסוֹמוֹת with all types of blondes ֶשׁל ָכּל ִמינֵי ְבּלוֹנְ ִדּינִיּוֹת maybe that's why they called me at school אוּ ַלי ִבּ ְג ַלל ֶזה ָק ְראוּ ִלי ַבּ ֵבּית ֵס ֶפר a Black girl during recess כּוּ ִשׁית ַבּ ַה ְפ ָסקוֹת I'm in the middle ֲאנִי ָבּ ֶא ְמ ַצע not here nor there 6א ְל ָכאן ו6ְא ְל ָכאן if I had to choose ִאם ָהיִי ִתי ְצ ִרי ָכה ִל ְבחֹר I would choose ָהיִי ִתי בּוֹ ֶח ֶרת …Afro Yemen אַ ְפרוֹ ֵתּי ָמן . .. in Black on Black (Hebrew), 2014 - She has published three books of poetry, and her poetry appears in many anthologies, journals, and news publications. Her poetry has been translated into many languages. She earned her a MFA (with distinction) in screenwriting from Tel Aviv University. She has published three poetry collections, which are in a protracted (2016 , ומ ז הקי ההובג ) Loud Music ,(2014 , חש ו ר ע ל ג ב י חש ו ר ) process of getting published in English: Black on Black .(2018 , רבד י ה י מ י ם ) and Chronicles 1 ֵיְרִדּב יִםָמיַּה Chronicles בֹרֵמ ְתַּבהאֶָשׁ ִ י ְוֹרטיסִה ְי ָה ןוֹכיִַבּתּ Because I love history so much in high school ןְַמזִבּ םָלֻכֶּשׁ ִנוּסּ when everyone was trying ֵקַמְּחִתְלה רֶמַֹחֵמה רְגַַלבּ וֹתיֻּ to avoid the material for matriculation exams1 יְִתַּבַדְּנִהת ֵםַכְּלס I volunteered to summarize ֶאת ָכּל ֵשֲׁחמ ֲִלָהע וֹתיּ . .all five of the immigration waves2 ָרְפַבּסּ יִם יםִָבֶהע ָהֵהם In those very thick books יִֹשַׁבּקּ ָרְכּזֻמ hardly mentioned was ָאַסבּ ַָראבּ ִלֶּשׁ י םוֹלָשׁ ָארַכּסּ my great-grandfather Shalom Kassar גִּהֶשׁ ִ ַעי ןיֵָמִמתּ ִל ִםיַָלוּרישׁ who arrived from Yemen to Jerusalem ֶףֶלְבּא הֶנוְֹשׁמ וֹתֵמא ִנוְֹשׁמ םי שׁוּ ְ ַ תּ י ִ ם in eighteen hundred and eighty-two ַָדְומע ַתֲלַחנְבּ ָהְעבִשׁ and he stood in Nachalat Shiva3 ָָאְורק ֶרֵפִמסּ רוֹתּ ָ ה and read from a Torah scroll יְֵכּד ֶשׁ יּ ְכַ נ ִ וּסי וֹוֹאת ִתיְַלב ַבּ וֹםיּ יִשִׁשּׁ so that someone would invite him into a home on ֵנְִלפ י ַתיסִנְכּ ָתבַּשׁ Friday ְוֹאל ְֲוּדִיחפ אוּהֶשׁ יְִבַער . before the start of the Sabbath יְִתַמִסכּ ִַתמְוכּס ִיְ ֶאת ֶרמַֹהח and so that they wouldn’t be afraid that he is an וָֹתרֲעשׂ וַּעדמּ יִם .Arab ַעל ִבּ לי "וּ ְַולע יםִוּצָלֶהח ִִיַוּבּםְוקּצה I summarized and summarized the material ִלְבּ י ַתַעָלד לָכְבֶּשׁ וּשׁ ַ ר ת וּםִסכּ ִלֶּשׁ י tens of pages ִנֲא י חוֹמ ֶ ֶ ק ת ֶאת ָאַסבּ about the Bilu4 and the Pioneers5 and the Kibbutzim חוֹמ ֶ ֶ ק ת ֶאת ָהָחְפִּשַׁהמּ without knowing that with every line of my חוֹמ ֶ ֶ ק ת וּשׁ ָ ר ה ַרֲאח וּשׁ ָ ר ה summary ֶרֵפִמסּ רוֹתּ ָ ה I erase my grandfather ִקהֶשׁ ְר איִ ַָלוּרישִׁבּ ִםי erase my family ֶףֶלְבּא הֶנוְֹשׁמ וֹתֵמא ִנוְֹשׁמ םי שׁוּ ְ ַ תּ י ִ ם . erase line after line from the Torah scroll that he read aloud in Jerusalem in eighteen hundred and eighty-two. - In Chronicles (Hebrew), 2018 Translated by Reuven Greenvald 1 Known in Hebrew as the Bagrut. 2 That is aliyot, the waves of immigration to pre-state Israel: 1882-1903, 1904-14, 1919-23, 1924-29, 1929-39. 3 The third Jewish courtyard neighborhood established outside of the Old City and built in 1869. Now in center city of west Jerusalem, with much of the architecture preserved. 4 Bilu - a movement whose goal was to establish agricultural settlement in the land of Israel, beginning in 1882. Bilu is an Beit Ya'akov Lekhu Venelkha ("House of " יבת בקעי וכל ו הכלנ " (acronym based on a verse from the Book of Isaiah (2:5 Jacob, let us go [up]. 5 Known in Hebrew as Halutzim. 2 נא י אל י תעדו אירקהל הריש I don’t know how to recite poetry יְִתַּכָהל וּעֵרְאל ָהירִשּ I went to a poetry reading ַדָעמ ָםש ָדֶחא one man stood up ִיאְרִהּק ֶתא יםִִלַּהמּ and recited the words ןוְֹבט ְִצר ִני י in a serious tone יְֵכד ִנֲֶאשׁ י ַעֵדא יםִִלַּמֶּהש וֶֹלּשׁ ֲוֹוּתבשח אַ ַחר ָכּךְ ָעלְ ָתה אַ ַחת so that I would know that his words are ִיאָהְרִהק ֶתא יםִִלַּהמּ .important ןוְֹבט ֶהגוּנ After that a woman got up יְֵכּד ִנֲֶאשׁ י ַעֵדא יםִִלַּמֶּהש ָהֶּלש ְוֹתשַׁגְּרמ . and recited the words אַ ַחר ָכךְ ָעלָה ֶא ָחד - in a melancholy tone ִיאְרִהק ֶתא יםִִלַּהמּ so that I would know that her words are ןוְֹבט ֶלש ָהגַָצּה .emotional יְֵכּד ִנֲֶאשׁ י ַעֵדא ֶוּאהש ֵעוֹדי After that a man got up וּהא י דוֹ ֵ ע and recited the words ְרַקְלה יִא ָהריִשׁ . in a performance tone ָלְוכ ָהמ ִָיֶיצרתש ָהָיה so that I would know that he knows ֵםהֶש י ְרקַ וּאיִ ְאכּ לִּ וּ he knows ֵהם יםְִחוֹקל יִוֹתא ָהוֲּחרַאל .how to recite poetry יִתְתַּחְפִמּש ֶלֵצא יִםרוַֹהה ֶםָהֶלּשׁ And all that I wanted was בוּ ָ ֶא ְ מ ַצ ע ֶ ש ֻכּ ל ָ ם כוֹא ְ ל ִ םי that they would recite as if ִיוּמָיר ֶתא they are taking me to a family ָהַפַּהמּ ןְָחֻלֵַהשּמ dinner at their parents ִיוּפָעיְו ָוֹאהּת ָָהככּ and in the middle of all of them eating וֲָבּא ִ רי they’d lift ִעם ָלכּ יםִֵלַּכה . the tablecloth and toss like this ִכּ י ָהמ ֶהז ִיאְרַקְהל ָהירִשׁ ִםא אֹל into the air חְֹתִלּפ ַגר ַלְ ִים .with all the dishes ְֵבַּרְלח ן ַעְצֶמְאב ְוֹבחָרה לִּ ְצע ֹק ַעל ִמּי ֶשהוּ ֶשעוֹ ֵקף אוֹ ְתךָ ַבּתּוֹר For what is it to recite poetry if not ידֲִמַּעְלה יִםרּיִסּ ַלע זָגַה ִלְּשו ףְֹר ֶתא ֶלכָֹאה to open one’s legs וּדָלצ יםִָעְגר ִנְַּטק ים ֶלש ֶרֹשׁא and shit in the middle of the street לוּ ְ צּוֹה ִ אי תוֹא ָ ם ל ַ רוֹה ֵ ג ְ בּ ִכ ָכּ ר ָ ה ִע רי to yell at someone who cuts you off in line ְַלצְלצ ֵל ָרְפִּסְלמ יִָאְראַק to place pots on the stove and burn the food ִלּש ֹא ל : אֵצוֹי ל ָ םֶכ ַ מ יּ ִ ם הֵ מ בַ רֶ זֶ ? to hunt for small moments of happiness ֵכּ ן and to bring them to the public square to be ָמה ְַבתֲשח ֶם , יֶש ֵאֵצ ֶםכָל ָהלוֹק ? executed לוּ ְ נ ַ קֵ ת to make a random call לְ ַה ְש ִתּין לְתוֹךְ ֶה ָע ִצּיץ ֶשלְךָ 3 לְ ַחיֵךְ ִּחיוּךְ ֲענָק ְכּ ֶשׁ ֵאין לְךָ ִשּנַיִּם and ask: Is water coming out of your ֵשַׁקְּלב ֶוּהיִשִמּמּ ֹשְׂרִלפ ֶתא ָדיַה ַלע ְֻלחשׁ ןָ ?faucet יףנְָלה ֶתא ִַכּהס ןי yes ְִולּ ץְֹנע וּיִרתְהִמבּ ןיֵבּ ָלכ ָוֹעתְבֶּצָאה ?did you think it would be Coca-Cola חאַ ַ ת ְ ש ַ ת יּ ִ ם ָ ש ל שוֹ and hang up ןיְִמּזְַלה יִםָשּנֲא ָהְתיַַבּה ֶהָפְלק to piss in your houseplant יִםָלשׂ ֶםָלה ֶַלחמ ֶהָפַקּבּ to smile a giant smile when you have no ִגְַּלה יד ַרְמגִנּ ִל י ָָלבֶחה teeth ִגְַּלה יד ֶםָלה to ask someone to spread their hand on a וּוָּתּפע ִתיַַבֵּהמ ִֶלּשׁ י table ִנֲא י אֹל ִַכּמ רי ֶםְכֶאת . and wave the knife sticking it rapidly between all the fingers one two three to invite people over for coffee and put salt in the coffee and tell them I’ve run out of milk and tell them get out of my house I don’t know you. -in Black on Black (Hebrew), 2014 Translated by Reuven Greenvald 4 םכותבת לע וזמ ז תו ךתיב And Inscribe Them on the Doorposts of Your“ House”6 וַֹאהאמתּ ר ֵָ You say תֶהִבּילּשׁ ַהי ִַ ֶז this is my home ְגּהַהִרקַהתּ ַגָ the ceiling the roof בּירִשׁוֲָהא ֶ יֵֶהםניֵ the air between them ַאצﬠהתּ ֵָקוֹ you shout תֶהִבּילּשׁ ַהי ִַ ֶז this is my home ַנוֹתלַּהח ירתְַהקּווֹ וִֹ the windows and the walls ַאַאהמתּ ָםיּ ְֵ you threaten ילּשׁ תֶהִבּ ַהי ִַ ֶז this is my home ְונוֵֹﬠלֶַהֶדּלת ֶאת and you lock the door ְוסֵוֹגר ֶאת וַֹנוֹתלַּהח and shut the windows מוּ סֵ טיִ תֶ א וַּ ה ִ תוֹנוֹלי and draw the curtains חוֹפוּ דֵ מֶּשׁ וּהֶשׁיִ פִ י רְ ץֹ נְ פּ ִ מי הָ and you are afraid that someone will break in חוֹפוּ דֵ צָ ל תאֵ צוּחַ ה הָ and you are afraid to go out וֹפּח ֵ ד ְ ו י דוֹ ﬠֵ ַ afraid and knowing ְלבלוֹפּדח ֵֵ for a fearful heart ףפּ םﬠַא ַַ this will never ֹלא י ִה יְ ֶה be ִ.תיַבּ .a home - In Chronicles (Hebrew), 2018 Translated by Reuven Greenvald 6 From the first paragraph of the Shma, Deuteronomy 6:9.
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