56 Friday, July 21, 1979

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

A Bird's-Eye View of Israel's Culture, 1948-1978

►

What an unprecedented cultural life
has evolved in Israel during the past 30
years, despite its constant struggle for
survival on the military, political, and
'economic fronts! Ever since the establish-
ment of the Jewish State, there has been
a veritable flowering of the arts. It is no
exaggeration to say that Israel's cultural
level does not have its equal in the Mid-
east, and that it compares favorably with
Western countries. In literature and the
fine arts, in music, dance, and theatre,
Israel is throbbing with vitality.
This short space permits only a cursory
mention of some aspects of this new cul-
tural blossoming. Any detailed descrip-
tion, any mention of individual artists,
must necessarily remain inadequate and
incomplete, because of the great variety
of cultural self-expression which has been
characteristic for the Israelis during the
past 30 years.
Although the young Jewish State can-
not, or cannot yet, boast of such literary
giants as a Bialik, Shimonovitz, Tchernich-
ovsky, or an Agnon (the latter's creative
career extended well into the first de-
cades of Israel, earning him the Nobel
Prize for Literature in 1966) there is a
lively crop of young Israeli poets, novel-
ists ,dramatists and short story writers
who started making their mark on Is-
raeli's cultural scene. Many of these
younger writers are available in good
English translations. To name but a few:
Yehuda Amichai, Aharon Appelfeld, Ha-
noch Bar-Toy, T. Carmi, Leah Goldberg,
Yoram Kaniuk, Aharon Megged, Amos
Oz, Pinhas Sadeh, David Shahar, Moshe
Shamir, - Abraham B. Yehoshua, and
many others. These writers of the present
Israeli generation, even more so than
Jewish writers in other lands draw on the
emotional impact of the Second World
War, of the Holocaust, and of the sev-
eral wars which the Jewish State had to
fight since the War of Independence.
They are coping with the added trau-
matic experience of each new conflict,
and they are ever more concerned with
the problem of Arab-Jewish relation-
ships. A return to the realism of daily
life in Israel, with its struggles and frus-
trations, its radiance as well as its diffi-
culties, is another characteristic of these
writers. Traditional Jewish themes and
Biblical motifs arc not entirely absent
from their creations, but they are found
to a much lesser extent than in a previ-
ous generation.
Israel's book consumption is among
the world's highest. Israeli Radio and
Television have long since devoted much
time to literary and educational pro-
grams, constantly on a high level. Inter-
national poetry readings have become
increasingly popular, despite many lan-
guage barriers. Much of Israel's literary
talent is first displayed in the Literary
Supplements of the leading daily news-
papers, in addition to a number of pres-
tigious smaller literary magazines. The
Israel Book Fair—held annually in Jeru-
salem—has become an internationally
noted event. Today, one can buy the
world's classics in modern Hebrew trans-
lation and also ... the world's trash! On
the other hand, some 30 modern Israeli
poets, novelists and playwrights have
been translated into English, among other

CULTURE AT THE FRONT LINE

TWO BIRTHDAYS

SHIMON HALKIN, Hebrew writer.

critic, translator and educator, born
eighty years ago, teaching and writing
in Israel.
EISIG SILBERSCHLAG, Hebrew
poet, essayist. translator, former Dean
of the Hebrew Teache'rs College in
Boston and now Professor at Univers-
ity of Texas. Born seventy-five years
ago.

TWO ANNIVERSARIES

MENAHEM RIBALOW, died twen-

A Professor of Bar Ilan University lecturing students at the front. Courtesy: "Israel Digest."

leading languages. Some of the outstand-
ing American publishing houses have
brought out these works during the past
30 years.
One of Israel's favorite pursuits, In-
ternational Conferences on anything and
everything, greatly influenced the cul-
tural life of the State. The Hebrew Uni-
versity in Jerusalem, Bar Ilan, Tel Aviv
and Haifa Universities, the Haifa Tech-
nion, and now Ben Gurion University in
Beersheba have become focal points for
international gatherings not only in the
field of Judaica, Bible, Archaeology (the
latter has become some sort of amateur
sport) and related subjects, but also in
science, medicine, literature and the arts.
In the field of the theatre, the old
"Habimah" has found rivals since the
founding of the State: the Haifa Muni-
cipal Theatre, the Theatron Kameri, to
name but two, and certainly the Chil-
dren's Theatre. The accent, quite under-
standably, has been on the more serious
drama than on light entertainment. Good
performances in Hebrew are given not
only of the old and renowned stand-bys,
such as the "Dybbuk," but also of Euro-
pean and American classical dramas. A
performance of Moliere, for instance, by
Habimah, can be a profound experience.
In terms of tickets sold per person,
Israel today shows the largest number of
theater goers in the world. It has been
estimated at seven times that of the
United States. Israel's theatre is less
avant-garde than that in the Western
countries. There is a definite "Art for the
People" trend which involves more farm-
ers and blue-collar workers than else-
where in all parts of cultural life.
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has
been able to maintain, since 1948, its
pre-State reputation of highest quality.
Its performances and recordings under
the baton of the leading conductors of
our time, are world renowned.
In addition, other important orches-
tras and ensembles have been organized,
such as the noted Israel Broadcasting
Symphony Orchestra, the Haifa Sym-
phony Orchestra, the Israel Chamber
Ensemble, and others. Indicative of the
vibrant musical life in the Jewish State
arc not only the year-round concerts and

recitals, such as in the famous Mann
Auditorium in Tel Aviv or in the Binya-
nei Ha'umah in Jerusalem, but also sev-
eral new Academies of Music, such as
the Tel Aviv Academy, the Bar Ilan
Academy, the Jerusalem and Haifa Mu-
sic Academies. Mention ihould be made
of a particularly significant new enter-
prise in Israel's musical life: The new
Jerusalem Children's Orchestra which
has quite a few Arab children as mem-
bers! Israel's pianists and violinists, and
to a lesser extent, Israeli composers, have
earned world reputation and can be
heard today with the best orchestras in
many countries.
Israeli dance groups appear in North
and South America, in Western Europe.
and go as far as the Philippines. The
most noteworthy are the Inbal, Bathsheva
and Bath Or troupes, as well as the He-
brew University Students Dance Group.
Among the standing features of Israel's
public events are the annual Music and
Dance Festivals, often with international
participation. Many kibbutzim have their
own dance and music groups with'some
outstanding festivals and competitions.
Israeli painting and sculpture have
long since ceased from being an out-
growth of Jewish ritual art, although this
can still be found in ever new varieties,
enhanced by the inspirations from artists
who came with the new immigrant
groups, such as Yemenites. Moroccans.
Russians, each with their background in
religious art. The new Tel Aviv Museum.
the Jerusalem Art Museum, the many

ty-five years ago. Hebrew writer, critic,
editor of HADOAR, Hebrew Weekly
in New York, and founder of the
HISTADRUTH IVRITH.
BENZION MOSSINSON, Hebrew
writer and Zionist leader, was born
one hundred years ago. He served for
many years as director of the "Her-
zliah Gymnasium" in Tel Aviv and
headed the Education Department of
the Vaad Leumi, the National Jewish
Council, during the Mandate period.

private art galleries, and such smaller,
but highly significant museums in some
of the kibbutzim (outstanding among
them: the Ain Harod Art Museum),
clearly show this trend. Here, as well as
in the commercial galleries, the various
artists colonies among them, a particu-
larly Israeli style in painting and sculp-
ture has emerged. It is highly individual-
istic, and not specifically "Jewish" in the
traditional sense of the term.
We find many women among Israel's
foremost painters and sculptors. The ac-
cent is on the human being, with the
sometimes almost violent urge for self-
expression easily recognizable. Safed's
and Old latTa's artist colonies, to name
but two, have of course become tourist
attractions, and not all their creations
measure up to an equally high artistic
level. But the workers in metal and wood.
the craftsmen in stones and cloth, the
gold and silversmiths, the many decora-
tors have created a highly exportable
new Israeli art. Many Israeli works have
found their way into art exhibits abroad.
and quite a few exchange -exhibits take
place in Israel every year.
As we salute Israel on its 30th anni-
versary for many achievements, we are
proud of its cultural life which is vi-
brant, throbbing and dynamic, represent-
ing a true rebirth of the Jewish people
and its creative -forces.

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art
poetry
literature
poet
poem
painting (art of . . .)
painter
sculpture
sculptor
actor
theatre
music
orchestra
conductor

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Culture Hebrew

performance (theatre)
movie -
film
critique
review (literary)
periodical
audience, public
culture
the cultural level
artist

fine arts
chamber music

musician

A FEATURE SUPPLEMENT

sponsored by

TARBUTH FOUNDATION

FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HEBREW CULTURE

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