" Yuval (in Hebrew, panicked): Oh my God.
Shlomo: Hey, I said where are we?
Yuval (in Hebrew): Oh my God. Oh my God.Oh my God.
(Shlomo slaps Yuval in the face to bring him around.)
Shlomo: Snap out of it. Let's talk about... Tel Aviv? Hu?
Yuval: Yeah. My folks came over from New York to Tel Aviv when they were kids.
Shlomo: Yes, let us start at the beggining? Tel Aviv is... ?
Yuval: All right, all right... Borrowed from the book of Ezekiel
Shlomo: And?
Um Hisham: He doesn't know.
Shlomo: Very likely the only city to be named after a book, Herzl's futuristic and--
Um Hisham: -- not very good, novel Altneuland. First published--
Shlomo: 1902, and translated as--
Yuval: Tel Aviv.
Shlomo: Yes. What useless facts we architects acquire. "
(Fever Chart- Vision One, p. 13-14)
Dear readers,
I couldn't hold my laugh when I've first read the lines above. It amazed me how "nonsensely" a heavy topic such as Herzl's Zionist vision can be. Wallace managed to sneak in such an intelligent note about the history of the Zionist movement through such a sharply funny pause.
However, not everyone can understand the story behind these lines, therefore, I decided to elaborate the following topics:
1. To portray Herzel's character and contribution to the Zionist movement (shortly...)
2. To explain what's inside his book Altneuland
3. Agree with Um- Hisham and her thoughts about the book:
It's not a brilliant book... Least to say.
So... let's accomplish the mission!
Theodor Herzel (or in his Hebrew name: Binyamin Ze'ev Herzel) was born in Austria in 1860, and was a journalist in his profession. All this time he wasn't really interested in his Jewish heritage or differentiating himself from his German nationality, until he witnesses the anti-semitic trail of Dreyfus- a Jewish lieutenant in the France army who was accused for betraying the French Republic.
Herzel was touched by the tragedy, and came to a deep understanding that Jews, no matter how loyal they were to their nations and governments, were always rejected and marginalized by their countries. Herzel realized that Jews should stand up as a nation, and demand a country for themselves. It was quite revolutionary because Herzel was one of the first people to declare Judaism as a nationality, and not merely a religious group.
Herzel's actions were phenomenal- he was anxiously addressing heads of countries and religious leaders; pointing out the crucial problems of the Jews and their need for a country. Just a reminder- we're talking about the begging of the 20th century, when the great waves of anti-Semitism just started. Imagine what would've happened if someone had listened to the guy... maybe we could prevent the Holocaust. Maybe my grandparents wouldn't need to run away from the pogroms.
Herzel died in 1904, and in his short life he established the Zionist Congress, and inspired many Jews to go to Palestine, and build their home in the ancestral land of the Jewish people.
His activities and aspirations brought him his title as the Visionary of the State (of Israel), and he is defiantly one of THE most important personage in the Jewish history and the history of Israel.
And that brings me to his... not so greatly written book: ALTNEULAND (German: Old New Land).
I should have read his book earlier, but I skipped that class in high-school. However, I've read it few weeks ago for my dramaturgy research, and let me tell you one thing-- Herzel might had some great revolutionary ideas, but his writing is... lacking. I must admit that it wasn't a fun read, and it was full of cliches, obvious ideas, and boring illustrations; but considering the fact that it's an Utopian book about the Jewish state, 50 years before it was actually established- it could have been worse.
The book tells about Freidrich, a young Jewish man from Austria, who goes on a trip to Palestine, falls asleep on board and dreams about the new Jewish state. Herzel describes his imaginary tour in Palestine, and the places and the ideas Freidrich encounters. Some parts of the book brings Herzel's suggestions for a nice welfare system in the future country: equal rights to all citizens, modern train system, great educational institutions and many more:
" In philanthropy... we created nothing new. Hospitals, infirmaries, orphan asylums, vacation camps, public kitchen... We are thus able to to care for every sick and needy applicant.There are fewer demands on public charity here because conditions- I have a right to say- are better on the whole"
(Altneuland, Theodor Herzel, Bluch Publishing, p, 77)
Although Herzel raises great ideas about the walks of the liberal Jewish society in the future, he doesn't spare his arrogant vision about the "local population" in the un-utopian Palestine:
" Jaffa made a very unpleasant impression upon them. Though nobly situated on the blue Mediterranean, the town was in a state of extreme decay. Landing was difficult in the forsaken harbor. The alleys were dirty, neglected, full of vile odors. Everywhere misery in bright Oriental rags. Poor Turks, dirty arabs, timid Jews lounged about- indolent, beggary, hopeless. "
(Ibid, p. 42)
I can't tolerate this sort of arrogant-Western writing. If Herzel pictured the European Jews as the "Western Salvation" who would win over the "vile odors" of the "Oriental rags" in Palestine- I would say he got the wrong picture.
It is funny that Herzel criticizes Palestine for being a "dirty oriental" country. When Herzel visited Palestine, the country was still under the occupation of the Ottoman Empire. How could the local population of Palestine prosper under a Turkish occupation, especially at the end of its era, when the Ottoman empire lost its power? Above all, calling them "dirty" is no less than racist and narrow minded.
If Herzel thought that Jews will come and set new rules over the Arab population of Palestine- his ideas can be titled as imperialist and nothing else. A "New Society" as he named it, should emerge from both societies, the Jewish and the Palestinian, and apply to both. Otherwise, it's no better then what happens in iraq nowadays: An American occupation in the name of Democracy, that destroys the local culture and history.
Herzel portrayed the idea of equal rights in his book, but failed to treat the Arab population with respect. That's one of the main reasons I didn't like his book, but I would love to share what I've scanned from it, and let you judge for yourself...
All the best,
Renana
No comments:
Post a Comment