Natan Alterman (1910 -1970) is best known for a single poem – The Silver Platter. Yet he left behind thick volumes of poetry many of which are poetic responses to newspaper headlines. Alterman was a master of contemporary political poetry, much of which emerged in his weekly newspaper columns. In this series with Israeli Educator Dr. Rachel Korazim we shall examine four of them – all relating to important historical events of the early years of the state of Israel.

Rachel is a Jewish education consultant in curriculum development for Israel and Holocaust education. Rachel opens for her audiences a window to Israeli society through literature; through stories, poems and songs of the best of Israel’s writers, she invites listeners to engage with Israel in an innovative way. Since the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic – Rachel created a global community of hundreds of learners who meet to study Israeli poetry online regularly. Until 2008 she was the Academic Director of Distance learning programs at The Jewish Agency for Israel, Department of Education.

May 4 - click here for the poetry we will be using during the class.

May 11 - click here for the poetry we will be using during the class.

• Session I – May 4
  The clandestine Immigration under the British Mandate with the poem A Response to an Italian Captain
  נאום תשובה לרב חובל איטלקי
• Session II - May 11
  The War of Independence and the heavy toll of young life it took with the poem The Silver Platter
  גש הכסף
• Session III – May 18
  War Ethics and the need call out misdeeds even while the fighting goes on, with the poem For This
  על זאת
• Session IV – May 25
  About freedom of speech and the right of Arab citizens to speak up with the poem The Reprimand to Tawfik Toubi
  הנזיפה בחבר הכנסת טופיק טובי

Join on Zoom, or watch on Livestream or YouTube.

Or, for audio only, dial 1 (312) 626-6799 or 1 (646) 558-8656 and enter the Meeting ID: 919 8908 6406