Nava Semel's guest appearances

Nava Semel

Israel in Translation

Ilana Kurshan

Amos Oz

Michael Kramer

Robert Alter

Etgar Keret

David Grossman

Alex Epstein

Ayelet Tsabari

Ari Shavit

Ruth Calderon

Flavius Josephus

Yoel Hoffmann

Sayed Kashua

Dorit Rabinyan

Sholem Aleichem

OwlTail

This week Marcela reads from Nava Semel’s novel, Isra Ilse, an alternative history of the Jewish People in which there was no state of Israel, and no holocaust. The novel is divided into three parts. Part 1, a detective story, opens in September 2001 when Liam Emanuel, an Israeli descendant of Noah, learns about and inherits Grand Island, which is downriver from Niagara Falls. He leaves Israel intending to reclaim this “Promised Land” in America. Shortly after he arrives in America Liam disappears. Simon T. Lenox, a Native American police investigator, tries to recover Israel’s “missing son.” Text: Nava Semel, Isra Ilse. Translated by Jessica Cohen. Mandel Vilar Press (October 17, 2016)

This week Marcela reads from Nava Semel’s novel, Isra Ilse, an alternative history of the Jewish People in which there was no state of Israel, and no holocaust. The novel is divided into three parts. Part 1, a detective story, opens in September 2001 when Liam Emanuel, an Israeli descendant of Noah, learns about and inherits Grand Island, which is downriver from Niagara Falls. He leaves Israel intending to reclaim this “Promised Land” in America. Shortly after he arrives in America Liam disappears. Simon T. Lenox, a Native American police investigator, tries to recover Israel’s “missing son.” Text: Nava Semel, Isra Ilse. Translated by Jessica Cohen. Mandel Vilar Press (October 17, 2016)

Nava Semel’s “Isra Ilse”

PAPER

Author and playwright Nava Semel passed away in December 2017. Her novel "Paper Bride" paints a vivid portrait of British Palestine in the 1930s, seen through the eyes of an illiterate boy. Here is an excerpt from the novel: And so, dear children, we repeat the question. What does your family do for the homeland? Herzl Fleisher stood up first, followed by other pupils, all of them describing how their fathers or their uncles or other people they knew were active in the defense of Jews in Palestine or had devoted their lives to building the country. But I hadn’t lied. My big brother Imri really did go to Poland to get married for the homeland. Text: Paper Bride by Naveal Semel. Translated by Sondra Silverston. Hybrid Publishers, 2012. Previous podcast:  And The Rat Laughed: Remembering Writer Nava Semel Music: שלמה ארצי – באיזשהו מקום

Author and playwright Nava Semel passed away in December 2017. Her novel "Paper Bride" paints a vivid portrait of British Palestine in the 1930s, seen through the eyes of an illiterate boy. Here is an excerpt from the novel: And so, dear children, we repeat the question. What does your family do for the homeland? Herzl Fleisher stood up first, followed by other pupils, all of them describing how their fathers or their uncles or other people they knew were active in the defense of Jews in Palestine or had devoted their lives to building the country. But I hadn’t lied. My big brother Imri really did go to Poland to get married for the homeland. Text: Paper Bride by Naveal Semel. Translated by Sondra Silverston. Hybrid Publishers, 2012. Previous podcast: <a href="https://tlv1.fm/israel-in-translation/2018/01/17/and-the-rat-laughed-remembering-writer-nava-semel/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> And The Rat Laughed: Remembering Writer Nava Semel</a> Music: שלמה ארצי – באיזשהו מקום

For the Sake of the Homeland: Nava Semel's "Paper Bride"

Novelist and playwright, Nava Semel, passed away in December 2017. There are writers that you plan to read and never do, and then, when they pass away, you regret not having read them in their lifetime. Nava Semel is one of these writers. Her work was the first to address the topic of the so-called “Second Generation”— children of Holocaust survivors. And The Rat Laughed is a five-part novel dealing with the horrors of the Holocaust and the influence of this harrowing chapter of human history; on humanity’s relationship with God; on the understanding of human nature; on the need to forget in order to survive; and on the need to remember, nonetheless. Here is an excerpt from the novel: If you were going to hand me over to strangers, why did you bring me into the world? Where is “there”? Who’s going to help me with my homework “there”? Whose bed will I go to “there”? And who will be with me “there”? Who else will be “there”? Why isn’t “there” here? Text: “And The Rat Laughed” by Nava Semel. Translated by Miriam Shlesinger (Hybrid Publishers 2008) Links: The Sound of Her Steps The One Facing Us: Ronit Matalon’s Family Album Tale of Two Friends: “Bliss” by Ronit Matalon In Memory of a Life: Aharon Appelfeld’s “The Story of a Life” Music: שלמה ארצי – בגרמניה לפני המלחמה

Novelist and playwright, Nava Semel, passed away in December 2017. There are writers that you plan to read and never do, and then, when they pass away, you regret not having read them in their lifetime. Nava Semel is one of these writers. Her work was the first to address the topic of the so-called “Second Generation”— children of Holocaust survivors. And The Rat Laughed is a five-part novel dealing with the horrors of the Holocaust and the influence of this harrowing chapter of human history; on humanity’s relationship with God; on the understanding of human nature; on the need to forget in order to survive; and on the need to remember, nonetheless. Here is an excerpt from the novel: If you were going to hand me over to strangers, why did you bring me into the world? Where is “there”? Who’s going to help me with my homework “there”? Whose bed will I go to “there”? And who will be with me “there”? Who else will be “there”? Why isn’t “there” here? Text: “And The Rat Laughed” by Nava Semel. Translated by Miriam Shlesinger (<a href="https://www.hybridpublishers.com.au/product/and-the-rat-laughed/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Hybrid Publishers 2008</a>) Links: <a href="https://tlv1.fm/arts-culture/2016/02/24/the-sound-of-her-steps/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">The Sound of Her Steps</a> <a href="https://tlv1.fm/arts-culture/2015/11/04/the-one-facing-us-ronit-matalons-family-album/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">The One Facing Us: Ronit Matalon’s Family Album</a> <a href="https://tlv1.fm/israel-in-translation/2018/01/03/tale-of-two-friends-bliss-by-ronit-matalon/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Tale of Two Friends: “Bliss” by Ronit Matalon</a> <a href="https://tlv1.fm/israel-in-translation/2018/01/10/in-memory-of-a-master-aharon-appelfelds-the-story-of-a-life/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">In Memory of a Life: Aharon Appelfeld’s “The Story of a Life”</a> Music: שלמה ארצי – בגרמניה לפני המלחמה