A journey between dream and trauma: self-awareness in Israel

A journey between dream and trauma: self-awareness in Israel

Sara Klatt's debut novel, entitled “The Country I Want to Show You,” vividly unfolds a young woman's search for her identity and the roots of her family history in Israel. Listening to the voices of her father, a kibbutznik, and her grandfather, a survivor of the Shoah, the protagonist embarks on a journey between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where she meets all sorts of colorful characters. Mohammad, the DJ in a techno club, is still struggling with his Jewish ex-girlfriend, while Rafi, a settler, and Abdallah, a Bedouin, are hardly distinguishable on the outside, but represent very different worlds. Yitzchak, an underground fighter, shows the protagonist how to make tomatoes survive in the desert, and the couple Eva and Zwi Goldberg root their longing for their old homeland with German roses.

Thanks to funding from the Central Council of Jews in Germany, the book launch event takes place in an impressive atmosphere and is free of charge. The audience has the opportunity to arrive from 5:30 p.m. before the reading begins at 6 p.m. Tickets can be booked in advance using the link provided as there will be no box office. The moderation of the event is in the hands of Susanne Bondzio, who will lead the evening and will certainly ensure stimulating discussions.

A look at Jewish identity

At the same time, the Anna Schmidt School in Frankfurt am Main offers a completely different, but still essential, examination of Jewish identity through the photo exhibition “Jewish Identity in Germany” by Rafael Herlich. The exhibition, which opened on October 19, 2023 and runs until November 8, shows emotional scenes of Jewish life in Germany. Headmistress Petra König invited people to the opening and in her welcome emphasized the school's deep history during the Second World War, which also promotes a certain awareness of tolerance and moral courage.

Among those present were guests such as Benjamin Graumann, who serves on the board of the Frankfurt Jewish community, and the mayor Dr. Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg, who emphasized the positive contribution of the exhibition to enlightenment and the consolidation of democratic values. Clarinetist Roman Kuperschmidt offered a musical highlight, and after the opening there were lively conversations between students and guests in which questions about current developments and experiences from the Jewish community were discussed.

A complex life

In Klatt’s novel, Israel resembles a living collage in which dream and trauma are often close together. The protagonist not only discovers the stories of those around her, but also feels the connection to her own past, which is deeply rooted in this country. The choice of characters reflects the diversity of life in Israel and invites readers to reflect on identity and belonging. In this way, “The Land I Want to Show You” becomes a call to take the stories and voices within the context of Jewish life seriously and to understand what they can mean for both individual and collective memory.

Overall, it is clear that both Klatt's literary work and the photo exhibition in Frankfurt contribute to creating awareness of the stories and challenges of Jewish identity and opening up a space for dialogue and reflection.