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DINARIPSMANEYLON
YehuditHendelwasthefirstfemaleIsraeliwritertoachieveac-claiminthedecadefollowingtheestablishmentofIsraelin1948.Thearticleexaminesthisprogressionandthederogativeinflu-enceherhusband,theIsraelimodernistpainterZviMairovich,hadonthedevelopmentofhercreativeprocess.YehuditHendelaetelapremierefemmeecrivaind'Israel
a
atteindrelacelebritedurantladecenniequisuivitl'etablissernent
d'tsrael
en1948.Cetarticleexaminepas
a
passesrealisationsetI'influencenega-tivequ'eutsursonprocessuscreatifsonmari,IepeintremodernisteisraelienZviMairovich.
Y
ehuditHendelwasthefirstfemaleIsraeliwritertoachievenationalacclaiminthedecadefollowingtheestablishmentofIsraelin1948.Herwritingsdealwithtraumaticloss-ofahomeland,community,familymembersandlovedones-inwarsandothercalamities.Herfirstworkstookforgrantedgenderequalityandthelackofaneedforaspecificfemalevoice.Onlyinmid-careerdidHendelfindavoiceofherownandherworkbegintoexhibitfeministcharacteristics.ThefactthatHendel'searlywritingcareersufferedfromextendedhiatushasrarelybeendiscussedbyheroranyofhercritics.ThisarticleshedslightonafeasibleexplanationforthegapsinHendel'sprolificacy.Wasitduetoinnocentboutsofwriter'sblock,orwasittheresultofotherfactors,suchastheunpredictableandturbulentnatureofhermarriagetoamodernistpainter,whowasobsessedwithdeathanddying?
YEHUDITHENDEL,THEWRITER
AsamemberofDorHa'Palmakh,thefirstgenerationofIsraeliwriters,composingliteraturethatwasdistinctivelyIsraeli,YehuditHendel'sinitialwritingsfollowedtheconventionsoftheperiod.Onlyafterthedeathofherhusband,didHendelfindavoiceofherownandherworkbeginstoexhibitfeministcharacteristics.'DespiteherwiderecognitioninIsrael,nottoomuchofherworkhasbeentranslatedfromtheoriginalHebrewintoEnglish,andsheislittleknownoutsideofhernativeland.Hendel'sbodyofworkdealswiththemesofdeath,dyingandtraumaticloss-ofahomeland,community,familymembersandlovedones-inthebattlefieldsandotherdevastations.Hendel'sheartrendingcharactersstrugglewiththeirtraumasusingvariousescapemechanisms:denial,amnesiaandmentalillness.Thematically,severalofherearlystoriesdealwiththeaftermathofthe1948WarofIndependenceandthesocialconflictsofthatera.YehuditHendelwasborninWarsaw,PolandtoaHasidicfamily,descendentsofRabbiYehezkielofKazmir.?In1925,Hendel'sgrandfathersoldhislargeestateinPolandandalongwithhissonsanddaughtersimmigratedtopre-stateIsraelandsettledinTivon.SoonafterhergrandfatherbecameoneofthefoundersofKfarHasidim,asmallreligiousfarmingcommunitynearHaifa.In1930,Hendel'sfamilyjoinedtheirrelatives,settlinginTivonandlatermovingtotheneighborhoodofNesherontheslopesofMountCarmel.WhenHendelwasayounggirl,hermotherdiedoftyphoidfever.Theeffectsofthisdistressingeventweretoresurfacecontinuallyinherwritings.In"AStorywithNoAddress"fromhercollectionofshortstories
SmallChange,
thedeadmother'sspirithoversoverthedaughter'sfictionandreverberatesinmanyofthedaughter'sprotagonists."Hendel'sfamilynextmovedtoHaifa,wheresheattendedtheprestigiousHa-Realihighschool.Aftergraduating,sheenrolledattheLevinskyCollegeofEducationinTelAviv.ThefollowingsectionoutlinesHendel'scorpusofwritings.Historicalthemesandeventsshapedthedevelopmentofherliteraryoutput.HendelisinfluencedbyherIsraelienvironment;yetsheisalsogreatlyaffectedbytheclosestpeopleinherpersonallife.HerchoiceofcharactersdemonstratesanobviousaffiliationwithmarginalizedgroupsinIsraelisociety.Inherwritings,shebecomestheirvoice.Furthermore,inrareinterviews,Hendelexpresses
self-
2010
[I]
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denialandlowself-esteemwhencomparingherselftoherdomineeringpainter-husband.Consequently,shemusthaveidentifiedwithfictionalcharactersthathadsimilartraits.TheproceedingchronologicaltreatmentofherworksfocusesonthemainthemesHendelemployedtoconsciouslyorsubconsciouslyillustrateherliterarypreference.Intheshortstory
SmallChange(1988;
English2002)thecloserelationshipbetweenthenarrator,theprotagonists,andthereaderexplainsHendel'srarestatementduringalaterradiointerviewshortlyaftershehadbeenawardedtheIsraelPrizefor
Literature."
Sheadmittedreluctantlythatwritinghadbeenanexistentialneed--shecouldnotpassadaywithoutwritingandithasbeentheonlythingthatkeptheralive.Whenevershewouldreachadeeperstageofthewritingprocess,Hendelrelated,shefeltasifthecharactersofthestorywerepracticallylivinginherhome.In1946,HendelbeganpublishingshortstoriesinHebrewdailieslike
"Ha'aretz"
and
"Davar."
Eveninthesemodestefforts,notesDanMiron,thenotableliteraryscholarandcritic,Hendeldistinguishedherselffromhercontemporariesbyherinimitablewritingstyleandchoiceofsubjectmatter.MironsuggeststhatwhereasmanyofhercontemporariesfocusedonthemainstreamofIsraelisociety,Hendelpreferredtoshowlifeontheperiphery.Thisdivergencewouldforeverbeherhallmarkasawriter.Onseveraloccasions,Hendelindicatedthatsheagreeswiththisassessment.Inaninterviewforthedaily"DvarHa'Shavua"inJanuary29,1988,sheadmitted:Iwroteaboutthepeopleonthefringe[ofsociety]andnottheheroesofthewars.Iwasalwaysattractedtothemarginalaspectsoflifeandtothepeoplewholivedonthefringe.IwroteabouttheicemanfromNesher,andIwroteabouttheredheadedparalyzedyoungwoman,askingtobeplacedinaspeckof
sunshine."
In1950,Hendelpublishedherfirst
collectionofshortstories,
AnashimAherimHem
(TheyAreDifferentPeople).Thebookwentoutofprintquickly,butremarkably,fiftyyearslaterin2000,wasrevisedandre-printed.Intheprologueoftheenlargedsecondedition,Hendelrecallsherfrustratingexperiencewiththeeditingofthe1950edition.Withoutconsultingher,theeditorchangedtheendingofoneofthestories,
"Kever-Banim"
("UnmarkedCommunalGrave"),whichdealswithafatherwholoseshissonintheWarofIndependence.Intheoriginalendingthegrievingfathervisitshisson'scommunalgraveonastormyday.Uponleavingthecemetery,henumblytakesoffhiscoatandplacesit,alongwithasmallrock,onthegravetoprotectitfromthetorrentialrain.ThestorywasinspiredbyHendel'saunt,Pesia,wholosthersoninthewarandkeptwatchforhimatherwindowfortwoyearsuntilshediedofabrokenheart.Writtenjustayearafterthewar,thisendingrepresentedaradicalnotionthatrancontrarytothenormwheregrievingfamiliesperceivedwarcasualtiesasheroicacts.InHendel'sopinion,one'slosswasnottobeacceptedwithresignation,withoutprotest.
AnashimAherimHem
(TheyAreDifferentPeople),inwhichHendelalsoexposesthesocialinequalitybetweennewimmigrantsandnative-bornIsraelis,isthetitlestorythatdifferssignificantlyfromotherstoriesinthecollection.Toldfromthepointofviewoftheimmigrants,Hendeldepictstheprejudiceandstereotypicalattitudesheldbythenative-bornIsraelistowardthenewcomers,whomtheyregard
22
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astheirsocialinferiors.Inasimilarfashion,theauthorsideswiththevictimsofwar,thedisabledandthedisplaced,becomingtheirchampion,eventhoughHendelherselfwasamemberofthe
Palmakh
andperformed
militaryrelatedactivities.
In1955,Hendelpublishedherfirstnovel,
RehovHa-Madregot
(translatedas
Street
if
Steps
in1963).Unlike
AnashimAherimHem
(TheyAreDifferentPeople),whichwentoutofprintquicklyandwasessentiallyignoredbythecritics,
RehovHa-Madregot
(StreetofSteps)becameaninstantbest-seller.ItwontheAsherBarashAward,sawseveraleditions,andwasadaptedforthestagein1958.AstoryofloveinmodernIsrael,thenovelportraysdiscriminationandalienationbetweenJewsofdifferentethnicbackgroundsintheearlyyearsoftheState.AgainstthebackdropofthehillsofHaifa,twoyoungpeople,Avram"Ram"Bekhar,aSephardicJew,andErella"Ella"Dagan,fromanAshkenazibackground,fallinlove.Fromtheoutsetitisobviousthattheirromanceisill-fated,largelyduetostrongoppositionfromErella'sfather.Hendel'sartistictalentintertwinesasophisticatednarrativeusingbothdynamicandone-dimensionalcharacters.TheirsocialstatusisechoedandsymbolizedrespectivelyintheascendinganddescendingofthehundredsofstepsleadingfromHaifa'scoasttothetopofMountCarmel.Hendelpublishedhersecondnovel,
Ha-HatzerShelMomoHa-Gadola
(TheCourtyardofMomotheGreat)in1969.Alsoknowninitsrevisededitionas
Ha-HamsinHa-Aharon
(TheLastHamsin,publishedin1993),itwasadaptedin1971asatelevisionscreenplaybytheIsraelifilmdirectorYehudaJudNe'eman.Likeherearlierworks,thispsychologicalnovelissetinBat-Galim,asmallseasideneighborhoodinHaifa,whereMomo
 
rbeGrearrentsomaroomtoShaul,aHolocaustsurvivorinhisthirties.HendeltracessixsmoulderingsummerweeksinwhichShaul'sworldistocrumble.HestartsanaffairwithTamara,anothertenant,whoisdepressedandshattered
by
thelossofherbabygirlandbytwopreviousdivorces.Herthirdhusband,Yoakhim,iseffectivelyunavailableandoblivioustohiswife'saffair.Thetaleisrepletewithobsession,lonelinessandthepsychologicaldisintegrationofthreelostsouls,andendswithYoakhim'ssuicide.MenachemPerry,thebook'seditor,notedthat:"withherfantasticrealism,whichcombinesrestraintwithrestlessness,Hendelwritesaboutpeoplewholivecarelesslyyettrytoholdontolife."?In1985Hendelbeganbroadcastingaradioshowcalled"Be'gufRishon"("InFirstPerson").InitssecondyearitfeaturedHendel'spopularrecollectionsfromatriptoherbirthplaceandtheremainsoftheNaziconcentrationcampsin
Poland.'
Yearslater,in1988Hendelpublishedanothercollectionofshortstories,
KesefKatan
(translatedintoEnglishas
SmallChange
in2002),whichisconsideredoneofherbestworksandissecondonlyto
Street
of
Steps
intheattentionitattractedfrombothcriticsandthegeneralpublic.
B
IntheJewishnewspaper"Forward"(September19,2003),NaomiSokolofnoted:"Theselectionsillustratemanyoftheauthor'strademarkqualities:hersubtlerenderingofinnerworlds,hersensitivitytowomen'sperceptionsandfluctuatingemotionalstates,herattentiontotheminutiaeofpassingmoments."Thetitlestory,"KesefKatan"("SmallChange"),isahorrificpsychologicalaccountofafather-daughterrelationship.Thefatherisabusdriverwhohascompulsivelysquirreledawaysmallchangeaccumulatedfromhisfares.ThedaughtertellsherstorytoanarratorafterherreturnfromaSwissjail,whereshehadbeenincarceratedforillegallyexchangingherfather'scoins.Therecurrentsymbolofthefathercompulsivelycollectingandstackinghissmallchangesignifiesthetrivialthingsinlife:actionshumansdocompulsivelywithoutanykindofdeliberation.Thenarratorspendsaconsiderabletimeobservingandwatchingthepairthroughherapartmentwindow.Theimmediateimpressionisthattheprotagonistslivealongsidethenarrator.AnothertypicalHendelstoryin
Kesef
Katan
is"TheLetterthatCameinLate."Anewwidow,despitekeepingupnormalappearancesafterherhusband'sfuneral,commitssuicide.Sheleavesbehindameticuloushome,labeledbelongingsandafarewellletterthatmustreachherfamilyataparticulartime.ThefuzzylinebetweenlifeanddeathisafamiliarterritoryforHendel.Inthelastparagraphof"SmallChange,"thenarratorsays:"IwouldsaytomyselfthensomethingIlearnedalongtimeago,thatjustaslifecarriesinitdeathsodeathcarriesinitlife.""MyFriendB'sFeast"followsasimilartheme.Inthistale,awomandyingofcancerinvitesherfriendsandrelativestoafinalsupper.Asthepartyproceeds,itbecomesapparentthatthehusbandhasalreadyreplacedhiswifewithanewlover.In"Low,ClosetotheFloor,"adyingmancannotdecidewithwhichofhistwodeceasedwivesheshouldbeburied.Inthesemacabrescenes,
SmallChange
offersaglimpseintothebroadshowcaseofcontemporaryIsraeliwomen'swritingandpositionsHendelasthechiefrepresentativeofEcritureFeminineinmodernHebrewliterature."Anothernovella,
HarHa-To'im
(TheMountainofLosses),cameoutin1991.OnceagainHendelwritesaboutbereavementanddemiseasaresultofthechaosofwar.ShedescribesagroupofgrievingparentsandwidowsvisitingthegravesoftheirlovedonessixteenyearsaftertheYomKippurwar.In1996anothercollectionofshort-stories,
AruhatBokerTemimah
(AnInnocentBreakfast),appeared.Inthiscompilationtheauthorfinallyassertsherfeministvoice:allthestoriesdealwithwomenhauntedbyrevelationsandmemoriesfromtheirpast.Hendel'snextnovel,
Teruf«She!RcfeHa-Nifesh
(CrackUp),appearedin2002.
It
isanothercomplicatedpsychologicalworkinwhichapsychiatristslowlyloseshismind.Hendel'slatestbook
Hamakomharek
(TheEmptySpace),ashortstoriescollection,waspublishedin2007.AgainthecommonthreadthatrunsthroughthestoriesistheconstantpreoccupationwithtragiccharactersandwithHendel'sfamiliarthemethatthedeathofrelativesandfriendsismerelyphysical;theycontinuetoinhabitthethoughtsofthepeopletheyleftbehind.Intheensuingdiscussion,itwillbecomequiteapparentthatHendel'schoiceofsubjectmatterandcharactersreflectstheambianceofherpersonallife.Assheherselfhasdocumentedinherbiographicalnovella
Ha-Koah
Ha-
Aher
(TheOtherPower),shehadtocopewithaneccentricartist-husband,whowasextremelydemandingofhertimeandmostprobablycausedthefluctuationsinhercreativeflow.'?
THEPHENOMENONOFCREATIVECOUPLES
TheRomanticmovementofthelate18thand19thcenturieswillalwaysberememberedasahotbedforcreativecouples.Musicandpoetryseemedtoigniteamorousrelationshipsbetweentheircreators.FredericChopinandGeorgeSand(AuroreDudevant)metin1837andcarriedoutatumultuousloveaffairforalmostadecade.However,inthatperiodtheyboth
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