“Letters from Jerusalem 1947-1948”

By: Zipporah Porath

Published by Jonathan Publications

Paperback - 233 pages

ISBN 965-90808-0-8

Printed by Old City Press, Jerusalem, Israel

Growing up in New York, where she trained to be a journalist, Zipporah Borowsky (now Porath) dreamed of becoming a foreign correspondent. When, in 1947, she won a scholarship for what was supposed to be a year of study at the Hebrew University, then in British Mandatory Palestine, it was the first time she had traveled abroad.

But, Zipporah took the plunge into the unknown, and saw it as an opportunity for an adventure. From the moment she boarded the ship for the 17-day journey to the Holy Land, she began writing letters home, in which she shared her new experiences with her family.

On arrival in Palestine, she described vividly her encounters as an outsider plunged into a strange new world, facing a completely different set of circumstances, mentality, climate, culture and customs than she was familiar with.

She had not been in the country very long when the tension between the British, the Jews and the Arabs reached boiling point, and studying at the Hebrew University in beleaguered Jerusalem became impossible.

Knowing that both the British and Arab censors would be reading her letters, she had to be careful in describing daily life as she saw it. When there was an opportunity to smuggle out letters through a friend returning to the States, she was able to disclose more about her cloak-and-dagger induction into the underground Haganah defense forces and her work as a nurse in besieged Jerusalem.

Gradually the reader notices how her new life has changed her – from the indulged American girl who referred to the Jews in Palestine as ‘them’, but after treating wounded in the Ben Yehuda Street bombing, spoke of them as ‘we’ and ‘us’.

Zipporah was fortunate to become an eyewitness to the birth of Israel. Her description of the events of November 29, 1947, that followed the UN vote to approve the Partition Plan of Palestine, paving the way for a Jewish State, makes you feel as if you were right there with her on that historic occasion.

Her writing skills are very good, which nowadays you don’t often find in people’s letters. She hardly repeats herself, and describes events by using all the senses.

Zipporah, or Zippy as she signs her letters, pours out her heart on paper to her parents and sister in New York, who are very worried about her being caught up in the War of Independence. Though she could have returned to the safe shores of America, Zippy chooses to stay on – she felt it was her good fortune as a Zionist to be on the spot and able join in the struggle for securing the Jewish Homeland.

After the war, Zippy returned to New York to wrap up her life in order to settle in Israel, and it was there that she met her husband-to-be, Lt. Col. Joseph Porath. Zippy and her husband returned to Israel, raised a family and lived through Israel’s many wars.

When her father, who was a renowned Hebrew educator, died, she was asked to go through his lifetime collection of papers and correspondence. Her family never threw away anything, and to her surprise, she found a frayed folder containing all the letters she had written to the family during 1947-1948.

Reading them again, 40 years later, the memories came flooding back and she suddenly realized she was holding in her hands a unique historic personal account. It was an important legacy for her children and grandchildren, and others who had now idea of what it had been like to live in the nascent State of Israel at that time.

Zippy’s book of letters, which were first published in 1987, is now in its 5^th edition and has had a life of its own. “Letters from Jerusalem 1947-1948” is a book unlike others of its genre. Diary-type books are often badly written, but Zippy’s writing background shows up in the way she uses her skillful pen (or the Royal Portable typewriter she took with her wherever she went) to paint with words. Not only do we learn a piece of history from a small corner of the world, but we are unwittingly drawn into it.

“These letters remain as moving and vivid as if written last week,” one book review said.

“Chunks of genuine history, dipped into the deep freezer 40 years ago and now defrosted for the reader of today, in all their original freshness”, described another review of the book.

The 1948 letter was published in an Anthology, “Letters of the Century”, together with letters from famous personalities, such as Albert Einstein, Mark Twain and President J.F.Kennedy, among others.

Now in her eighties, Zippy continues to be active as an editor and writer - she just finished writing a brochure about the American Col. David (Mickey) Marcus, who was a key military adviser to the pre-state defense forces.

She also continues to bring history alive through her lectures and is making every effort to tell the world about the contribution of MACHAL – the overseas volunteers who, like Mickey Marcus came with their military expertise to help the struggling Jewish State and succeeded in turning the tide of the war and in laying the foundation for the present day Israel Defense Forces.

This book is a worthwhile read even from a non-Zionist viewpoint because of the humorous ways in which Zippy often describes her personal experiences, first as a newcomer, then as she becomes an integral part of the people. Warmly recommended!

This book review was edited by non other than…. Zippy herself! J