Lisa asks Anne, "What is Zionism?"

anne is a holocaust survivor. she was also was once a little girl on a ship that symbolizes for so many the struggle for unrestricted jewish immigration into palestine. i had the opportunity to hear her story, which includes being aboard the exodus in 1947, when she sat across from me on the patio of the organic cafe in the scorching heat of july in tel aviv wearing heals, tight black pants and a long sleeve black shirt.

within a few seconds of anne sitting down a cappuccino was placed in front of her and a lit cigarette was in her hand. her confidence and contradictory character in this overtly health seeking place was refreshing to me and we began to chat.

anne is one of the estimated 250,000 holocaust survivors currently living in israel (250,000 by the way is about half the number of survivors who arrived in the country since 1947). her exodus experience with her mother and father shaped her life as she tells it now as a woman who never married, never wanted children and simply wanted to tell me about her life now as a retired nurse in tel aviv.

anne responded to my usual question i ask most folks here, which is, "what is zionism?" by telling me to go to jerusalem and look it up myself. at another time she asked me, "why can't you tell me? you are here in israel, don't you already know what zionism is?"

the conversation between us lasted about an hour but it was one of the most remarkable moments at a cafe i have ever had in tel aviv.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• zionism
• holocaust
• survivor
• israel
• exodus

[xgotfiveonitx]

the reality of zionism speaks for itself. its racist, fascist, aparthied which resulted in seperate roads, bridges, a seperation wall, military occupation, and rights for one but not all. thats zionism. how is it any different from nazism? i mean what can be more racist by demanding that jews should leave their countries, their homelands to somewhere else? for every zionist jew, i suggest you go read the three oaths since you are claiming a state in the name of your religion.