Lecture: Children in Israel’s Arabic-language schools read the same books as the Hebrew-speakers. That is, they are given books written by Jewish Israeli writers that are translated into Arabic. And for their translators, that raises all sorts of questions. For example, “Where’s Pluto?” is about a dog who lives on Kibbutz Megiddo. That may sound innocuous, but to the Arabic-speakers, kibbutz is a world away, and a symbol of the Zionism. For some, a kibbutz is on land taken from their grandparents in 1948. So how do you translate a Hebrew book into Arabic and make it not only relatable to them, but a story that is neutral when it comes to location and the very names of the children in these books?
Dr. Looay Wattad, who researches international children’s literature in Munich and EUME, Forum for Transregional Studies, gave a talk on the subject in the Pluralistic Spiritual Center at the end of December. By focusing on three popular children’s books, he exposed the way that even simple stories about a dog can exclude children, and the dilemmas that translators face in reframing the story in a new language. As food for thought, he also discussed the ways that the Ministry of Education interferes in the choices of children’s literature and how it is translated.
Films: The tradition of screening special films has returned to the PSCC. In January, the film was “Eid.” The protagonist is a construction worker from Rahat who dreams of opening a theater. The full hall – WASNS members and guests – met with the film’s director, Yousef Abu Madiam, afterward, and a lively discussion on Bedouin culture and the situation of the Bedouin in the Negev ensued.
“Lyd,” the film screened in February, focused on the city Lyd (Lod in Hebrew), a 5000-year-old city that was thriving Palestinian center until 1948. Using rare archival footage, the film imagines an alternative reality for the city – one in which Palestinians were not expelled and Muslims, Jews and Christians lived there in peace. Director Rami Younis was on hand for a discussion on the history of Lyd/Lod and what a peaceful mixed city might look like.
