1.
Natalia, upon translating this piece from "Sodot" (A Minyan of Lovers) wrote to say she like the name Ronen.
Well, this name has a history,
My son, then fourteen years old, came home on a rainy cold night from visiting his friend at a hospital. Next to the friend's bed was a very sick young boy, named Ronen. My son asked me to name the child in the story after this poor boy.
"So that something will remain of him."

2.
Andi, upon translating the same excerpt, has asked what "Minyan" means.
Let me share my answer with all of you:

"Minyan", literary, means counting, yet it's a concept.

In the Jewish orthodox tradition you may hold a group prayer only if you've assembled no less than ten men - not women, mind you - only men. This is called - a minyan. So here in the book it's a woman gathering/counting and recounting ten male lovers and beloved.
Love is, also, a kind (of) prayer, isn't it?

3.
Just to prove it, and as I was praying for a multi-lingual translation of TimeIn Tel-Aviv... Along came Helen and translated a few pages into German; Natalia liked the idea and offered to translate into Polish; Mehdi, alerted by Natalia, volunteered to do so with Farsi and has just brought along a new and most welcomed and thanked for friend: Arman!

I read Andi's blog and loved the spirit, then S.ra Meller Padovani, volunteered a few pieces in Italian, and much much earlier Victor translated into Russian a long interview from the Hebrew, got a new and most overwhelming job - so Vladi joined forces...

But, oh, there are still so many beautiful languages and so much room for tenfold mynianim, men and women and no separatism!

Sabbath Shalom, a peaceful and most fruitfully creative weekend.
Eat lots of fruits!

 

Comments: Post a Comment