Celia Gurevitch Jewish Community Library

Now that the Olympics are over in Beijing I feel more comfortable recommending two Olympics related items. In general Jews did rather well on Olympics both before and after the state of Israel was established. Unfortunately the items we have do not celebrate these accomplishments, but commemorate two stark Olympics. First we have a picture book on the Nazi Olympics, Berlin 1936, by Susan D. Bachrach. It was published by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. We learn from 130 pages and through hundreds of pictures not just how the event looked, but also what went on in the words of politics. It is a serious history book, which details the various constituencies who organized and made the event possible, despite numerous calls for boycott. It also shows how the Nazis used the games fro their own political purpose.

We also have a VHS tape documenting the “1972 Olympics Slaughter at Munich.” It is a recording from 1992 and not the 2005 film by Steven Spielberg. It covers how the Black September group killed 11 Israeli athletes during the games in Munich and then what happened to the terrorists themselves. While we are in the process of getting a DVD copy of the feature film I recommend to check the story’s documentary description.

Besides reading for the Camp Chai campers about Israel I also looked through our video collection on the same topic. Here are some of the VHS tapes we have:

Shalom Sesame Show 2: Tel Aviv

This 30 minute episode of Sesame Street–the popular, educational children television show–introduces Tel-Aviv. “Grab onto your nearest Sesame Street friend and join Itzhak Perlman for a tour of his hometown - Israel’s busiest city, Tel Aviv. Spend a day in the bustling Carmel Market, the ancient port of Jaffa, and the lively Tel Aviv beach.” This was shown Friday Camp Chaiers.

Getting Jerusalem together: Your historical guide to Jerusalem throughout the ages

From the cover: “The sites and events that have shaped modern history. An inspiring 30 minute video program for the entire family. A full color sound video program on the history and development of Jerusalem. A professionally photographed and narrated film that will heighten your understanding and deepen your appreciation of this historic city. You are actually reliving a dramatic and unforgettable reconstruction of 3,000 years of history.” Having watched the tape I have to agree, that it is rather professionally prepared. The models, drawing and other representations of the past of the city were well combined with contemporary footage. Together they did enhance my understanding of what the city meant in the past and how it developed its current architecture and characteristics.

Israel sings: Sing with us throughout the land of Israel

This amazing tape includes 58 of the most popular Israeli (and religious Jewish) songs. About half of the songs are shot in concert or indoor settings. But the rest are indeed, as the subtitle suggests, are showing various scenes from Israeli life, people walking on the street, eating in cafes and enjoying themselves everywhere. Thus the tape should be mentioned in this list about Israel, even if the primary focus is the songs. The lyrics of the songs are showing their original Hebrew, so you could sing along or learn them. In case your Hebrew is not fast enough to follow the text, you can also read the transliterated (phonetic) lyrics. The tape comes with booklet containing both versions of the lyrics and a few lines about each of them in English as well.

Israel: A nation is born

This 5 hour chronicle of the birth and development of the Jewish state is hosted and narrated by former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Abba Eban who also hosted the series’ predecessor, “Heritage: Civilization and the Jews”. Eban, who played a pivotal role in realizing the dream of a Jewish state, points out that “the series is designed to provide an essential context to an inspiring human story.” Among those featured in interviews and rare archival footage are U.S. Presidents Harry Truman and Richard Nixon, world leaders Winston Churchill, David Ben Gurion, Golda Meir, Menachim Begin, Anwar Sadat, Yithak Rabin, and Boutros Boutros Ghali. Together with Eban’s first hand testimony this series achieves a diverse perspective of both the Arab and Israeli experience. According to Eban “Israel: A Nation is Born” is a “depiction of the turbulent and dramatic history of Israel, through the conflicts and tensions of five decades, climaxing in the brighter prospects of Arab/Israeli peace.”