A Son of Two Cities
Amnon Shamosh
1972
No sooner had he laid his head on the pillow that he was fast asleep. His insomnia of the night before, his great fatigue on the sailing date, and the ship’s swaying in the waves—all combined to immerse him in a deep sleep.
Well-groomed and nicely dressed, he hastened through the city streets, heading towards Jerusalem’s Old City. [ . . . ]
He…
Related Guide
The Early State of Israel and Jewish Culture
Early Israeli statehood balanced collectivist Zionist ideals with growing individualism and saw the emergence of a vibrant but conflicted national culture.
Related Guide
Art and Literature in the Postwar Period
Israeli art and literature reflected the emergence of a distinctive indigenous culture and moved from collectivist Zionist narratives toward individualism.
Related Guide
The Aftermath of the Holocaust in Israeli Culture
Israelis struggled to integrate Holocaust memory into national identity, as survivor literature challenged a preference for heroic resistance narratives.
Creator Bio
Amnon Shamosh
Born in Aleppo, Amnon Shamosh immigrated to Palestine when he was a child. As a young man, he fought in the War of Independence as a member of the Palmach and afterward was a founder of Kibbutz Ma‘ayan Barukh, where he still resides. After teaching for many years, at the age of forty Shamosh began writing poetry and prose.