To Remember Is to Forget: Israel's 1948 War

Abstract

Commemoration of fallen soldiers is, as one might expect, a salient feature in the life of the beleaguered State of Israel. While it follows the modern cult of young heroes,' the Israeli case has its own characteristics, the most prominent of which is the 'literature of commemoration' (Hebrew, sifrut ha-hantzaha). The term refers to the books and booklets, for the most part privately published and distributed by the families and/or friends of the dead soldiers. This form of spontaneous commemoration that is, that produced by cells of civil society rather than by the stateis even more popular than monuments; approximately one dead soldier in three figures in a 'book of commemoration'. The booklets still occupy pride of place in the library of many an Israeli home. It is often through them that the children born after a war (or too young when it takes place) are exposed to its experience. Moreover, this folk literature constitutes a unique attempt to catch and preserve the individuality of the fallen, going beyond the mere mention of their name (and circumstances of death). Each soldier or group of soldiers (members of the same kibbutz or moshav, graduates of the same high school, members of the same platoon, etc.), have many pages consecrated to them; the biography of each and every one is composed by family, friends, teachers or comrades-in-arms, often illustrated with photos; parts of diaries or letters are published; other creative mementoes, such as drawings, add their own singular touch. These books, or more frequently, booklets, appeared in large numbers in Israel during the years immediately following the 1948 War of Independence (more than five hundred booklets in all). This