Eli Lives in Israel
| Author | Leah Goldberg |
|---|---|
| Original title | Eli bor i Israel |
| Illustrator | Anna Riwkin-Brick |
| Language | Swedish |
| Series | Children's Everywhere |
| Publisher | Rabén & Sjögren |
Publication date | 1964 |
| Preceded by | Dirk Lives in Holland |
| Followed by | Randi Lives in Norway |
Eli Lives in Israel (original title: Eli bor i Israel) is a book by Israeli writer Leah Goldberg, with photos by Swedish photographer Anna Riwkin-Brick. In 1964 the book was published by Rabén & Sjögren.
Plot
[edit]Kibbutz Revivim is located in the heart of the desert of Israel. Although the kibbutz is new in the ancient land of Israel, the children are neither new nor ancient — they are simply children. The story follows three children: Eli (originally Eyal), Shaul, and Anat.
Eli , Shaul, and Anat enjoy playing on an ancient wall outside the kibbutz and searching for antiquities buried in the ground. Other children from the kibbutz also like climbing and walking across the roof of the old ruin. One day, Eli feels hurt when Shaul and Anat explore a cave without inviting him. However, his father, an archaeologist, takes him on a tractor ride through the desert.
Eli invites Anat and Shaul to join him, and together they travel across the desert. Along the way, they meet a Bedouin friend of Eli's father, a shepherd who tends sheep and camels. The children ride a camel, cuddle the sheep, and encounter a white donkey. Eli's father explains to them that not all of the Land of Israel is desert: in Ein Gedi, there are flowing streams, in the Galilee, there are blooming flowers, and in the ancient city of Nazareth, people live. He also describes Jerusalem, the capital city, with its ancient walls and round-roofed buildings.
The children eventually arrive at an ancient city (identified as Avdat, although not mentioned by name in the book), where Eli's father works as an archaeologist. The children dig for treasures among the city's marble columns until Eli grows tired and falls asleep.
On the way back to the kibbutz, Eli's father buy a white donkey for the kibbutz’s petting zoo. The story ends with a reminder of King Saul, who went in search of lost donkeys and found a kingdom, whereas the children went looking for a kingdom and found a donkey — and are very happy with their discovery.
Overview
[edit]In April 1962, Leah Goldberg, photographer Anna Riwkin-Brick, and her assistant Stella Moore traveled to Kibbutz Revivim in the Negev Desert. During their visit, they toured the kibbutz as well as the ancient sites of Shivta and Avdat. Riwkin-Brick took hundreds of photographs for the book, while Leah Goldberg wrote the accompanying text.[1]
Eli Lives in Israel was first published in 1964. It was released as Eli bor i Israel by the Swedish publisher Rabén & Sjögren. It is the ninth of a total of 19 children's books from the Children's Everywhere series.
The book has been translated into other languages, such as German, English. In Israel, the series Children's Everywhere was a great success. Eli Lives in Israel was published under the name "Advanture in the desert" and Goldberg wrote the story.
In her movie "Where Is Elle Kari and What Happened to Noriko-san?", director Dvorit Shargal meets the 3 children. The children featured in the story are Shaul Rahabi (the grandson of Golda Meir), Eyal Ben-Levi, and Anat Duvdevani.
Editions
[edit]- Eli bor i Israel, Rabén & Sjögren, 1964, Swedish edition[2]
- Eli Lives in Israel, Methuen, 1965, British edition
- Eli Lives in Israel, The Macmillan Company, 1966, US-American edition
- Eli aus Israel, Oetinger Verlag, 1966, German edition
- הרפתקה במדבר Hapoalim, 1966, Hebrew edition
References
[edit]- ^ נאור, עמית (2020-10-26). "מהונולולו ועד לפלנד: מסע מסביב לעולם עם צלמת אחת מופלאה". הספרנים (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2025-04-28.
- ^ "Israel. Ur serien Eli bor i Israel". sis.modernamuseet.se. Retrieved 2025-04-28.