Saturday, November 12, 2011

An eyewitness to Rebirth's story!

Zipporah ("Zippy") Porath  was a girl with a mission when it came to the struggle for Israeli statehood in 1948.

She arrived in British Mandatory Palestine in Oct. 1947, as an American student, for what was intended to be a year of study at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. But, caught up in the Jewish national fight for survival, she joined the underground defense forces and served as a medic in the siege of Jerusalem.

Zippy was present on November 29th, 1947 when the United Nations announced its approval of the Partition of Palestine (Resolution 181) into a Jewish State and an Arab State. The Jews accepted, but the Arab response was outright rejection and immediate invasion by the armed forces of six neighboring Arab countries, with intent to "kill all Jews" in Palestine. Today, Israel is still facing the same diabolical threat, which begs the question: How can a tiny nation survive such incessant massive hate and harassment?

The answer can be found in Rebirth and in Zippy's books.

Her book of  "Letters from Jerusalem 1947-1948", comprising the letters she wrote to her family in New York, captures the volatile events that shaped Middle East history, as they were happening, in a blow-by-blow account. (Copies of the book can be ordered from jporath@mac.com or from www.amazon.com ) 

She also recently wrote a booklet about an American hero in Israel’s War of Independence mentioned in Rebirth, “Col. David (Mickey) Marcus, A soldier for all humanity."  A well-kept secret about the West Point General killed in 1948 in the struggle for Israel’s survival and independence.

The booklet is based on interviews - never before published - conducted with those who recruited Marcus, with GHQ staff officers and soldiers who served with him, and with others whose lives he touched.  It adds a proud, vivid and authentic voice to the history of that pivotal period. Published by American Veterans of Israel Legacy Corp. in co-operation with the American Jewish Historical Society. (Copies can be ordered from  zip@netvision.net.il or jporath@mac.com

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