AUREET'S LETTERS — Israel 1971-73
August 16, 1971
Hi Dad!
How are you? I'm fine. I'm having a lot of fun in Maagan Michael. The kids are very nice and so is the whole kibbutz. Try not to work too much and don't get over tired. And EAT! I hope when you get back you'll look like you had a vacation and not like you're going to have a nervous breakdown. It was great seeing Ma and we're getting along fantastic. Give my regards to America and give yourself a kiss. I misssss---you a lot!
P.S. enclosed is a poem which I thought of before going to sleep and the next day wrote it down. I think it's good, and Ma has fallen in love with it. So I'm sending it.
On Kibbutz Maagan Michael 1973
August 1972
Ma, thanks for the advice and you're right of course. I knew it but thanks for writing it down. It helped solidify things in the mess inside my mind, all my thoughts and ideas are going round and round twisting around and getting into a complete mess. As soon as my mind settles down and I know where I'm going I'll be all right and everything will straighten out…
I didn't know I could miss you so much even taking my depressions out on you. Now I have to hold it all inside which is very difficult. I haven't realized until now what a good and smart mother I have. It's too bad we argue but that's part of the relationship. Inside I've always known how good you are and I'm glad its come out and hit me in the face. Dad, I miss you very much. I wish you could visit me. I need your common sense and train of thought to steady me in the mix-up of a maturing adolescent (at least I know where I stand). I'll try to remember all your advice to help straighten out the hullabaloo in my head. Sageet, I was so happy to hear from you, I'm glad you like your room. I hope you like school and have lots of friends. Write me a long long letter about them and everything that happens to you. I miss you very much. Thanks for leaving the letter and picture in my suitcase. It lifted my heart. Yaneer, I'm happy you enjoyed the trip, too bad I missed it. Don't start with too many girls and be a good kid; don't get messed up you hear? I want you to write your problems and I'll try to help you and give you advice. In any case, I'd like to know what happens to you this year. You are beginning to mature and become an adolescent and it's tough so I'd like to help or at least know about your problems.
October, 1972
Hi everybody!
…I am trying to help a lot of people, B and A, N, M, and more. A is my main one; she is very closed within herself and has a complete apathy toward the world. I am so full of life, I want to give her some. I feel that she wants to come out of her shell and I want to help her… It's very interesting and I enjoy helping people, though my head is bursting with confidences…
November, 1972
Hi Sageet,
…Do you remember Ofir from my nursery? Well, now all the kids are bigger and they all walk. Ofir talks a lot and can say what he wants. Well, yesterday Ofir asked me for an apple. I gave him one. A few minutes later, I see him waddling as fast as he can go around the house and a few paces behind comes Shahar, his tongue sticking out down to his chin and he is making noise like a train whistle while trying to get Ofir's apple. I just laughed and laughed. Suddenly, Ofir was in a corner; Shahar collided into him and they went down in a heap. The apple rolled under the wooden fence to the other half of the room. Shahar tried to squeeze under the fence after they managed to find their own feet and hands, and Ofir stood up and looked at me bewildered completely and almost crying. So, I called him to me and then led him to the other side of the room (all around) to the apple. Shahar began to screech. I explained to him that it was Ofir's apple. Two minutes later, they started again with Ofir waddling at top speed and Shahar tooting his train whistle. Boom! Ofir bumped into the fridge. Trach! Shahar collided into him. Shahar being closer to it, grabbed the apple and sat up eating it. In the meantime, Asael had crawled on top of Ofir pinning Ofir very efficiently, like a wrestler, to the floor. All three were looking at me to see what I would do. I laughed. But Ofir didn't think it was funny and started crying. So I picked them all up and gave them apples and they all smiled their two teeth smile and waddled along, munching their apples and giving sidelong glances to the other guys' apples. Boy, are they cute pigs!
Hi Yaneer!
Please write to me more. I miss you very much and I love your letters. Besides, I should think you could write to your own sister without your Ma nagging you, and I expect to hear a lot more from You!!! What did you get on your report card?…
Let me know more about the Vietnam issue. I don't read newspapers here and I don't know anything, but I am glad at last there is Peace. Maybe, after all, man will learn to live together. Send me poetry! I will finish my story and send it to you next time. Hey kid, you have to be this far away and all alone to know how much you love your brother. (corny?!). If you don't write, I'll Hijack the next El Al plane and come and beat your head in!!!! Understood?!!!
Yaneer, tell me more about your ideas and thoughts. I want you to know that your best and most reliable confidant is BIG SISTER here. OK? What's with girls? By the way, you can always write a separate private letter. Just, please, write.
Lots of Love, Aureet.
1973
Hi Sageet!
…Now I'll tell you about Ofir (you remember him) well he's big now and walks all the time and hardly falls anymore and he talks and he understands and he is smart. He runs across the room looks up at me, raises his little hand and says "Nana" which means Banana. Quickly I peel one give him half. Two minutes later he comes for another one. By the time I get a stomach ache from eating halves he is still going strong. So I say "no" "no nana" so he looks at me and then waddles away. Five minutes later he walks up again and says "Nana?" with a big question mark and pleading eyes. Half an hour later I am at the end of my nerves!! But actually he is smart. He goes to the outer door and points at it and says "daddy daddy daddy" and I say "no, to sleep".
