The Romanian Cultural Institute in Tel Aviv continued its series “Feminine voices in Israeli literature” with the presentation of the book “My life as a Nomad. Where is Home?” by Mary Smith (pseudonym for Romanian born Israeli author Brigitte Battat, born in Bucharest).
The event, moderated by Cleopatra Lorințiu, deputy director of RCI Tel Aviv, took place Tuesday, 12.04.2022, at 18:00, in English, at RCI Tel Aviv (8 Shaul Hamelech, 6th floor) and can be watched on the Youtube channel of the institute -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrV8OAoQyKqOA7d1dGrFesQ
With: Adina Rosenkranz-Herșcovici, writer; Debbie Battat and Jacob Battat, commentators; Brigitte Battat (Mary Smith), author.
About the book: Dictatorship. War. Communism. Democracy. Freedom. Some countries have seen several of these even within a few decades. When the world and its ideologies change at such a rapid pace, how do we create stability? Where is home, and where are our roots when the world is a global village, and its people so interconnected?
In this book, our heroine, Mary Smith, takes us through her life journey across five countries on three continents, where she integrates with the natives despite different political ideologies, cultures, languages, and histories. She discovers that freedom is not always genuine, and what seems to be a cruel dictatorship is not always confining, when one lives in the proximity of family and community. This book starts with Mary’s life in Bucharest, Romania. The war ended not long ago, and people lack basic provisions. Nevertheless, Mary’s book describes a childhood of friendships, family, and a life rich in culture. Her narrative of her Romanian chapter is replete with historical accounts of her native country.
Mary then takes us to lands with alien languages, cultures, and traditions, where she attempts to find vestiges of home. From her book, we learn that no matter where you are, no matter what the political ideology, you can make that place yours. It is through integration and immersion in the local language and native traditions that the new place becomes a home. Although an arduous journey, akin to climbing the Himalayas, creating one’s place in the world – no matter where and what the situation – is a lifelong adventure, and deeply worth the effort.
