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T he American "Who's Who" of the 1940s devoted a few lines to Wasson, concluding
with the information that he served in Jerusalem from April 1948 to May 23, 1948, was
killed by a sniper's bullet and was buried in a crypt of the Cathedral in Washington.
Independence's Children
E ncounters with boys and girls born on the day of the establishment of
the state, reflecting the "days of innocence" of the State of Israel at 10
years – the same age as the children.
"On the day the state was born – we were born too"
Gurit Axelrad
W ho are Independence's children? What is characteristic of them and
shared by them? How have they spent the first ten years of their lives?
What they share is that they were born on the same day that the state
was declared; what characterizes them is that they are a cross-section of
Israel's children, of all stripes and lifestyles. They have symbolic names:
Yisrael (Israel); Amikam (My nation has arisen), and so on.
A dmittedly, it is altogether accidental that these children were born
specifically on the birthday of the state. However, by virtue of that
accident, we present ten of them here.
A mikam started a club
A month before the proclamation of the state, 16-year old Avner got up, hung his violin on
the wall, and told his mother, "This isn't the time to be holding a violin; right now, we have
to hold guns." He left his parents' home and joined the Palmach. Avner Grozminsky never
went back to playing his violin; he fell in the battle for Kfar Kana in the Galilee.
A month later, Avner's bereaved parents were blessed with a son, born at the hospital
in Ramat Gan. Their joy was tinged with sorrow. "Let's call the boy Avner," suggested his
father, "Perhaps he'll bring consolation."
226 The Friday That Changed Destiny
with the information that he served in Jerusalem from April 1948 to May 23, 1948, was
killed by a sniper's bullet and was buried in a crypt of the Cathedral in Washington.
Independence's Children
E ncounters with boys and girls born on the day of the establishment of
the state, reflecting the "days of innocence" of the State of Israel at 10
years – the same age as the children.
"On the day the state was born – we were born too"
Gurit Axelrad
W ho are Independence's children? What is characteristic of them and
shared by them? How have they spent the first ten years of their lives?
What they share is that they were born on the same day that the state
was declared; what characterizes them is that they are a cross-section of
Israel's children, of all stripes and lifestyles. They have symbolic names:
Yisrael (Israel); Amikam (My nation has arisen), and so on.
A dmittedly, it is altogether accidental that these children were born
specifically on the birthday of the state. However, by virtue of that
accident, we present ten of them here.
A mikam started a club
A month before the proclamation of the state, 16-year old Avner got up, hung his violin on
the wall, and told his mother, "This isn't the time to be holding a violin; right now, we have
to hold guns." He left his parents' home and joined the Palmach. Avner Grozminsky never
went back to playing his violin; he fell in the battle for Kfar Kana in the Galilee.
A month later, Avner's bereaved parents were blessed with a son, born at the hospital
in Ramat Gan. Their joy was tinged with sorrow. "Let's call the boy Avner," suggested his
father, "Perhaps he'll bring consolation."
226 The Friday That Changed Destiny
