Hebrew-Arabic Translational Communities and the Recuperation of Arab-Jewish Literary Memory
Michal Raizen — Dibur Literary Journal, 2020
This academic article by Michal Raizen examines contemporary Hebrew-to-Arabic literary translation as a way of recovering and rethinking Arab-Jewish literary memory.
The article explores the work of translators such as Mohammed Abud and Nael Eltoukhy, and discusses how the translation of Hebrew literature into Arabic can challenge the traditional division between “Arab” and “Jewish” identities. It focuses particularly on the translation of Almog Behar’s writing and on the ways translators engage with the Arabic language, Arab-Jewish history and memories that were disrupted in the twentieth century.
The article also examines Berlin as a new space for literary exchange among Arab, Jewish and other communities living in exile. Mati Shemoelof is discussed as an active figure in this emerging cultural landscape, particularly through his multilingual poetry events and his work with the “Jews and Arabs Writing in Berlin” initiative.
Raizen describes Shemoelof’s activities as part of a broader attempt to create new literary and cultural connections between Arab-Jewish writers and Arab writers in Berlin.
Publication: Dibur Literary Journal, Translational Transactions, 2020
Author: Michal Raizen