Shoshana Vegh Israël
Shosh Vegh, who is a writer, poet and owner of a private publishing house called "Poetic", holds poetry meetings and literary discourse in Netanya in Independence Square, the Municipal Gallery, the Tel Hai pedestrian mall at the Mazal Koti Gallery and more. During the Corona period she finds herself quite disabled from this activity but she does not leave poetry.
"During the Corona period I wrote songs in both Hebrew and English. I discovered groups of writers from around the world on Facebook, formed friendships between artists from different countries and participated in international competitions. I encouraged Israeli poets in Israel and abroad to write poetry and thus we received recognition. In these groups there is an internal mechanism for management, they hold discussions as well as zoom meetings and poetry competitions in foreign languages, in groups daily writing competitions, weekly, and even monthly. Celebrate certain songs and even hand out certificates. I knew poets from around the world and translated the poets' poems into Hebrew, sometimes the references came on their own initiative. They are very excited to see their song in the Hebrew language. Each translation into another language creates exposure for them and therefore they are encouraged and interested in translations. For some, the Hebrew language is a sacred language and this gives them a sense of accomplishment. The "Voice of the Crowd" site run by Dr. Nikola Auerbach collaborates with me in publishing contemporary world poetry."
And so she met poets from Mexico, Morocco, France, Italy, India, USA, Uruguay and Turkey, from Pakistan, Bangladesh, from countries with which we have diplomatic ties and also from countries with no diplomatic ties. "To brotherhood, to humanity. We are not talking about politics just waiting to meet at a post-Corona poetry festival. There is openness and a desire on the part of people from all over the world, no matter where they come from to talk and talk to each other."
And she refers to very unique Moroccan poets, Dr. Aziz Mountassir from Morocco and also Dr. Jeannette Eureka Tiburcio from Mexico, who runs an international forum of poets for humanitarianism and creativity and awards certificates of honor, mainly from universities in Mexico. "The goal is humane. Alongside these poets I met poets from Italy during the first wave, from Turkey from Poland, from Denmark. Poetry is what connects us. Just love the word no matter what language it is.
And when I think of the meetings we have online, I imagine we skip all the bureaucracy. "The mediation of the foreign relations offices. We intend to produce real meetings, we do not need anyone. The connection is created directly and we cross borders to create a new atmosphere of unity and solidarity without the need to ask permission from the authorities."
How were you received as an Israeli?
"In these forums there is something particularly beautiful, there is pluralism, respect the poet and no matter where he comes from. I as an Israeli respect and get excited about my performance. It is a good feeling for myself and as an Israeli I represent my country knowingly and unknowingly. It does good for the country. I was invited to participate in the festival.
Poetry by a poet from Bangladesh named Massoud Ozman, the panel included poets from Poland as well as Romania, a festival that the poet existed until she fell ill in Corona and it has been stopped for the time being.
The most exciting class was at an international zoom meeting attended by many poets from around the world who invited me to speak in English. The poet Transfer Simpatero from Romania awarded me, as a poet from Israel, a certificate from the European Union. He invited me to a festival to be held in the spring in Romania.
The relationship with poets from countries where we do not have diplomatic relations presents us in a different, humanitarian and solidarity way. Poets turn to me in private and are not always interested in exposure on my wall and so a contact is made with a Pakistani poet or a Palestinian poet. When I ask the famous Pakistani poet why he does not write me comments he evades an answer, and I think it has to do with his world-class status and unwillingness to reveal the connection with Israel which does not yet have ties with his country, although he denies it. In conversations with him I learn about the state of the people, about the corona in his country and also about the life that is very different from ours. Many tell me in private about governmental corruption and also about violent attacks and looting. They even send out films that illustrate the days when the closure imposed terrible restrictions on them."
What is the purpose behind these virtual connections?
First the immediate need to share the songs, the creator is waiting for feedback, and the audience is always available. The big goal is that after the corona we will hold international festivals where we will read songs in different languages. Globalization and the Facebook network have made everyone equal. If in the past we needed to organize and mediate, now everything is done through Facebook very easily. I recently interviewed a blogger from Bangladesh and she said that people really enjoyed seeing the Israeli. If in the past only well-known and renowned poets could make connections and ventures with poets from around the world, now Corona has created ventures where people from all over the world meet and together create a communication that yields creativity. In Corona many anthologies were produced that were uploaded to Amazon, I participated in an anthology edited by Marlene Pasini from Mexico with Dr. Aziz Mountassir from Morocco. I also participated in an anthology of short stories, I co-wrote with some poets from Netanya and in international groups. I publish the songs in English. In my opinion, I do not remember everything I did in the field, I partially cover the work. No matter how good the songs are, the socialization and the common interest, the available employment fills An empty space that opens up in the mind."
And now you have more friends from all over the world to meet.
"This is also a possibility. When the sky opens up this possibility can certainly become a reality. The whole world expects to start a new world. Poetry is a new and old world because it is the basic primordial art that composed humans from the beginning of civilization."
Do you intend to publish a collection of poems by world poets from the Corona period?
The truth is that I have already released a collection of songs in the days of the Corona, so voluntarily without funding and assistance from anybody. A young poet, 33-year-old, Aval Ahmad Ibrahim wrote songs with me during the first wave. Apparently, the new world is also giving of yourself to another. The book written contains poems in the Hebrew and English languages. Most of the poems are by the Nigerian poet, which I translated from English to Hebrew. Simple songs by a man who studied mass communication in Cadona, and is himself a teacher in a college that is now closed. The book was also printed and sent to Nigeria and I was privileged to receive a letter of thanks from the National Library there, he was hoping for a respectable ceremony with dignitaries from the School of Communication and Community. The book elevates its status, but due to the conditions these days the ceremony was not held. The Coronavirus is still hitting there as well."
Poetry from a society of worlds, it belongs to elitist art and is also intended for individuals of virtue, but nowadays many people sin in writing poetry, and it is the refuge to which many have drained in the world of culture and art. A poet does not need a stage, he can make his voice heard at any time, and that is what creative poets now do around the globe, write and the page comforts them until they come out of the closures.
