Abstract
When considering great Romanian thinkers, one city that naturally comes to mind is Cernăuți. Over the years Cernăuți has produced and nurtured a countless number of thinkers, writers, poets, and others.
Whatever their occupation, one feature that almost all of these creators share is a clear, lingering memory of the unique atmosphere in Cernăuți, as well as a strong sense of the universal feeling and mentality which the city has instilled in them. My lecture focused on a number of Israeli writers who came from Cernăuți: Zvi Yavetz (1925-2013), a prominent Israeli historian of Rome, whose memoir, "My Czernowitz" (2008) recounts the history and stories of the Jewish community in the city until the Holocaust; Aharon Appelfeld (1932-2018), one of Israel's leading novelists, many of whose novels take place in the city; Dan Pagis (1929-1986) a major poet, whose poetry returned time and again to Bukowina and his own Holocaust scars; and finally, Itzik Manger (1901-1969), one of the last great Yiddish poets, famous for his ironic and satiric adaptations of biblical stories.
All these writers played major roles in their areas, leaving their mark on Israeli academia and art. In my talk I will discuss these writers works, their influence on Israeli culture, and the unique place Cernăuți has had in their lives and works.