Exodus - Leon Uris [214]
While in hiding Bar Yohai wrote the Zohar—the Brightness—which was the standard work of the mystic Cabala. Hasidic and Oriental celebrants converged on the holy cities of Tiberias and Safed from all corners of Palestine and continued on to Meron to spend several days and nights in prayer and song and dance and praise of Simon Bar Yohai.
When the month of May came the rains were gone and the Huleh Valley and the hills of Syria and Lebanon turned a rich green and the valleys filled with carpets of wild flowers and the buds on the spring roses of Galilee burst into magnificent reds and whites and oranges and once again Gan Dafna prepared for a holiday. It was time for Shavuot to celebrate the bringing of the first fruits of the new year.
All holidays concerned with farming were particularly close to the hearts of the Jews of Palestine. Shavuot at Gan Dafna had become traditional for the coming of delegations from the Huleh settlements to the children’s village to share in the celebration.
Again Gan Dafna took on the air of a carnival as truckloads of farmers arrived from the Yad El moshav. Sarah Ben Canaan came.
They arrived from the border kibbutzim of Kfar Giladi up on the Lebanon border. They came from Ayelet Hashahar kibbutz on the lake and from Ein Or. They came from Dan on the Syrian border and from Manara on the mountaintop.
Dr. Lieberman expressed his disappointment to Harriet Saltzman and Kitty that the Arab delegation from Abu Yesha was only half the usual size and that Taha was missing. The meaning was obvious and saddening.
Kitty managed to see each truck as it arrived. She hoped that Ari Ben Canaan would come and she was unable to mask her disappointment. Jordana in turn watched Kitty, with a cynical smirk.
Some soldiers came from Fort Esther. These were among the “friends” who always tipped off the village when an arms search was on the way.
The day was filled with merriment. There were athletic contests and open house in the classrooms and laboratories. There was hora dancing on the center green, and outdoor tables bent under the weight of food.
At sundown everyone moved to the outdoor theater cut into a hillside, set in the middle of a stand of pine trees. The theater filled to overflowing; hundreds more lay about on the surrounding lawns. As it turned dark multi-colored lights came on, strung through the pines.
The Gan Dafna orchestra played “Hatikvah”—the Hope—and Dr. Lieberman spoke a brief welcome and signaled the parade of Shavuot to begin. He returned to his seat with Kitty, Sutherland, and Harriet Saltzman.
Karen led the parade. The instant Kitty saw her she felt fear. Karen sat astride a large white horse and balanced the staff of the flag with the white field and the blue Star of David. She wore dark blue slacks and an embroidered peasant’s blouse and sandals on her feet. Her thick brown hair was done in pigtails and hung to her small breasts.
Kitty gripped the arms of her chair. Karen looked the very spirit of the Jews!
Have I lost her? Have I lost her? The wind whipped the flag and her horse broke for a second, but Karen turned it into line quickly. She is gone from me as she is from the Hansens, Kitty thought.
Harriet Saltzman was looking at Kitty and Kitty lowered her eyes.
Karen passed out of the spotlight and the parade continued. The five tractors of Gan Dafna were polished and shined. Each pulled a flatcar loaded with fruits and vegetables and grains grown at the village farm.
Jeeps and trucks and station wagons buried under flowers from the gardens passed by. Trucks passed by filled with children in peasants’ clothing holding rakes and hoes and scythes and power tools.
The livestock was passed in review, led by the cows, which were decked in ribbons and flowers, and the horses were shiny with manes and tails braided. The sheep and goats were herded past and then the pet dogs and cats and a monkey and white rats and hamsters were led or carried in affectionate display.
Children passed holding cloth of material they had