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Nathan Alterman

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Nathan Alterman
Nathan Alterman in 1952
Alterman in 1952
Native name
נתן אלתרמן
Born(1910-08-14)August 14, 1910
Warsaw, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
DiedMarch 28, 1970(1970-03-28) (aged 59)
Tel Aviv, Israel
OccupationPoet, translator, playwright, journalist
LanguageRussian, Hebrew, German, French, English, Polish
NationalityIsraeli (since 1948)
Literary movementYakhdav (led by Avraham Shlonsky)
SpouseRachel Marcus Tzila Binder
ChildrenTirtza Atar

Nathan Alterman (Hebrew: נתן אלתרמן; August 14, 1910 – March 28, 1970) was a key figure in the Labor Zionist movement, though he held complex views on party leadership.[1] His poetry is recognized for its sophisticated use of symbolic structure. [2] He played a significant role in shaping public discourse, although he never held elected office.[3]

Biography

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Nathan Alterman was born in Warsaw, Poland, then part of the Russian Empire. In 1925, at the age of 15, his family made aliyah to British Mandatory Palestine. They settled in Tel Aviv, where Alterman attended the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium.

At 19, Alterman traveled to Paris to study at the University of Paris, and a year later moved to Nancy, France to study agronomy. During his three years in France, Alterman maintained close contact with his family and friends in Israel and was influenced by interactions with French artists and writers.

Upon returning to Tel Aviv in 1932, Alterman worked at the Mikveh Yisrael agricultural school, but soon left it in favour of working as a journalist and poet. In 1933, he joined the literary circle Together (Hebrew: יחדיו), whose members published the magazine Columns (Hebrew: טורים) and positioned themselves in opposition to the prevailing literary establishment associated with the poet Hayim Nahman Bialik.

On August 22, 1934, Alterman married Rachel Marcus, an actress at the Cameri Theatre. They had one daughter, the poet Tirtza Atar (1941–1977) [4][5]

Alterman is also credited with introducing the marmande tomato to Israel, which became a widely cultivated variety in the country until the 1960s.[6]

Literary career

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Nathan Alterman with his daughter Tirza Atar

In 1933, at the age of 23, Alterman began writing songs for the vaudeville theatre The Broom (Hebrew: המטאטא).[7] In 1934, he started publishing a rhymed column called Tel Aviv Sketches (Hebrew: סקיצות תל אביביות) in Davar, addressing contemporary issues; 26 of these columns appeared over a period of four months. In November 1934, he left Davar and began a similar column in Haaretz titled Moments (Hebrew: רגעים), which had a more satirical tone. He continued this column for eight years, producing a total of 297 installments.

Alterman’s first published book of poetry, Kokhavim Bakhuts ("Stars Outside"), appeared in 1938 and established him as a significant figure in modern Hebrew literature.[8] His subsequent major work, The Joy of the Poor (Hebrew: שִׂמְחת עניים, Simḥat Aniyim, 1941), consists of 31 interconnected poems from the perspective of a deceased man preoccupied with a living woman he loves. The work has been described as a reversal of the Orpheus and Eurydice narrative, combining elements of supernatural storytelling with structured rhyme and meter.

In 1942, after initial reports of The Holocaust reached The British mandate of Palestine, Alterman wrote a poem responding to the genocide, employing a sarcastic reworking of the traditional Jewish prayer "Praised are You...who has chosen us out of all the nations". In 1942 Alterman also translated Sammy Gronemann's comedy Der Weise und der Narr for the Hebrew stage as King Solomon and Shalmai the Cobbler. First staged at the Ohel theatre in 1943 and revived as a Cameri Theatre musical in 1964, it became one of the most successful productions in the history of the Israeli theatre.[9] In 1943, Alterman wrote the maqama The Swedish Tongue, which praised Sweden’s acceptance of Jewish refugees from Denmark,[10] and a poem critical of Pope Pius XII, now featured at Yad Vashem.[11] Between 1945 and 1947, his weekly column in Davar criticized British policies in Palestine and supported the Aliyah Bet, including the 1945 piece In Praise of an Italian Captain (Hebrew: נאום תשובה לרב חובל איטלקי).[12]

During the early stages of the 1948 Palestine War, Alterman wrote several Zionist poems, including The Silver Platter (Hebrew: מגש הכסף, Magash Ha-Kesef), composed in response to Chaim Weizmann’s statement after the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine that no state is delivered "on a silver platter". The poem depicts a symbolic scene likened to the Biblical Revelation on Mount Sinai, in which two young figures represent the sacrifices made to establish a Jewish state.[13][14]

He also authored One from the GHL, a poem about Holocaust survivors and other Jewish setllers who were immediately drafted into the Israel Defense Forces upon arrival in The British Mandate of Palestine, often without military training, during the 1948 war. The poem was originally published in Davar at the war’s conclusion. It was later set to music by Shem Tov Levy and performed by Arik Einstein in his 1985 album Land Product.[15]

memorial plate to the poet Nathan Alterman and his family in Tel Aviv

Several of Alterman’s poems have been adapted into popular songs, including A Meeting with No End (Hebrew: פגישה לאין קץ). One of his poems, First Smile, is referenced in the third season of the television series Shtisel, with an English translation by Robert Friend included in the episode.

Political activism

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During the 1950s, Alterman opposed the martial law imposed on Arab citizens of Israel, which remained in effect until 1966. He was a Labor Zionist who supported the 1952 sailors’ strike, which was suppressed by the government of David Ben-Gurion.

Following the Six-Day War in 1967, Alterman was a co-founder of the Movement for Greater Israel, a predecessor to Likud. He publicly criticized Ben-Gurion, then serving as a member of the Knesset, for what he perceived as a willingness to relinquish territories captured by Israel during the war in exchange for a peace agreement.

Awards and recognition

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NIS 200 banknote, showing Alterman

Alterman has been featured on Israel's NIS 200 bill since 2016.[16]

Books (Hebrew)

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Poetry

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  • Stars Outside (Hebrew: כוכבים בחוץ). Yachdav Publishing, 1938; Machbarot Lesifrut Publishing, 1945; Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1995
  • Joy of the Poor (Hebrew: שמחת עניים). Machbarot Lesifrut Publishing, 1941
  • Plague Poems (Hebrew: שירי מכות מצרים). Machbarot Lesifrut Publishing, 1944
  • The Seventh Column [vol. 1] (Hebrew: הטור השביעי : שירי העת והעתון). Am Oved Publishing, 1948; New editions: Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 2003; 2004
  • The Seventh Column [vol. 2] (Hebrew: הטור השביעי : שירי העת והעתון, ספר שני). Davar, 1954
  • City of the Dove (Hebrew: עיר היונה). Machbarot Lesifrut Publishing, 1957
  • Poems of Ten Brothers (Hebrew: שיר עשרה אחים). Machbarot Lesifrut Publishing, 1961
  • Summer Celebration (Hebrew: חגיגת קיץ). Machbarot Lesifrut, 1965
  • Pythagoras' Trial (Hebrew: משפט פיתגורס). Machbarot Lesifrut, 1965
  • Moments (Hebrew: רגעים). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1974
  • The Silver Platter: Selected Poems (Hebrew: מגש הכסף : מבחר שירים). Ministry of Defense, 1974
  • The Front Stand (Hebrew: העמדה הקדמית : משירי העת והעתון). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, Mosad Alterman, 1980
  • From: Stars Outside, Joy of the Poor, Plague Poems, City of the Dove (Hebrew: מתוך ׳כוכבים בחוץ׳, ׳שמחת עניים׳, ׳שירי מכות מצרים׳, ׳עיר היונה). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1980
  • Poems 1931-1935 (Hebrew: שירים 1935-1931). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1984
  • In Praise of Frivolity (Hebrew: שבחי קלות הדעת). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1997
  • Poems of Yore (Hebrew: שירים שמכבר). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1999
  • The Seventh Column : Israeli Art from the Benno Kalev's Collection (Hebrew: הטור השביעי : אמנות ישראלית מאוסף בנו כלב). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 2000

Plays

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  • Kinneret, Kinneret (Hebrew: כנרת, כנרת). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1962
  • Ghosts' Inn (Hebrew: פונדק הרוחות). Amikam, 1963
  • Esther the Queen (Hebrew: אסתר המלכה). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1966
  • Last Days of Ur (Hebrew: ימי אור האחרונים). Edited with Introduction and Notes by Dwora Gilula, Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1990

Children-Picture Books

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  • The Tenth Chick (Hebrew: האפרוח העשירי). Machbarot Lesifrut Publishing, 1943; new editions - Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1973, 2005
  • The Singing Book of Friendship (Hebrew: ספר התבה המזמרת). Machbarot Lesifrut, 1958
  • The Puzzle Book (Hebrew: ספר החידות). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1971
  • To Children (Hebrew: לילדים). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1972
  • Og King of Bashan (Hebrew: עוג מלך הבשן). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1975, new edition 2011
  • Rhymes for children (Hebrew: חרוזים לילדים). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1976 new edition 2002
  • What a Wonder (Hebrew: איזה פלא). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1983
  • A Tale of a Small Chirik (Hebrew: מעשה בחיריק קטן). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 2003
  • A Tale of a Final Pe (Hebrew: מעשה בפ"א סופית). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 2000
  • It All Happened at Hannuka (Hebrew: זה היה בחנכה, או, נס גדול היה פה). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 2001

Songs

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  • Love Poems (Hebrew: שירי אהבה). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1998
  • Tel-Aviv Serenade (Hebrew: סרנדה תל-אביבית). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1999
  • You Should Ring Twice (Hebrew: צריך לצלצל פעמיים : שירי-זמר, שירי-ספר, פזמונים). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, Israel Broadcasting Authority, 2002

Satire

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  • The Final Mask (Hebrew: המסכה האחרונה). Maariv, 1968

Non-Fiction

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  • Breaking the Circle (Hebrew: במעגל : מאמרים ורשימות, תרצ״ב־תשכ״ח). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1971
  • The Triangular Thread (Hebrew: החוט המשולש). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1971
  • The Alterman Notebooks [Vol A] (Hebrew: מחברות אלתרמן, כרך א׳). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House together with Katz Research Institute for Hebrew Literature, Tel-Aviv University, 1977
  • Little Tel Aviv (Hebrew: תל־אביב הקטנה). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1979
  • The Alterman Notebooks [Vol B] (Hebrew: מחברות אלתרמן, כרך ב׳). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House and Mosad Alterman, 1979
  • The Alterman Notebooks [Vol C] (Hebrew: מחברות אלתרמן, כרך ג׳). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House and Mosad Alterman, 1981
  • Between the Poet and the Statesman (Hebrew: בין המשורר למדינאי). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1981, ext. ed. Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, Mosad Alterman, 1986
  • The Alterman Notebooks [Vol D] (Hebrew: מחברות אלתרמן, כרך ד׳). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 1986
  • Both Roads (Hebrew: על שתי הדרכים). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, Mosad Alterman, 1989
  • Essays and Articles (Hebrew: סער ופרץ : פרוזה ומאמרים). Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House, 2019

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Nathan the Wise". Azure: Ideas for the Jewish Nation, no. 29, 2007. This source discusses his views on history and Zionism.
  2. ↑ Burnshaw, Stanley; Carmi, T.; Spicehandler, Ezra (eds.). The Modern Hebrew Poem Itself. Wayne State University Press, 1989. This anthology analyzes the complex structure of his poetry.
  3. ↑ Shamir, Moshe. Nathan Alterman—the Poet as Leader.
  4. ↑ "Israel, Marriages and Divorces". MyHeritage. Retrieved 2026-06-21. Nathan married Rachel Marcus, an actress with the Cameri Theatre, on August 22, 1934.
  5. ↑ "Tirza Atar, Poet and Playwright, Dies at 36". Haaretz, 1977.
  6. ↑ Salad Days, Haaretz
  7. ↑ Joy Fletcher, Rebecca (2013), The Broom & the Kettle: Satire in the Cabarets of Tel Aviv, Taylor and Francis Online, doi:10.1080/0449010X.2011.10707132 (inactive July 12, 2025){{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
  8. ↑ Harshav, Benjamin (2007), The Polyphony of Jewish Culture, Stanford: Stanford University Press, p. 188, ISBN 978-0804755122
  9. ↑ Yerushalmi, Dorit (2008). "The Utterance of Shoemaking: Cobblers on the Israeli Stage". In Nahshon, Edna (ed.). Jews and Shoes. Oxford: Berg. pp. 181–194.
  10. ↑ Nathan Alterman's 1943 maqama "The Swedish Tongue", translated by Ghil'ad Zuckermann.
  11. ↑ Yad Vashem: Our Info on Pius XII Based on 'Best Research'
  12. ↑ Song of the "Illegals". The Canadian Jewish Chronicle, August 23, 1946, page 12. Includes an English translation.
  13. ↑ "The Silver Platter". The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, 1947. This source confirms the poem's context and its direct response to Chaim Weizmann's famous quote.
  14. ↑ "The Silver Platter". Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Brill Reference Works. Confirms the poem's publication in the daily newspaper Davar.
  15. ↑ "One from the GHL". Military Wiki. Documents the poem's historical context regarding survivors drafted into the IDF and its later adaptation as a song by Shem Tov Levy.
  16. ↑ New NIS 200 bill featuring poet Nathan Alterman to debut in early 2016
  17. ↑ "List of Bialik Prize recipients 1933–2004 (in Hebrew), Tel Aviv Municipality website" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 17, 2007.
  18. ↑ "Israel Prize Official Site – Recipients in 1968 (in Hebrew)".
  19. ↑ Nadav Shemer, Jerusalem Post, 3/10/2011

Further reading

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