An Israeli writer, known for his short stories and graphic novels, paid tribute to Filipino caretakers who are spreading love and warmth in his country, in a book that he wrote, the first to be translated into the Filipino language from Hebrew.
The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines spearheaded the launch of the book “Bigla, May Kumatok sa Pinto ” written by author Etgar Keret, a leading voice in Israeli literature and cinema.
The book, Keret said, was inspired by his gratitude to Filipino caretakers in Israel.
"As you know many Filipino caretakers are here, taking care of elders and they provide this kind of sensitivity and softness," Keret said during the book launch on Monday, April 26.
"For me, it's a special moment where maybe something Israel can give back to the Philippines. Maybe I can't bring the same kind of tenderness that the Philippines had brought to Israel but maybe I can bring some of my own genuine emotions," the author added.
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz said he believes that Filipinos can connect to the message of the book.
“This is another milestone that demonstrates the strong relations between Israel and the Philippines. This book is one of the many areas of cooperation between our countries in literature, culture, and arts. We hope that many Filipinos, especially the young generation, will get a copy and read the book that is a product of good friendship,” Harpaz said.
"Israeli books are being translated for many years into English. It's something existing but not in the Filipino language," he added.
Previous Israeli works such as "The Whore from Ohio" by Hanoch Levin, "Apples from the Desert" by Savyon Liebrecht, and "A child of My Own" by Hagit Rechavi Nikolayevsky were adapted in Filipino.
“I want to say in general that the experience of being translated and published overseas, especially in places I never visited and heard a lot about, is always very, very exciting. When I started writing my stories, I believed that only my friends or the people who live in my neighborhood, or my family members could understand it because they were very intimate," Keret said.
"When my books got translated, for me, it's still amazing. The idea that somebody who's from Sydney, Kuala Lumpur or Manila can read a book of mine and connect to it. It's such a private experience," the author added.
Keret's book is a collection of short fiction stories with different themes. It has also been translated into 45 other languages.
The Filipino translation of “Bigla, May Kumatok sa Pinto” was done by U Z. Eliserio of the Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas, Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura of the University of the Philippines.
"Human beings are really beyond cultures, beyond climate, beyond social structure, and are really very much the same, and reading a book from a different part of the world proves that," he added.
"Bigla, May Kumatok sa Pinto" was originally set to be released around August to October last year but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During this pandemic, and with many of us staying at home, books have been a great source of entertainment, comfort, and escape. Etgar Keret’s stories provide these,” Alexandra Ramos-Padilla, Head of National Book Store and Anvil Publishing said in a video message.
Anvil Publishing, Inc. is the official publisher and distributor of the book. “Bigla, May Kumatok sa Pinto” is available in National Bookstores and online shopping platforms.