MEDIA Nostalgia and Colors in the new issue of DafDaf

By Ada Treves

Nostalgia is the opening theme of the October issue of DafDaf, the Jewish magazine for kids, where the long Summer days are the subject of Luisa Valenti’s illustration for the cover. But sadness is not destined to last long: in the first pages Maria Teresa Milani explains the story of a song she is fond of. She explains: “As I’ve written before, every song tells a story, which is not only he story of the text but also that of those who wrote it and performed it in all times.” And this month, right after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the chosen song is Shana Tova, music by Nahum Nardi, words by Levin Kipnis, with the voice of the unforgettable Ofra Haza.

Colorful pages are devoted to the exhibit “United Colors of Judaica” that will be open until January 28, in Tel Aviv, in the Beit Hatfutsot museum. The author is Eliahou Eric Bokobza, and with his works he wants to represent the various Jewish traditions in different times and different places. He is of Tunisian origin and was born in Paris, to later move to Israel, still a child. Beit Hatfutsot is the Museum of the Jewish people and since its birth, in 1978, it shows visitors the ancient history of Judaism.

The challenge by Roberta Anau continues: the writer and cook devotes her monthly column to snacks, and in addition to the more traditional recipes, she proposes a second ingredient that normally young readers do not particularly like; after last month’s onions, it’s the time for garlic.

Irony and joy are trademarks of Nadia Terranova, who’s dedicated her pages – “books” – to a well-known author who is very rarely associated with a laugh. “I know how things go when it comes to Leopardi: there will always be someone that will present him as sad, hunchbacked, lonely, miserable and poor. To avoid falling into such banalities, we must organize an armed resistance, with books.” She’s chosen three small jewels, which will make the readers discover an author capable of composing a poem “Against soup”, to then show another piece of the poet’s life “Definitively not sad, pale and alone: as a teenager he was a pest, very clever and intelligent.”

This month Nedelia Tedeschi’s pages present two different characters, and she has also offered DafDaf a short tale full of hope, inspired by the theme of the European Day of Jewish Culture. And the future is close, as some Israeli inventions show very well: now it’s easy to combine health and enjoyment, if you want to wash clothes, or dishes, or to get a smoothie… just push on your pedals and have fun.