Friday | October 17 | 10:00–12:00 | Program in Hebrew
The fourth meeting in a special series in which we will dive together into the great works of S.Y. Agnon, through the centuries-long history presented in the museum.
“I do not know whether it was the wings of angels that fluttered over me, or the wings of the handkerchief.
Blessed is he who has merited that good angels flutter above his head, and blessed is he whose mother has smoothed his head on Sabbath evenings.”
Agnon’s story “The Handkerchief”, taken from the volume Both These and Those, is a short story composed of thirteen chapters the same number as the years of the young protagonist.
The story begins with the family’s excitement at the father’s return home from the fair and the distribution of gifts to the household, including a handkerchief he gives to the mother.
Over time, the handkerchief gains great significance in the child’s life, accompanying him through pivotal moments in his journey toward adulthood.
“The Handkerchief” is one of Agnon’s most charming and optimistic stories.
Alongside the pain of growing up and the longing that accompanies it, life appears full of beauty and meaning.
In this additional meeting at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem, we will read the story together and discuss the harmony that reigns in the narrator’s household, the protagonist’s growth from boy to man, and the messianic quality revealed through a simple act of kindness and love.
Price:
Regular: 44 NIS | Jerusalem resident: 32 NIS | Student/Retiree/Tour guide: 22 NIS | Museum member: 15 NIS
