Memory of Freedom Fighter

From time to time Mom is able to put aside her fixation in talking about Dad - how he drives her crazy, etc, etc, and about her own travails, and we see a glimpse of her former impressive talent, for example the history professor she could have been.

This morning after breakfast, how I don't remember, we turned to the topic of NILI, an organization that spied on the Turkish during the First World War.  Mom explained that NILI stood for Netsach Yisrael Lo Y'shaker - Forever Israel Will Not Lie.   The Ottoman Turks were very corrupt - bribes (bakshish) were rampant - and there was great fear in the knowledge of the massacre of the Armenians and danger to the Jews.

Mom told us about a NILI spy who was a relative of our.  His name was Naaman Belkind, and he was married to a cousin of my grandfather Saba Moshe.  He was apprehended and was hanged in Damascus.   Mom then showed us a book about NILI, titled NILI - Toldot Shel He'aza Medinit - History of Daring Diplomacy.  The book was written by an historian who lived around the corner from Mom on Grusenberg Street in Tel Aviv, when it was still a small town.

Mom got this smug look on her face, and said:  "I'll show it to you - but I'm not going to give it to you."