Shifra Horn ( he, שפרה הורן ) (born 1951) is an Israeli author.
Biography
Shifra Horn was born in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
. She lives in the Old Malcha neighbourhood of
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
and in
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, New Zealand. After majoring in Bible Studies and Archeology - BA (Hons)- at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
, she earned an MA in Bible Studies. Horn also studied mass communications and completed a teaching degree.
Horn worked as an educational officer for the
World Union of Jewish Students
The World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS ) (Hebrew: ההתאחדות העולמית של הסטודנטים היהודים; French: L’Union Mondiale des Etudiants Juifs; Spanish: Unión Mundial de Estudiantes Judíos; Russian: Всемирный ...
, and helped to organize the airlift of
Ethiopian Jews
The Beta Israel ( he, בֵּיתֶא יִשְׂרָאֵל, ''Bēteʾ Yīsrāʾēl''; gez, ቤተ እስራኤል, , modern ''Bēte 'Isrā'ēl'', EAE: "Betä Ǝsraʾel", "House of Israel" or "Community of Israel"), also known as Ethiopian Jews ...
to Israel. Horn also participated in the campaign to free
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
and
Syrian Jews, producing films and written material.
In the course of her work with Jewish students from oppressed communities around the world, she visited a village of Jewish
Marranos
Marranos were Spanish and Portuguese Jews living in the Iberian Peninsula who converted or were forced to convert to Christianity during the Middle Ages, but continued to practice Judaism in secrecy.
The term specifically refers to the cha ...
who had kept their Jewish identity secret for over 500 years. Horn's activity in the village of
Belmonte in northwest
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
resulted in the entire population converting fully to Judaism.
Horn was a spokesperson for the
Israel Absorption Ministry until her departure for
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, where she served as Far East correspondent for the
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
Radio station and
Ma'ariv
''Maariv'' or ''Maʿariv'' (, ), also known as ''Arvit'' (, ), is a Jewish prayer service held in the evening or night. It consists primarily of the evening ''Shema'' and ''Amidah''.
The service will often begin with two verses from Psalms ...
daily newspaper for five years. Horn worked as the director of the Tokyo Jewish Community Center and taught Bible Studies and Hebrew at the Bible College in
Ginza
Ginza ( ; ja, 銀座 ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous intern ...
, Tokyo.
Upon her return to Jerusalem, she opened a public relations firm, and lectured on Japan and literary topics. Her books have been translated from
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
into English, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Greek, Mandarin and Turkish.
Published work
* Novels:
** ''Four Mothers''
** ''The Fairest Among Women''
** ''Tamara Walks On Water''
** ''Ode to Joy''
** ''Promenade A Deux''
* Non-fiction:
** ''Shalom Japan''
** ''Cats''
** ''A Love story''
** ''The New Zealand Experience''
* Children's Book:
** ''The Perfect Pet''
** ''Not by Day and Not by Night''
Awards
Horn won the Israeli
WIZO
The Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO; he, ויצו ') is a volunteer organization dedicated to social welfare in all sectors of Israeli society, the advancement of the status of women, and Jewish education in Israel and the Diasp ...
Prize for Literature (1997) and the Israeli Publishers` Association's Gold and Platinum Book Prizes for all five of her novels. She won the Globes Financial Newspaper prize "Literary Woman of the Year" 2002, and received the
Prime Minister's Prize (2005) and the
Brenner Prize
The Brenner Prize is an Israeli literary prize awarded annually by the Hebrew Writers Association in Israel and the Haft Family Foundation.
It was founded in the name of the author Yosef Haim Brenner
Yosef Haim Brenner ( he, יוֹסֵף חַ ...
(2006).
2006 Brenner Prize awards (in Hebrew)
''Walla'' On-line, 5 June 2006
In addition Shifra Horn won the French WIZO Literary Prize and the Italian ADEI WIZO Prize for the novel " Ode to Joy ". Her latest novel "Promenade A Deux" won the culture minister award.
References
External links
Shifra Horn website
1951 births
Living people
Israeli women novelists
Israeli novelists
Modern Hebrew writers
Brenner Prize recipients
Israeli Jews
Writers from Tel Aviv
Maariv (newspaper) people
Israeli expatriates in Japan
Israeli journalists
Israeli women journalists
Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni
Recipients of Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works
Jewish women writers
{{Israel-writer-stub