A Bag of Lies

Dan Ben-Amotz, born Mosheh Tehilimzoger in Poland, was an Israeli novelist, playwright, journalist, and actor. He served in the British Army in Palestine and then in the Palmach during Israel’s War of Independence. A well-known figure, Ben-Amotz became the model for the native Israeli sabra figure, as he masked his East European autobiographical details until late in his life.

Born in Sosnowiec, Poland, Haim Hefer immigrated to Palestine with his family in 1936. Hefer joined the Palmach at age seventeen and, during his service, was a founding member of Israel’s first military entertainment troupe, the Chizbatron. His songwriting and poetry from the early years of the Israeli state were vital to the development of the nation’s cultural identity.