Love among the Palms

Sami Michael was an author, translator, editor, and civil rights activist. Born in Kamal Salah, Iraq, he immigrated to Israel in 1949. In 1974, Michael’s debut novel, Shavim ve-shavim yoter (All Men Are Equal—But Some Are More), was published, and he subsequently became an influential left-wing activist in Israel. He twice received the Prime Minister’s Prize and earned honorary doctorates from the Hebrew University and Ben-Gurion University. He also headed the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.

Nurit Serfaty is an award-winning Israeli illustrator of children’s books. Born in Tel Aviv, she was raised on Kibbutz ha-Ogen. After her army service, she studied art and graphic design at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. In the early 1970s, she illustrated and edited many textbooks for Israel’s Ministry of Education. Serfaty won the Andersen Award for Illustration in 2004, for her illustrations in Nurit Zarchi’s The Wedding. She owns a family publishing house called Zafra, which specializes in children’s books.