«an uplifting story about a likeable orphan»
Nurit Blatman on the Reception of Johanna Spyri’s Heidi in Israel
The Jewish Museum of Switzerland recently acquired a Hebrew edition of the famous Swiss children’s book Heidi from 1950. This acquisition was inspired by the Cultural Studies scholar Nurit Blatman, who studied the reception of Heidi in Israel and curated an exhibition on the book in Zurich and Munich. Museum director Naomi Lubrich spoke to Nurit Blatman about orphans in Israel, artistic freedom in translation and the image of the Swiss idyll in Israel.
Naomi Lubrich: Nurit, you studied the Israeli reception of Heidi. What roused your curiosity?
Nurit Blatman: Children’s literature excites me. It has an important social component. And I’m also interested in Jewish identity and culture. When I was completing my master’s degree at the University of Zurich, our institute collaborated with the Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum on the exhibition Heidi in Japan (2019), which showed the anime version of Heidi (in 1974). In this context, I exchanged ideas with the scholar and Heidi-expert Peter Büttner. He collects Heidi translations and told me about the Hebrew edition. I fell in love with Heidi Bat HaAlpim (Heidi Daughter of the Alps), a fascinating translation from 1946, which inspired other Hebrew translations. So I decided to research Heidi in Israel.
NL: What were the most important editions of the book in Hebrew?
NB: Heidi was translated into Hebrew several times, from complete hundred-page-editions to summaries of just five pages, all in all 25 versions over the past eighty years. Israel Fishman’s translation in 1946 was the first. New editions and translations followed, as the Hebrew language developed and modernized in the second half of the 20th century. The editions of the 1950s, 60s and 70s were mostly abridged versions that omitted or greatly shortened the second part of the novel. Shlomo Nitzan published a long version in 1983, which sold well and is still in print. Most recently, in 2020, children’s book scholar and translator Dr. Hanna Livnat published a comprehensive, close to the original translation of the two parts of the novel.
NL: What effect did the book have on the Israeli psyche after the Shoah?
NB: On the one hand, many orphans found their way to Israel after the Shoah. Heidi gave them an uplifting story about a likeable orphan with whom they could identify. At the same time, post-Shoah Israel wanted nothing to do with Germany. People were reticent to – many could not – talk about the persecution. They were much more interested in their new country and identity. However, many German-speaking Jews had difficulties acculturating. Israel was very different from Germany. Many found themselves in a difficult situation: On the one hand, they wanted to leave the past behind and start anew in Palestine. They were supposed to learn Hebrew and identify with Israel. On the other hand, many could not brush off their German-cultural heritage. This ambivalent relationship is reflected in the Heidi-translations: The German edition was Swiss and not German, which made a big difference in the post-war period. Readers could read about their familiar country without having to pick up a German book. Notice how the positively connoted characters’ names were sometimes translated into French: Peter was turned into Pierre, the Sesemann family was called Gérard. In translations from 1960 onwards, they became «Peter» and «Sesemann» again. The title was also translated: The first edition of Heidi was called Heidi Bat HaAlpim (Heidi Daughter of the Alps) in reference to the European, particularly the Swiss, Alps. Later translations turned the «Alps» into «mountains», which was easier for a young Israeli audience to understand and grasp. Looking closely, the translations adapt to historical events. Heidi’s mutations give insight into the questions of the times.
NL: How did Heidi shape the image of Switzerland in Israel?
NB: Heidi shaped the image of Switzerland worldwide. In Israel and beyond, Switzerland is endearingly called «Heidiland». In Israel, Switzerland conjures up images of the Alps, chocolate and cheese. The book covers depict nature, fir trees, mountains and an image of Heidi with blonde braids, even though she is described differently in the book. The blonde Heidi is internationally recognizable. In Israel, she still symbolizes Alpine idylls and a love of nature. Tourism websites and travel recommendations use her image for advertising. Heidi’s Switzerland is also a recurring motif among Israeli users on social media. This leads to comments, such as that of an Israeli family which spent Sukkot in Switzerland, that they were in the Heidi’s Sukkah.
NL: Dear Nurit, thank you very much for your insight into Heidi Bat HaAlpim. We are looking forward to your further research.
verfasst am 01.07.2025
Illustration: Emma Schweizer
