Rabin's office was flooded with letters of thanks for the achievements of the Six Day War • The National Library explains: "Even before the end of the war, euphoria could be noticed"
The anxiety was terrible and the victory was tremendous.
During the Six Day War in 1967, the State of Israel more than tripled its territory.
In the archives of the journalist, writer and translator Ruth Bondi, kept in the National Library, is an archival file, which reveals the attitude of the children of Israel to victory in the Six Day War.
The circumstances in which the dozens of letters written by Israeli children to the late Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin reached Bondi's archives are unknown, but it is clear that they were compiled in June, the month in which the Six Day War took place.
The letters reflect the gratitude of the children of Israel to the Chief of Staff and the IDF soldiers.
Letters from the lower grades are often accompanied by a drawing.
Many of the letters are kept in the archives of the response of the High Command Secretary, Major Mordechai Sarig, a hint of the importance the IDF attached to the children's letters.
"Some of the letters were compiled in the schools under the guidance of the teacher, we learn from the fact that some classes sent a bundle of letters to the chief of staff," says Chen Malul, content editor at the National Library The fear of all Israeli citizens on the eve of the war. "
An example of this can be found in the letter of 12-year-old student Rachel Shabka: "I was sure that we would lose, because we were few against many in this war."
"Judging from the dates of the rest of her friends' letters, Rachel wrote the letter when the war had not yet been finally decided, a day before the end of the war," says Malul.
"We have earned and enlarged our country," wrote 12-year-old Rachel. "
"See you in Cairo and Damascus"
The enthusiasm for the IDF conquests did not go unnoticed by the youngest students. The Syrian plateau, the West Bank, the Old City, Hebron, Nablus and Bethlehem. "
Penny Goldstein from Lod sailed in her imagination and wished in her letter "that we will see each other in Cairo and Damascus, Gaza and Port Said ... with a complete victory."
At the bottom of the letter she drew a tank surrounded by flowers.
With the organization in the classrooms, one can also identify quite a few independent initiatives of children who themselves decided to send a letter of thanks to the chief of staff, and through it to all IDF soldiers.
Shmuel Tzav from Givat Olga wrote a detailed letter to the chief of staff, expressing impressive knowledge of the course of the war. The letter ends with the hope of peace, and not of another war.
And there were children, like 6-year-old Amir, who donated their modest savings, child savings, to IDF soldiers. And so he wrote: "Dear Chief of Staff! The security of our country. In my coffers I collected 16.78 lira (Israeli pounds), I ask you to receive this amount as a donation for our dear soldiers.
Many kisses, Amir Rabhon. "In an uncharacteristic response to the tone we are used to, Major Sarig wrote to Amir:" Dear Amir, the Chief of General Staff received your letter and is very happy. Your deed can serve as a model for all Israeli children, "Educate their children in this way. Please accept, Amir Habibi, the Chief of Staff's thanks and a modest souvenir gift."
The boy who donated the savings bank to the chief of staff became a doctor
After wandering around Facebook, contacting a few people and talking to the medical center where he works, Amir Rabhon returned to me;
So a sweet 6-year-old boy who donated his modest coffers he saved for the chief of staff, today a gynecologist in the field of fertility and in vitro fertilization treatments, 59 years old, married and a father of three daughters.
"How exciting!", The doctor opens our conversation, as if he could not believe his eyes.
For him it is nothing less than closing a nostalgic circle of almost 54 years.
"A month after I sent the letter, a newspaper came to us to do an article about all those letters from children who came to the defense establishment," he recalled, amused, "I remember a photographer coming to photograph me, and the caption: 'The cute boy who wrote to Rabin.'"
In fact, this is the first time since you saw the letter you wrote?
"Yeah. It's so exciting ... I remember we kept the newspaper clipping with my picture from the same article, I still have it somewhere, but I've now come across the original letter for the first time."
"It's right during the war!" Amir exclaims after noticing the date at the top of the letter.
Throughout the conversation we do not stop laughing, amused by the innocence that characterizes the letter the little boy sent to the chief of staff.
Do you remember if the letter was your own or the school's initiative?
"It was my initiative, I do not think I was in school yet, whether in first grade or in compulsory kindergarten, but surely the letter was my initiative. The sentence above was written by my older sister, and the rest I wrote, with what I knew how to write then."
This information makes the letter even more charming.
"It was a different time ...", says the doctor and laughs.
Today you have childhood. Do you see them doing something similar, or is it another generation that is "less in matters"?
"I have three daughters and I think even today there is a lot of awareness of what is going on around, for all kinds of help and donation and such," notes Rabhun,
Last week they organized to collect donations and choppers for the medical staff at the hospitals, as well as food and help for the patients themselves.
The kids donated and collected on their own and on their own initiative, so I don’t think the current generation cares.
Help and contribution are simply expressed differently, more on social media for example.
Indeed, it is true that she is older, not 6 years old.
Where were you at the time of the murder?
"On a trip with my wife on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road. We passed through the Latrun area and then broke into the news with the segment that Rabin was shot in. I remember exactly where I was at the moment of the announcement. You can't forget that."
Do you remember if you received a response to what you sent?
"I do not remember exactly. I think such an official letter of thanks came from the bureau, but not sure."
I later sent Rabhun the letter sent to him at the time, it too is in the National Library, and the circle was closed.
Letters and other drawings of children to Rabin from the Ruth Bondi archive can be seen on the National Library website.
