Zfania Blog

by: David Zephaniah The competition A king in the ancient kingdom of Anatolia desired his portrait to be drawn by the best painters in the land. For that reason he initiated a painters competition and invited all the famous painters in the kingdom. 21 most famous painters showed up to honour the king. At that same evening, the king gathered them in the designated hall and commanded them to paint his portrait, posing in festive robes and holding a fruit basket in his hand. They were supposed to be served with the best food from king's pantry and best wine from king’s wine cellar. The king told them that the painter with the most realistic portrait will get a prize of 100 gold coins. They had 3 days to draw the portrait. All the painters rejoiced for the great opportunity to serve the king and to prove their talents. They went to work for 3 days and made their best efforts. When the three days were over, the king came to the competition hall to inspect the portraits. All

Passing of beloved Grandma By David Zephaniah It was summer of 1973, and it was a sad day for me. My beloved grandmother passed away that day. I was 13 years old and was standing in a crowded bus from Nazareth Illit, Israel, headed for the town of Afula. I found out shortly thereafter that Bruce Lee also died that day. He was my favorite actor and martial artist. His movies inspired me to become a martial artist and street fighter later on in my life. My older brother was serving in Israeli Army. I was to deliver a letter from my parents to the area army representative, requesting a leave for my brother, so he could attend her funeral. I had to rush because we Jews bury the dead within 24 hours of their death and time was of the essence. It was a hot summer day in Israel. The bus was so crowded; I had to stand on my feet most of the 35 minutes ride. I found a seat, when I boarded, but I gave it to an elderly person that boarded later on and had no place to sea