Joseph Hanani (Hanovich) — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

Writer 190-1988

Hanani was born in Vilnius to Menachem and Rivka, brother to the poet Gershon Hanovich and the children's author Israel Hanani. He studied at the Tarbut Gymnasium in the city. During World War I, he wandered with his family to Kharkov and Siberia. Afterward, he returned to Vilnius to continue his studies. In 1925, he immigrated with his family to Israel and began working in the orchards of Petah Tikva. Concurrently, Hanani studied at the Hebrew Teachers' Seminary in Jerusalem. After completing his studies, he worked as a teacher in Hadera, in The Nederland as an emissary for HaHalutz, and in Petah Tikva. He founded the school for the Naharayim electric power plant. Later, he managed schools, served as an inspector for schools in Tel Aviv, and lectured to educators on Hebrew and general literature.

Throughout the years, Hanani wrote dozens of books, founded and edited the literary collection "Katif" for many years, lectured on literature across the country, and was a member of the Hebrew Writers Association committee and the Writers' Council. The dominant theme in his work is the struggle against suffering. Humanity, in all its weakness, fails and is punished. The backdrop for his stories is the life of the Yishuv in the Land of Israel from the 1930s onward. The locations where the stories take place are Jerusalem, Petah Tikva, and other settlements. His various works reflect the struggle between ideals and practical life, and between moments of happiness and elation and despair and loneliness.

For example, Nathan Glick, the protagonist of the novel "The Flutist from Mea Shearim," recites Psalms and delves into the Gemara. To earn a living, he binds holy books. After acquiring some money, materialism begins to dominate him, and his life deteriorates. He agrees to his daughter's marriage to a financial adventurer, but the groom abandons his family. He loses his eyesight as a result of an accident and accepts the decree as punishment for chasing after a glamorous life. The same allure of a material and glittering life leads Blaha, the protagonist of the novel "Under the Yoke of Occupation," astray. Mazal, the protagonist of the novel "Mazal," sees her life's dream in Ashkenazi society, which differs from her Sephardic background, and she also suffers due to her pursuit of materialism.

Hanani married Hasia, a teacher, and they had two sons: Professor of Physiology Menachem Hanani and Dr. Uri Hanani.

Yosef Hanani passed away on April 18, 1988. Streets in Petah Tikva and Kfar Saba are named after him.