Colette Aboulker Muscat

The first Saturday night of each month at 9 PM there is a meeting of Colette's friends, students and acquaintances. Meetings are hosted by Tirza Moussaieff-Ashkenazi at  
Rechov Mevo Yoram 5 - top floor
Contact: (02) 561-8024 or tirza_m@netvision.net.il

March 5, 2005

Noga presented parts of a book she wrote about Colette - in Hebrew. Content of the book may be posted on this Web site.

Late February 2005

There was a showing of two video documentaries by Patrick Bokanowski about Colette. Caroline Zelnick who assisted in the production and appeared in the videos was also at the showing as was Patrick. They are both from Paris. Patrick announced that the videos may be released in the next 6 months, possibly on DVD.

February 5, 2005 meeting

(Posted by Larry Pfeffer - eMail: lpfeffer@actcom.co.il)

("My uncle was flesh and blood, not a legend"
Photo of Louise von Dardel by Miriam Zachi from article in weekly paper Makor Rishon)

There was a very special person at this meeting: Louise von Dardel, Raoul Wallenberg's nice. A few days before the meeting at Tirza's salon Louise and her sister Marie were the guests of the State of Israel and met with Israel's political leaders, including the President and the Prime Minister.

The purpose of the state meetings was to remember that during one of the darkest and most sinister times of history, Raoul Wallenberg volunteered to enter Nazi and Fascist hell in Budapest to try to save as many of Hungary's Jews as possible from being murdered. Many historians estimate that Raoul Wallenberg rescued about 100,000 Jews. He was abducted by the Soviet Union on January 17, 1945 - a day before liberation of the eastern side of Budapest (Pest). His fate in the Soviet dungeons and Gulags is still unknown. He saved Jews from the Nazi genocide and became victim of an equally sinister evil empire.

It is possible that despite the hardships and the years Raoul Wallenberg may still be alive in Russia. Regretfully and much to humanity's shame, apparently much more could have been done to liberate Raoul Wallenberg and to find out his fate. This is not a source of pride to the Wallenberg family, Sweden, the UN, the USA (which sponsored his mission to Budapest), Hungary (whose citizens he rescued), and Israel and the Jewish people. 

Louise recounted her noble uncle's history, including the fact that his father died shortly before Raoul's birth, that his mother remarried after a few years into the von Dardel family, that Raoul grew up in a compassionate and loving home, that he was encouraged to be a well rounded person, that he studied architecture at the University of Michigan, and that one of his "training jobs" was in Haifa at a bank. The main reason why Louise and Marie agreed to come to Israel for the state visit is because they felt that Israel's leaders are finally willing to commit to lobby with President Putin to have Russia disclose any remaining information about Raoul Wallenberg. President Katzav, Prime Minister Sharon, the Knesset and Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger gave firm commitments to fulfill the Jewish people's obligation to find out whatever can be about Raoul Wallenberg's fate. It is hoped that these commitments will be kept. 

Tirza's salon was filled and people sat around the room, even on the carpets, taking in every word uttered by Louise. All of us in the room were greatly moved to be able to share a very special evening with Louise, whom many of us quickly learned to love as our friend. She touched our hearts, much as did her uncle. This is quite natural for a group of people who were close to Colette. It is regretted that she too could not spend this special evening with Louise and us and that Louise could not meet Colette.

David ben Reuven performed a few of his songs, two written in honor of Raoul Wallenberg. David also presented Louise with two books her wrote, one about Raoul Wallenberg. For many years David was a leading activist in Israel for Raoul Wallenberg.

July 3, 2004 meeting

(Posted by Dr. Phoebe Frank in Calabassas, California USA - eMail: phoebestar04@hotmail.com)

A group of Colette's friends and students  met in Jerusalem at the home of Tirza Moussaieff-Ashkenazi to recall Colette's many good works, exercises and stories. 

Tirza, Dina Cohen, Arie Lewinnek, Agnes, Aliza Yehezkel, Yael Greenberg, Agnieszka Ziatek, Larry Pfeffer, Phoebe and Werner Frank from Los Angeles and others at Tirza's apartment agreed to carry out Werner Frank's suggestion of creating a Web site so that Colette's many friends, students and acquaintances worldwide can share their feelings, memories and thoughts about this very remarkable woman who passed away on November 25, 2003 at 1 PM at the age of ninety-four. The Web site address is: www.geocities.com/colette_aboulker_mouscat

If you have photos, stories, exercises, audio recordings, comments or anything else you'd like to share, we will post them to the Web site. If you send them by eMail to Larry Pfeffer in Jerusalem at lpfeffer@actcom.co.il he will put them on the Web site for you. Please start eMail SUBJECT headings with "COLETTE WEB SITE" (without quotes). Try to phrase submitted material to ready for posting, without need for editing. Postings will generally take less than two weeks and often less than a few days. Submitters will be notified of posting by eMail.

We are also planning to have a bulletin board on the Web site for direct postings and chats. 

It is hoped that this Web site will help strengthen a community of Colette's friends.

Larry suggested that Colette's stories be related and collected. Dina seconded this suggestion and told an interesting story characterizing Colette's visualization therapy. (We will ask Dina or someone else who was at the meeting to transcribe the story.)

Phoebe told about how Colette said that she lived in a palace in Algiers. She said that every hour there is a most favorable place in a room (or room in the palace) to do work. For example, at l0 AM one should be in the South Eastern corner of the room, and 11 AM you should be in the Southern part of your room, and at noon one should be working in the Southwestern part of the room. These are not the actual parts of the room, mind you, just an illustration of what Colette said. In other words, you are following the course of the sun as you move from spot to spot in your room or house. Phoebe is wondering if anyone else heard this story, please let us know.

Dina also provided numerous photos of Colette and her ancestors. The photos will soon be posted on this Web site and comments and background information are requested.

Dina Cohen and Yael Greenberg	Arie Lewinnek
Tirza's Salon	Sculpture of Colette