Miriam Akavia | |
|---|---|
מרים עקביה | |
 | |
| Born | Matylda Weinfeld 1927 Kraków, Poland |
| Died | 16 January 2015 |
| Nationality | Polish-born Israeli |
| Alma mater | Tel Aviv University |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, Translator, Holocaust Survivor |
| Known for | Holocaust memoirs and novels |
| Awards | Yad Vashem Prize (1978), Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works (1993) |
Miriam Akavia alsoMatylda Weinfeld (1927 – 16 January 2015) was a Polish-born Israeliwriter andtranslator, aHolocaust survivor, and the president of thePlatform for Jewish-Polish Dialogue.[1][2]
She was born in 1927 inKraków to the Weinfeld family. During World War II she was interned in theKraków Ghetto, and then an inmate of theKraków-Płaszów concentration camp,Auschwitz concentration camp and finally theBergen-Belsen concentration camp.
After the latter camp's liberation by theBritish army, she was among the ailing women inmates evacuated by the SwedishRed Cross for convalescence in Sweden. In 1946 she found her way toMandatory Palestine. She qualified as a registered nurse, and studied literature and history atTel Aviv University. She also served as acultural attaché in Israeli diplomatic posts located inBudapest andStockholm. Miriam Akavia was one of the three students who were stopped from attending public schools as a result of German Invasion; however, she was transferred to the Jewish Gymnazjum.
Miriam Akavia began publishing novels and memoirs in 1975. As a president of thePlatform for Jewish-Polish Dialogue, she organized meetings with teenagers of both countries. She aimed to defuse stereotypes which separatePoles andJews.[3]
Miriam Akavia wrote mainly about her childhood, the Holocaust and her war experiences. She was also a translator who translated Hebrew literature into Polish and vice versa.
She was a laureate of many honours inPoland,Israel andGermany. In 1978 she received aYad Vashem Prize. Her books have been translated into many languages, includingEnglish,German,Danish, andFrench. In 1993, she received thePrime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works.
