By Sheila Orysiek
SAN DIEGO — In 1937, Mendel Cohen, a Jewish carpenter living in Jerusalem met Abdullah, the King of Jordan, at the home of the High Commissioner of the British Mandate Authority in Palestine. The Commissioner was leaving for England and Cohen was helping him to pack. Many of the items were delicate and needed special packaging.
Cohen had a gift for fine carpentry as well as various other talents including designing and supervising the construction of large building projects. King Abdullah was always busy expanding and furnishing his palaces and other projects in Jordon’s capital city, Amman. The King, having seen Cohen’s work for the British High Commissioner, was much taken with it and invited him to Amman. Thus began a most unlikely ten year partnership – even friendship – between two men; one who loved to improve and add to the beauty of his country and the other who loved to produce works of usable physical art.
Cohen spent a great deal of time away from his home and family in Jerusalem to be near his work in Amman. The friendship blossomed; the two men drank coffee together, played chess, but never discussed those things upon which they obviously disagreed such as the increasing number of Jews immigrating into Palestine after fleeing the hell of Europe.
On the eve of the birth of the State of Israel, King Abdullah made sure that Cohen was whisked to safety out of Amman as the Arab armies descended upon the new state. The friendship was over. However, years later the King’s grandson, King Hussein, invited Cohen’s daughter to visit Amman and see some of her father’s creations.
A Bridge Across the Jordan, The Friendship Between a Jewish Carpenter and the King of Jordan, by Adaia and Abraham Shumsky, Arcade Publishing, 1997, presents an interesting look at the complicated but often productive contacts between the Arab and Jewish inhabitants of the land.
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Orysiek is a freelance writer who specializes in coverage of the arts and literature. Your comment may be sent to sheila.orysiek@sdjewishworld.com or posted on this website, per the instructions below.
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Orysiek is a freelance writer who specializes in arts and literature. Comments may be made in the space provided below this article or sent to the author at sheila.orysiek@sdjewishworld.com