ההנצחה הכושלת של סוגת ספרי הזיכרון לחללי חברון בתרפ"ט

The paper examines the literary commemoration of the victims of the 1929 riots, focusingon the Hebron massacre, where most of the casualties occurred. It presents four memorialbooks published in the year following the events and analyzes their messages, approaches,and impact. Although the Yishuv recognized the importance of commemoration, thesememorial books received little public attention, and commemoration initiatives facedgeneral disinterest.Chalalei Bat Ami by Pinchas Ben-Tzvi Grajewski documents the events in a traditionallamentation style, incorporating graphic images. Yizkor Am Yisrael Et Kedoshei Av Tarpatby Aba Zvi Barzin commemorated all victims of the riots, emphasizing their personal livesand portraying them as part of the Zionist enterprise. War and Peace in the Land ofIsrael—a Memorial Album by Yitzhak Triwaks framed the events as part of the Zioniststruggle, aiming to encourage Jewish settlement and support from the Diaspora. SeferZikaron Lekdoshei Yeshivat Hevron was initiated by the Hebron Yeshiva’s students andfocused on the 24 murdered students, highlighting their devotion to Torah study and thesense of defeat the survivors felt.The paper highlights the public’s lack of response to these books and analyzings possiblereasons, including fresh trauma, the Jewish community’s sense of failure to defend itself, anddistrust in the publishers. Ultimately, the commemoration of the Hebron Massacre victimsremained marginal, reflecting the community’s struggle to cope with the tragic events andthe failure in self-defense they represented.