I am not so sure this is the stage for bringing up memories but I do like to write something to honor Neomy Shemer memory and I prefer this place on others.

Neomy Shemer was my music teacher, we used to call her (in the Jordan Valley accent) Nomi. During the years 1955-6 she spent her time teaching kids in the D’gania-A Elementary School and used to be one of our favorite teachers first due to the issue learned, music/singing and secondly due to her character. She always seemed to be in a good mood and smiling, it was pretty refreshing and a change from the old(?) teachers with the frozen faces we used to have then there.

I remember how she was spending her time between classes, sitting aside, barely involved with the other teachers writing down on sheets of papers. Writing and erasing, writing and erasing, using a small rubber eraser until at last she seemed to be satisfied. We did not understand what actually she is doing. Only years later I realized she was writing her songs there, between classes.

Years later when we crossed the Jordan River to the High School Bait-Yerh (the house of the moon), that was located on the ancient, prehistoric settlement Bet-Yerah about half a kilometer from the D’gania-A Elementary school across the river and just in front of the entrance to Kvotzat Kinneret-Nomi’s kibbutz, I had Nomi’s sister Ruti as my Chemistry teacher.

What a talented and worm family they where.

About a half kilometer to the north of our High School Beth Yerah is berried another poet, Rachel, better known as “Rahel the Poet”. Most of the Jordan Valley youth used to visit frequently the grave of “Rahel the Poet” from all sort of reasons, primarily romantic once. The grave is located in the special space on a cliff and under the shadow of a tall wide tree viewing the lake of Galilie – the Kinerret Lake. Nomi used to visit their many times while she was in the “valley” during the fourties and the fifties of the last century. Neomi drew inspiration from Rahel the Poet and it shows.

I was really sorry to hear about Neomi’s decease, she was an icon of old and I may say better, simpler times.
Now after she has suffered years of painful disease I wish her to rest in peace.