Nava Semel
Nava Semel (; September 15, 1954 – December 2, 2017) was an Israeli author, playwright, screenwriter and translator. Her short story collection "Kova Zekhukhit " ("Hat of Glass") was the first work of fiction published in Israel to address the topic of the "Second Generation"—children of Holocaust survivors. Early life and education. Nava Semel was born 1954 in Jaffa, daughter of Yitzhak Artzi, a politician and member of the Knesset, and Mimi (Margalit), a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp and Kleineshenau. Her maternal grandmother was the sister of Rabbi Meir Shapiro. She was the younger sister of Israeli rock musician  Shlomo Artzi. She had an MA in art history from Tel Aviv University. Career. Semel published 16 books, plays, opera libretti, poetry and screenplays. She also wrote plays and translated for the Hebrew stage. Her acclaimed novel "And the Rat Laughed" was adapted into an opera libretto in 2005. Critical reception. Her works have been translated into many languages and published in many countries. Recurring themes. Her work focuses on the "second generation" (children of Holocaust survivors) in Israel. Her characters are native born Israelis, who confront their identity issues and deal with the scars of the painful past. Public  projects and activism. Semel was a member of the Board of Directors of Massuah, the Institute for Holocaust Studies at Kibbutz Tel Yitzhak, and for many years was a member of the Board of Governors of Yad Vashem. She was also on the Board of Directors of the "New Foundation for Television and Cinema". Personal life. Nava Semel was married to Noam Semel, the Director General of the Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv, and mother of three children. She lived in Tel Aviv, Israel. Awards and honors. She received the Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works in 1996 , "The Women Writers of the Mediterranean Award" in France 1994, and "Women of the Year in Literature of the City of Tel Aviv" 2006.