The Bridge at Raqqa: 1942
- Joined Dec 2014
- Published Books 4
Copyright © 2015
In 1942 the British army decided to look for escape routes from Palestine in the face of the threat of the German invasion. They decided to build a bridge over the large and might Euphrates river in Syria that would be large and strong enough for tanks and military equipment, but were unable to build a structure of this nature within the time and budget limited need. Arpad Gut, a well-known engineer who had abandoned his burgeoning career in Budapest in the face of violent antisemitism, agreed to help. Using recycled war materials and radical techniques, he was able to build the bridge in the few months of the highest tide, and created nothing short of a miracle. The bridge, called the Gut bridge until 1948 when it was sold to Syria, stands today.
Karen Alkalay-Gut
Dedicated to
Arpad Gut
Bandi Gut
Peter Gut
Yehoshua Fourer
Ezra Gut
And all their ancestors of bridge-making
BUILDING THE BRIDGE
To build the bridge over the mighty Euphrates
One begins from both sides at once.
The shallow side is constructed with concrete
And the deeper waters traversed
With a cantilever, section after section
Until the two parts meet at the middle,
Join together to become
One noble construction.
In times of peace, the bridge becomes a pleasure dome
carrying water, transporting lovers,
making well-deserved magic…
It may be easily destroyed
This glorious connection
Vulnerable to the slightest affront
The most delicate misunderstanding
And once crippled,
May never stand again.
Blessed are the builders of bridges
The peacemakers
Even in the midst of war
THE MAKER
Grandfather Arpad created this construction,
The Gut Bridge, what can be understood
As the good bridge, made from oil tanks
Bombed by Italy, from recycled pieces brought
From all over the war-wounded world.
He enlisted Pele to build in Rishon,
Bandi to assist in Raqqa,
Shuki to bring the parts,
Falachin from town to build,
and the British to support
The delicate balance.
THE DRIVER
Uncle Shuki helped bring it together
Brought the precast iron all the way
From the factory at Rishon, drove the truck
Through uncharted paths, straight north.
THE HELPER
Bandi in his white overalls
Worked side by side
With uniformed officers
with men in Didashahs
Driving through the wilderness
From Tel Aviv to Raqqa
Syria to Palestine
Leaving his family
to protect them
NEVERTHELESS
there is another side to this tale.
The bridge was built for the British troops
To escape from Palestine
When Rommel invaded,
To leave the land and the Jews
To the Aryan nation.
But bridges are bridges
Make connections possible
As long as they stand
Make connections possible
As long as they stand
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060033273#.VQBa0dMGBik.facebook
update: <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/S4Qb1CcH-gI” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
Published: Jan 23, 2015
Latest Revision: Mar 11, 2015
Ourboox Unique Identifier: OB-26828
Copyright © 2015
