Friends Publish Secret Book for Poet Igor Guberman's 90th Birthday
Friends of Russian-Israeli author and poet Igor Guberman have published a unique book in his honor for his 90th birthday, keeping the project a secret from him until the celebration. The book, titled "Through the Eyes of Friends," is not a collection of poems but a visual album featuring paintings, handwritten pages, and personal photographs from family archives. This tradition of publishing books for Guberman without his prior knowledge began in the 1980s, with "Jewish Datszybao" being the first such publication. Subsequent secret editions included "Boomerang" in 1982 and "Open Text" in 1996, gifted to him for his 60th birthday. Guberman himself noted the secrecy surrounding the "Open Text" publication, stating that "about two hundred people knew, and not a single one let it slip." "Through the Eyes of Friends" is the fourth book in this series. The first edition was a gift, but a second edition is now being prepared for pre-order, with each copy personally signed by Guberman. Proceeds from the second edition will be donated to "Baobab," a network of resilience centers for the elderly and those with post-traumatic stress, which currently operates 45 centers across the country. The funds will be used to purchase tools for new centers.