Dry Bones was resurrected as Israel’s premier cartoonist at age 81
Much has been written about the life of Yaakov Kirschen – known as “Dry Bones” to his large number of adoring fans – but little has been written about his return to drawing cartoons in his eighties until his death on 14 April at the age of 87.
Together Dry Bones and I collaborated on publishing 335 of my articles over more than six years on a regular weekly basis – each of my articles being accompanied by a cartoon drawn by Dry Bones expressing his take on the subject matter of each article.
I had long been a fan of Yaakov’s from the time I purchased the 1977 original of the following cartoon on sale in an upmarket art gallery in Tel Aviv:
I first personally met Yaakov and his charming wife Sali – whom Yaakov affectionately called LSW – Long Suffering Wife – following the publication of his remarkable and unique Haggadah in 2013 – peppered with cartoons and comic strips that will ensure every page brings pleasure and laughter to the reader:
Our collaboration actually began on 9 January 2019 when his following cartoon accompanied my article entitled: “US and Israel quit over UNESCO’s love affair with Palestine.”
He was not a well man then – confined to a wheel chair with little mobility – but able to get to his beloved computer to embark on our incredible journey.
For the next 334 weeks until about six weeks before his death - we went through a weekly ritual in which I sent him my articles from Sydney and he returned his cartoon from Herzliya that was able to convey what I had struggled to produce in 620 words.
I never questioned his cartoons - giving him free rein to express himself as he thought fit. I questioned his choice of words frequently included in his cartoons – but these differences were settled over the phone in an amicable manner.
When Yaakov was no longer able to draw his weekly cartoons from his hospital bed – I turned to using some of his old cartoons that still were relevant to the ongoing unresolved 100-years conflict between Jews and Arabs.
The following cartoon was chosen by me to accompany my latest article: “Israel stakes claim while Trump takes aim”
Yaakov had drawn this cartoon to accompany an article I had published on 1 June 2020: “Trump needs to revise his vision for Judea and Samaria”
This cartoon is as relevant in 2025 as it was in 2020.
Yaakov and I had a true meeting of minds which guaranteed our partnership endured to become what I think is quite unique in the world of publishing.
In his latter days I used his cartoons in a booklet supporting the commencement of negotiations to implement the 2022 Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine solution – which had emanated in Saudi Arabia.
His cartoon on the silence of the United Nations refusing to consider the Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine solution was damning – and appeared with this article: “UN continues obscene silence on Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine”
Yaakov was out on his own as premier cartoonist in Israel.
He received the Israeli Museum of Caricature and Comics’ Golden Pencil Award and the 2014 Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize for his contribution to Israeli culture and the arts.
He was extremely proud to be acknowledged and retained by Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) on 23 August 2023 to provide cartoons to that organisation.
It was my distinct privilege to have shared the last six years of Yaakov’s life in the way we did – including with his amazing wife Sali.
Rest in peace dear Yaakov. You have left behind a legacy which few people could ever hope to emulate.
David Singer is an Australian lawyer and political analyst.
