Israeli fans have learned to read the teenage magician's adventures in English
Photo: AP
Harry Potter hits Israel, too
Shabbat, 2 a.m. starting time no deterrent for Harry Potter fans, as devotees line up for first crack at 'Half-Blood Prince'
SHEFAYIM – For owners of the Tsomet Sefarim book chain, it was a simple calculation: midnight in London is 2 a.m. in Israel. The fact that it was Friday night didn't matter.
The craze continued into Shabbat morning. Outside two bookstores at the Seven Stars mall in Herzliya there were long lines all morning, and more than one parent was overheard arguing with children who fought over first rights.
They weren't wrong. Dozens of kids, teenagers, and adults did without their usual Friday night parties to wait in line outside the store to get first crack at "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," even if it meant waiting until the middle of the night.
Noam Twito, 12, dragged his father from Ramat Gan to Herzliya to ensure a good spot in line. Another, 18-year-old Tom Ron of Herzliya, said he would read slowly, but by Shabbat afternoon he had finished five (out of 30) chapters.
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As of Saturday night, more than 5,000 copies had been sold in Israel, and the first printing was sold out.
Hebrew in time for Chanukah
The fact that the book is not due out in Hebrew until December was no deterrent. Israeli fans have learned to read about the teenage magician's adventures in English.
One Israeli woman, Gili Bar Hillel, had a particular interest in the book's publication. Hillel will translate the sixth Harry Potter adventure into Hebrew.
In order to make her target date of December, Bar Hillel will have to average 12 pages a day, and has promised fans she will go into seclusion to get the job done. But she says it will be harder than translating the last book.
"Now, I've got two kids," she told "Yedioth Ahronoth." "Luckily, my husband, babysitters, and my mother are all on deck to help me finish the project."
Ilai Melzer, managing director of Aliyat Hagag publishers is responsible for publishing the book in Hebrew together with Yedioth Ahronoth. He said the Hebrew version will be similar to the American one.
"This is the way we have done it in the past," he said. "(Only) The cover will be different, and some of the drawings at the beginning of each chapter."
He added that a team two editors and two proofreaders will try to ensure that the Hebrew version can be released in time for Chanukah.
