Taking flight ... Max’s bird trail

September 2016 Environment

Sheila Patz cuts the ribbon to launch the Max Patz Trail

The Jerusalem Bird Observatory, situated in the heart of Jerusalem in the precincts of the Knesset, formerly an open piece of ground, was founded in 1994 by local birdwatchers in order to protect this unique urban site, and funded by devoted volunteers, foundations and generous friends.

Today it is part of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (S.P.N.I) and is its first community wild life center in the country, undertaking research and affording education to the many groups of schoolchildren and other visitors and focusing on the preservation of Jerusalem's wild life heritage.

The Max Patz Trail is a self-guided trail accessible to all smart phones via a series of bar codes. It was made possible by a generous donation from the Patz family in memory of my late brother-in-law Dr. Max Patz, a lifelong "birder" and a dedicated friend of the Jerusalem Bird Observatory.

Patz ... nature lover

Max, born in 1924 in Germiston, South Africa, moved to and grew up in Brakpan, a small mining town, where he attended primary school. Max can be described as a "born lover of nature". He told his grandchildren how when he was walking to school, he would stop and admire the flowers and insects on the way, which often delayed his punctual arrival!

He qualified as a doctor in 1946 and married my sister Sheila in 1948. He couldn't be persuaded to specialize. He opted instead to settle in the small country town of Middelburg, 100 miles east of Johannesburg, where he practiced for 54 years, becoming a beloved, well-known, highly skilled and respected family doctor - "nothing short of a legend" - as he was described after his passing by the local newspaper, the Middelburg Observer, 10 years after his retirement and departure from Middelburg.

During his long sojourn in Middelburg, situated an hour and a half's drive from the well-known game reserve, the Kruger National Park, which he visited as often as possible, Max became an avid and very knowledgeable bird watcher and lover of the bush with an exceptional knowledge also of wild-life flora, insects and butterflies. But it was his beloved Dr. Austin Roberts Book of South African Birds and his binoculars that were permanently at his side wherever he drove. In fact, Max's last request to his children was to procure for him in South Africa the latest edition of Roberts, which request was acceded to, and this very weighty tome was brought to him by a family member travelling from South Africa.

After retiring and spending a short while in Johannesburg, Max and Sheila came on aliyah 10 years ago to join their large family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They settled in Jerusalem, near to the Bird Observatory which they soon discovered and, being within walking distance, spent many happy and enthusiastic hours there.

After Max passed away two years ago his family decided that they wanted to donate something to the Bird Observatory in his memory. They consulted with Alen Kacal, the director, who hails from Trinidad. She came up with the idea of a self-guided trail - a project which would enable visitors to access information at all times as the Observatory is open 24/7 but staff members are not on duty 24/7.

The Max Patz family dynasty outside the bird observatory

The project was a year in the planning and eventually the Max Patz Trail was officially opened on February 5, 2016. The event was very well attended by family and friends.

In her opening remarks, Alen, followed by Amir Balaban, founder of the JBO, paid tribute to Max for his interest in and love of the place. She spoke of how impressed he was by the number of young people visiting, how he loved the people he met there and how he, in turn, endeared himself to everyone. She described how, in the difficult days in the latter period of his life, his visits became fewer, but on the occasions when with assistance he was able to visit, it brightened up his day and he became a different person.

In all the years that Max visited the Observatory, his greatest interest was of the ringing of the birds, which process was explained to me at a later date. Once temporarily "entrapped" the birds are weighed and measured and are then ringed with an identification number to be included in an international database to enable the birds to be followed along their flight paths.

Fascinated as he was with the process of ringing, he himself never participated in it. A birding friend from Middelburg wrote in a condolence letter to the family ".... a bird in the hand gives a whole new dimension to bird watching". Had he done so, he would no doubt have subscribed to the proverbial "bird in the hand" being "worth two in the bush".

A background history of his father Max was given by his son David, who raised a laugh when he told of the occasion that, as a passenger in the car driven by his father, his father had stopped the car and viewed for 30 minutes through his binoculars, a bird he spotted at the top of a tree, whilst he, David, was "platzing", bored and impatient, in the back seat of the car!

Next on the program, Alen gave the visitors an explanation of and instructions for the workings of the Apps. There are at present four stations with more planned for the future. Each station will direct you to the next one with another activity. She assured everyone that help would be at hand for anyone in difficulty.

Instruction number 1: "Take out and switch on your smart phone".

Not being the owner of a smart phone, I "switched off" so that subsequent instructions like Downloading a QR code for those who didn't have one and scanning a bar code were all beyond my comprehension!

QR code for phones

My sister Sheila was then called upon to cut the ribbon surrounding the tree trunk to which an App was attached, and she officially opened the Max Patz Trail at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory amidst a great ovation. Everyone excitedly set about acquainting themselves with the procedure to enable them to follow the four stations. The buzz of excitement and enthusiasm was palpable and was for me a "technological mind-blowing" experience!

The Max Patz Trail has added a new dimension to the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, the place which became the love of Max's life in Israel; a place of great interest which it is highly recommended to all to visit and where it is now possible to be kept updated with all the information available there.

You can view a video of the opening of the Max Patz Trail at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFs9CLe_lL0.

Address: The Rose Garden, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, entrance through the Knesset gate. Tel: 052 386 9488; Fax: 02 653 7373; Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; web: The Jerusalem Bird Observatory

About the author

Ruth Shakenovsky

Ruth Kramer was born in 1931 in Germiston, South Africa. She attended primary and high school in Germiston and studied at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg. In 1952 she married Henry Shakenovsky after which she worked as a social worker in the Germiston “Black” Township until the birth of their first child.

Not long after their move in 1956 to a newly established suburb of Johannesburg, she formed the Sydenham East branch of the Johannesburg Women’s Zionist League. She recruited a committee of enthusiastic members which she chaired for several years. The branch functioned very successfully for many years (and might still do!), mainly raising funds for inter alia WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization), Keren Kayemeth l’Israel (Jewish National Fund).

After the birth of their fourth child, Ruth returned to study at “Wits” University and obtained an LLB degree and then qualified as an attorney. She worked at the Legal Aid Bureau, a charitable organization offering free legal assistance to indigent clients and later at a legal firm.

The Shakenovskys made their first aliyah to Israel in 1970 (Aliyah Aleph). After a short period they returned to South Africa and then in 1988 they made their second aliyah (Aliyah Bet).

During the time in South Africa, Ruth continued with her Zionist work and at the request of the first headmaster of the Jewish Day School in Johannesburg – King David (Linksfield) – she embarked with him on a research project embracing a follow-up of all the matriculants of the school since 1956 (the first matric class). It proved to be an interesting, exciting and very worthwhile project, however Ruth was not able to complete it owing to their departure to Israel and all the valuable material and analysis was given over to the archives of the Jewish Board of Education.

In Israel in 1993 Ruth invited the celebrated South African actor the late Patrick Mynhardt to come to Israel to perform his one-man show. He agreed enthusiastically and at no charge other than a free air ticket! She then, in collaboration with the South African Embassy and a committee of helpers, organized a 10-day tour in which Mynardt enthralled mostly ex South African audiences in many parts of Israel with his legendary performances such as “Om Schalk Lourens”, (which made Patrick Mynhard and in the process immortalized author Herman Charles Bosman and his stories about Groot Marico (a small country town in the then Western Transvaal).

Ruth is outstanding at sports. Whilst at High School she participated in athletics, tennis and hockey, representing the school and in later years she played at provincial level. Fit and enjoying the outdoors, she completed many of the hiking trails in South Africa. The first was the Otter Trail in the Cape Province and which remains, says Ruth, “one of the highlights of my life in South Africa”.

In Israel, as a tennis player, Ruth represented Israel in the Maccabi Games. She has hiked the Israel Hiking Trail, which too, remains a highlight of her life here.

From 1994 Ruth spent ten years commuting between Israel and South Africa as her husband, not ready for retirement, returned to work in South Africa to resume his legal career.

Ruth was disturbed by oft-heard comments in Israel denigrating those who pursued a religious life-style with widely differing political views, which she considered were a result of prejudice, intolerance, and ignorance. This made her aware of the need to promote fruitful dialogue and interaction between all sections of Israelis. She hoped in this way that tolerance, respect and understanding would be achieved. To this end she was instrumental in forming an organization named “Unity in Diversity”. To pursue these objectives, tours to Mitze Jericho, Gush Etzion, Ariel and Maaleh Adumin were organized which were enlightening and constructive experiences.

Ruth volunteers for ESRA, in the delivery of ESRA Magazines, both bundles and individual magazines. She is also a tutor in the ESRA English Tutoring Program. Ruth has an open house, is an excellent cook and baker and is renowned for her wonderful meals and warm hospitality.

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