Born in Jerusalem, Born Palestinian: A Memoir

This memoir by the son of one of Jerusalem’s oldest families - in fact, one that had an entire neighbourhood named after them - is an excellent book and an easy read.Jacob Nammar sets the stage by describing his childhood and his family’s life in Jerusalem before the 1948 partition of Palestine. He then tells of how the family - one of the few who chose not to flee at the creation of Israel - were treated under the new regime. It’s a heart-breaking tale that involves imprisonment, impoverishment, displacement, discrimination, injustice and eventually emigration - told simply and eloquently.But it's also an inspiring story. Despite the inhumane treatment Nammar was subjected to, he strove to make the most of his adverse circumstances and to integrate in the new milieu he found himself in, becoming an accomplished athlete. Sadly, his efforts and goodwill were no match for the bigotry and fanaticism of this new society.The book's only shortcoming is the dearth of historical details, probably due to the author’s desire to avoid giving it a political slant. However, some basic dates and facts would have given a necessary background to the book, particularly for readers unfamiliar with the history of Palestine. For example, he says that “The day before my seventh birthday, May 15, 1948, was one of the most horrible of my childhood. The day marked the beginning of al-Nakba, the great catastrophe, the exodus of Palestinians from our lands.” It would be important here to explain that that was the date the British Mandate of Palestine came to an end thus allowing the creation of the state of Israel.Admittedly, though, the author's insistence on avoiding politics and adhering to the human side of the story makes it that much more powerful.

Jacob Nammar takes you on a trip through the space and time of Jerusalem, a time or tranquility that turns into turmoil. A time of happiness... a time of sorrows, at one of the most magical places on earth; a place that has witnessed plenty of both throughout the ages, and continues to do so to this day. Jacob vividly and colorfully describes the place and time he grew up in, through the eyes of a young boy moving into adulthood, as Jerusalem went through a difficult transition form having a Palestinian identity, with Christians, Muslims, and Jews living in relative harmony, to an Israeli / Jordanian divided city, that eventually became Israeli controlled after 1967.The book is beautifully narrated, using the old art of story telling that has existed in Jerusalem from time immemorial, but almost lost to our modern times but for a few modern written books. It is a rare gem in that it gives you a rare personal perspective that is rarely relayed by the media, and with the detail that is always missing from such reporting. A historical account of a historic place at a special time in history.Highly Recommended Reading!

Mr. Nammar's experiences are reflected in an atypical approach as compared to other books written on this subject. The Nammar family is Palestinian and negatively impacted by the establishment of the state of Israel. The difference in their story is one of a family who tried desperately to assimilate into the new Israeli society only to be made victims of the racist attitudes of the new occupants rushing to establish their homes on properties belonging to others. Mr. Nammar displays very little animosity in his memoir when one considers the efforts taken by his family to simply belong. This book is helpful for anyone trying to understand how the Holy Land has become so volatile today. It is an honest accounting of how the dehumanization of a people has led to today's headlines.

This book was assigned for my book club because the author is related to a member. I wasn't impressed with the writing but the content was very good. I learned many things about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mr. Nammar has written a wonderful narrative about his life. It is written with passion and some humor and makes for very interesting reading. Recommended.

This page-turning memoir of a Christian Palestinian probes the human condition through the lens of a loving, joyful family shattered by the Nakba, the echo of the Holocaust. The young Nammar and his family were driven by Israeli authorities to a prison zone from their ancestral home, which was then given to Jewish immigrants. Growing up, he finds work at the Jerusalem YMCA and excels in swimming and basketball. When discrimination against Palestinians makes life in the city of his birth intolerable, he emigrates to the United States. Nammar's beautifully written story should be read widely for the insights it presents on life for Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

Jacob Nammar's story, "Born in Jerusalem, Born Palestinian: A Memoir" flows naturally and makes an exciting and easy read.His early childhood was full of adventure that turned scary when the land held for generations by his extended family was taken over by occupying Zionists. But the courage of his parents held the family together in spite of deprivation and hardship. As a young adult Jacob blossoms into a budding athlete as a swimmer and, later, basketball. But his athletic carreer turned sour due to discriminitve politics and forced him, eventially, to emigrate to the United States to pursue his education and sports carreer.What struck me the most throughout this book was the absense of resentment or hatred for the oppressors. Those feelings would have been well justified, but true to his Christian upbringing, Jacob voiced his frustrations and fears but never hatred.I couldn't put it down until I was finished. This book, like a few others I have, will be read again and again over the years.

I truly enjoyed this book. Jacob's life moves from a simple pastoral and untroubled childhood through the upheaval of partition. His longing for a simpler time, when religious groups more peacefully co-existed in the Holy Land.

This is the story of many eloquently written in a simple narrative. Being a Jerusalemite, Mr Nammar makes his case with much emotion.