A Memoir
“A story that has never been told”
“Is both one man’s auto biography and a national narrative.”
A story to MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Nominated for book awards – 2nd Edition
Praise for Born in Jerusalem, Born Palestinian
“Very compelling and personal… fragrant details, great zoom-lens scenes of Palestinian family life… pull us right into the landscape and the domain… I support this book and salute its honesty and stirring intentions. We need it in our world. We need every single politician to have a copy in his/her back pocket. As the daughter of a Palestinian also from Jerusalem, I can say that this book rings deeply true to me, and assuages my sorrow somewhat over all the injustice which has pervaded the Holy City for far too long… Nammar makes a strong stride in all the right directions.
—Naomi Shihab Nye, award winning author, writer, poet
“I cannot think of a more appropriate reading on the Nakba—the catastrophe of displacement of most of the native Palestinians—than this searing and honest story of the family of Jacob Nammar. This poignant story of one Jerusalemite family provides a microcosm for the stories of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Christian and Muslim families. Nammar’s narrative is never bitter and instead provides a message of perseverance against all odds, a message of hope for peace and justice, and a message to remind us of our common humanity. Told with exquisite detail and beauty… this readable memoir will help many people around the world understand the reality of Palestine and its dispossessed people.”
—Mazin B. Qumsiyeh, author of Sharing the Land of Canaan
“This is a compelling and compassionate memoir of a Jeusalem life during wartime and after… stands out as one of very few works that addresses the life for those Palestinians who stayed behind in Israeli occupied part of (West) Jerusalem… On this level the book is original and has significant ethnographic value for the historical researcher, as well as for students of the Arab-Israeli conflict.”
—Salim Tamari, editor, Jerusalem Quarterly, Institute of Jerusalem Studies
“This is not just the story of a single, large extended Palestinian family living before and after the Nakba in 1948. The Nammar family is at the center of a large tapestry in which Palestinian history, cultural roots, and traditions are carefully woven. The description of al-Quds, where the family lived, moves deeply…”
—Mohammed Omer, photojournalist
Publisher’s Summary
When Jacob Nammar was a young boy growing up in Harret al-Nammareh, his family, his friends, and the streets of his West Jerusalem neighborhood were the center of his life. It wasn’t long, however, before his existence was turned upside down when his family was forced out of their home during the Nakba, the catastrophe that resulted in the ethnic cleansing of nearly 750,000 natives and the destruction of over 500 Palestinian villages and towns.
In this heartwarming memoir, Jacob paints a vivid portrait of Palestinian life—from his childhood days in pre-1948 Jerusalem, through the struggles of the Palestinian community under Israeli rule, to his ultimate decision to leave for America at age 23. It is a relevant and deeply personal tale of a man struggling to hold his world together as his beloved homeland is torn apart before his eyes. It is a love story with a city, and chronicles a Palestinian family’s resilience and determination to survive even in their weakest moments. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming coming of age story set amid the backdrop of one of the most tragic historical events that has engulfed the region.
Jacob Nammar was born in Jerusalem in 1941. He is a retired business executive. He lives in San Antonio, Texas.
OLIVE BRANCH PRESS An Imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. www.interlinkbooks.com
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