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Showing posts from October, 2014

Jerusalem: A Family Portrait

Summary: The story of the Halaby family is a remarkable, yet sad one. What is mostly told is the relationship between the family's two brother: Yakov and Isak. From the early days of their childhood, the two brothers have had an estranged relationship and despite the horror, the violence, the frustration, and abuse that surrounds them and their immediate families, the two men obstinately stick to their clashing opinions. The two men are trying their best to raise their families during the 1940s in Jerusalem. This is a time when the conflict between Arabs and Jews was intense and bloody. Members of the families are drawn to the conflict and want to help what they believe to be just causes. However, the two youngest boys on both sides of the family are friends and despite their fathers' quarrel they promise to be friends forever. As the two grow up, Jonathan and Motti discover that that promise becomes difficult to maintain. Reference: Yakin, Boaz; Nick Bertozzi (2013).