From Jerusalem to Beverly Hills: Memoir of a Palestinian Jew
Author
Eitan Gonen
Publisher
AuthorHouse
4 Review Copies Left
This is a riveting story of the author's journey for survival as a war refugee and overcoming poverty. The story begins in Jerusalem as the British Empire crumbles and World War II ends. The ensuing turmoil in Palestine lead to Israel's War of Independence and the Arab siege of Jerusalem that shaped Eitan's childhood and the journey he travelled as a construction laborer, shepherd in a kibbutz, "Top Gun" fighter pilot in Israel Air Force, engineer for the Space Shuttle and a businessman in Beverly Hills. On his quest for independence and justice he endured family displacement, hunger, personal loss, and a government corruption scandal that nearly unraveled all he had worked to create. This compelling story, however, is ultimately one of triumph.
Jerusalem, at once provincial and cosmopolitan, where lives of Christians, Jews and Arabs intermingle, is the colorful ground for a true story of a boy growing up during the tumultuous waning years of the British rule. The author describes scenes from the Arab-Israeli war, from a rare vantage point of a little boy, turned refugee in the ravaged city.
As a teenager, he becomes a member of a socialist youth movement and joins his friends to establish a kibbutz. Toiling as a shepherd in the hills of Judea, and disappointed by the communal system, he leaves to join the Israel Air Force and becomes a fighter pilot. At the age of 22, he takes Dina, his wife, to Africa to create the newly independent Ghana Air Force.
Fulfilling his lifelong dream, the author goes to America, but tragedy drives his young family back to Israel for eleven years. Following the Yom Kippur War, his keen sense of justice compels him to expose government corruption that inevitably teaches him that "no good deed goes unpunished," but at the end of the day makes him victorious.
A memorable scene aboard an El Al flight provides an emotional end.
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Reviews
FROM JERUSALEM TO BEVERLY HILLS: Memoir of a Palestinian Jew by Eitan Gonen
AuthorHouse ISBN 978-1-4520-9294-2 339 PAGES
From the first page, I was captivated by Eitan Gonen's book FROM JERUSALEM TO BEVERLY HILLS: Memoir of a Palestinian Jew. His parents suffered through the pogroms in the Ukraine and came to Palestine as pioneers. Eitan and his family lived in poverty outside Jerusalem. In 1948 when a "State of Israel" was established, they were forced to flee because Jerusalem was attacked by the Iraqis,the Egyptians and the Transjordan army. They went to Tel Aviv where life was a constant struggle for the family.
Eitan's father's work kept him away from home during the week so it became his mother's responsibility to somehow care for her children with very limited means.
As a student, he was a challenge. He was obviously smart and a quick learner, but doing the required homework was not a high priority for him. His school year escapades were fun to read. His many friends came from different backrounds and Eitan provides vivid descriptions of them.
He was never afraid of hard work and held an interesting assortment of jobs ranging from construction work to becoming a shepherd on a kibbutz. His description of his experiences when milking sheep are memorable.
After leaving the kibbutz he joined the army and in time became an Air Force pilot and then an instructor. He married the love of his life, Dina, together they build a life- a life that takes them to Ghana, other parts of Africa and to Europe and eventually to America. It was always his mother's dream to come to America and it had become his dream as well. In California he went to college and earned a Master's Degree. Also, during this time, Dina's and Eitan's first two children were born. After suffering a deep personal tragedy the Gonen family returned to Israel. During this time they had another child. Eitan and a friend go into business together which leads to exposing corruption within the government and the repercussions were astounding and shocking.
After eleven years in Israel he asked Dina to decide-should he try to work for El Al, something she had been against for years, or should they return to California? The family returned to America. Eitan and his friend continue their partnership and were given a contract and they "planned and built the system and tested the components of the fuel system for the Space Shuttle Columbia". The partnership with his friend eventually dissolved and Eitan enters the world of real estate and found success.
This is a remarkable book written by a remarkable man-one who overcame what others would declare to be insurmountable obstacles. I am glad he decided to share his story and I applaud his resolve.
Reviewed on 09/27/2011 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Evie Harris
