About:
Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation by Yossi Klein Halevi is a non-fiction book which follows the footsteps of seven Israeli paratroopers who fought together and the different paths their lives took. Mr Halevi, son of a Holocaust survivor and a recovering extremist right ideologue.
My rating for Like Dreamers – 5
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More Books by Yossi Klein Halevi
Thoughts:
The immediate thought I had when seeing Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation by Yossi Klein Halevi was my dad. He was an Israeli paratrooper and fought in the 1967 Six Days War. I would have loved for him to read this book and get his take, but he passed away three years ago.
He was “missing” for a week and this photo was taken the evening he showed up.
My father was always proud of being a paratrooper, but he rarely talked about it. I knew he fought in 3 wars as a soldier and an officer, but never got any details. I know he fought outside Jerusalem (he was a paratrooper doing his mandatory service, the book is about the reserve units) but that’s just about it. My dad belonged to that selfless generation of kibbutzniks who did their jobs and their duty without complaining and not realizing they were doing anything special. I also remember how much time he spent in the reserves, when called upon he answered without hesitation (to my mother’s dismay). I remember officers coming to our apartment in the Kibbutz and his friends just dropping by.
I would have loved for him to read this book, I’m sure he personally knew several of the people in it
Mr. Halevi goes back to a time where the Jews, barley two decades after the holocaust, are facing annihilation again, and again the world is not interested in helping. Then, in six days, the state of Israel tripled its size, won a war in a way which seemed miraculous, liberated (depends who you ask) Jerusalem and divided itself for decades to come.
Whatever happened before or after, the Battle of Jerusalem was pivotal point in Israeli and Middle Eastern history. Mr. Halevi tells the story of the battle and its aftermath in both cultural and historical context through the view point of seven paratroopers which make the events more personal and understandable.
The author does an excellent job keeping the story balanced, he presents the views of the kibbutzniks who want a socialist paradise, the religious settlers and their views on the importance of keeping the land, the capitalist and artist.
The lives of the seven paratroopers keep interlacing throughout their lives, whether in war or peace, while they seven maintained different views on what’s good for the state of Israel and society, they mostly managed to keep a friendly and supportive relationship despite their differences. What the author manages to convey, is not only Israel’s reality and its problems, but also the lifelong connections of those who served in the Israeli army.
The book shows Israeli history and ideology through the eyes of elite Ashkenazi soldiers, women are sidekicks, Palestine merely an idea and Sephardic Jews are barely mentioned. Yet, the narrative is fascinating, the stories are personal and the history is rich.
Buy this book in paper or electronic (Kindle) format*
More Books by Yossi Klein Halevi
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Thanks for reviewing this book, Zohar--it definitely sounds like something for my TBR list. And thank you for sharing your personal experiences, as well! I love that picture of your father! What remarkable stories you have.