I'm Not From Around Here

I was captivated and identified so much with what I was reading, that I kept looking forward to the next window in my schedule to go on with this book. Shay Stern, Israeli producer and writer Ishai Klinowsky's work is a Holocaust book that one should read and re-read. I'm Not from Around Here is a striking and impressive piece whose narrative flows in a keenly sensitive way, accurately balancing the personal, family-oriented story with that of a people. It raises moral and social issues along with constituting a fascinating piece of literature that anyone would find interesting. The family narrative is easy to follow and absorbing, since the child therein described effortlessly arouses your empathy. At the same time, the story of the Jewish people, the history of several countries in Europe, and the story of Israeli society in the country that was finally established after generations of wandering are expertly portrayed. Ayelet Klein, NRG news website A fascinating lifelong journal. An eloquent, moving narrative about an unusual family, considerably different from so-called "normative" European families, that portrays an antithesis to the weak, down-trodden Jew. Erik Bloom, Nuritha website The oblique, rather cynical tone Klinowsky chooses in recounting the difficult experiences of his characters, set against the backdrop of one of the darkest periods in human memory, makes for a highly intriguing book. Reading it leaves one with a bitter-sweet feeling, complete with moments of joy and of sadness. This book extracts real, larger than life characters out of history. Royi-Persol, Ma'ariv daily newspaper A fascinating book you can read in one sitting, like an adventure novel. Smadar Shir, Ma'ariv daily newspaper Ever since I began hearing about the Holocaust, especially from my mother as she described her own ordeals, I was struck with the poignant question: How did she of all people succeed in surviving such a terrible labor camp as Ludwigsdorf? On average, most people did not last more than a few months there. So how did she manage to survive three years?This begged the question, "is there such a thing as the ultimate survivor?" It is well known that Mom had no survival skills prior to WWII. She was uneducated, naïve, slow for her age, a sickly child with a poor vocabulary. So how come she, of all people, survived? What was this life force that propelled her throughout the war? I arrived at the conclusion that she possesses a trait I call the "I'm not from around here" trait.This characteristic boils down to not adopting a sense of responsibility for the place in which you happen to be, thereby retaining an outsider's view, akin to that of a journalist. It is as if to say "I'm not a part of all this; I'm here only temporarily." It seems I have this trait as well, having inherited it from my mother. In difficult times in my life, I have always regarded myself as an uninvolved observer.In my opinion, the effect of this trait is rather elaborate and extensive. It gives rise to the phenomenon of the "wandering Jew." Since Diaspora Jews were subject to intolerance wherever they lived, they never developed much affinity with particular places, no sense of belonging. Moreover, Jews developed a unique form of humoristic self-deprecation. This "Jewish humor" allowed them to take themselves less seriously, thereby softening the impact of life's often unbearable hardships. Well into the 20th century, Jews usually had the option of simply packing up and moving elsewhere in the face of persecution, and so many of them became worldly and hopeful, moving from one place to another in search of a better life. This, I believe, was part of the strength of the Jewish people before Israel came to be.I'm Not from Around Here encourages the preservation of the memory of the Holocaust by highlighting that "every survivor has a story." Colorful, authentic personal accounts run much deeper, and are capable of being far more moving, than an ordinary history book in black and white.