Light Behind the Darkness: Stories of Compassion from the Holy Land

by Claude Weil and Raouf Omar

Book Overview

A compilation of stories of the authors experiences during a conflict that is at the very forefront of the world s consciousness.Weil is an Israeli Jew and Omar is a Palestinian, an unlikely... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1897508360
• ISBN13: 9781897508367
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: General Store Publishing House
• Length: 127 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The road to peace for the Middle East

"Light behind the darkness" opened a different view of the ongoing conflict between the Israeli Jews and the Palestinians. The stories tell that opposites can be equal, respectful and helpful. The simple actions of individuals made a world of difference to two people who by accident met and are still friends today. One is an Israeli and the other a Palestinian with tensed lives in the Holyland. The unique illustrations by Raouf Omar are a thoughtful addition to each story.

A Delighfully Hopeful and Uplifting Read!

'Light Behind the Darkness' is an enlightening and informative book that avoids political bias as well as the over-saturated `preachiness' that many books which deal with moral and political topics are prone to. Claude Weil and Raouf Omar's profound friendship and subsequent collaboration is testament to the fact that in spite of racial, cultural and religious disagreements, all of humankind is more deeply connected than we initially recognize. The book is beautiful, deeply sentimental and truly was a pleasure to read. One of the qualities that I most appreciated about the book was how positive the collective stories are. When one considers that even local, domestic stories are morbid and fear-provoking, how striking is it that a story that takes place in a war zone is filled to the brim with beautiful experiences, expressions of wisdom and hard-earned hope? 'Light Behind the Darkness' reminded me of how even seemingly miniscule acts of kindness can have resonant impact years later. Interestingly, the book illustrates that the effects of such acts influence not only the recipient of the act, but also the donor. As a Catholic educator, I can't help but consider how well these stories will fit into my classroom. The stories are readable and entertaining for both the university and college level. The most successful books are the ones that students can relate to: the fact that the stories are true and that both Weil and Omar were young men when these stories took place increases their appeal for young people. Finally, it will be satisfying to provide students with a work that focuses on what is beautiful rather than horrific and destructive. As both Weil and Omar state, the effort for peace was for the current generation, and the achievement of peace lies in the future.

Compassion in the most unlikely places!

Light Behind the Darkness. Review by: Miriam Goldstein Light Behind the Darkness is a compilation of short stories from two unlikely friends that had many life changing experiences in the Middle East. Claude Weil gives the reader a point of view from that of a Jewish soldier that was serving in Israel,while Raouf Omar describes his family's living in a refugee camp in Palestine and the many people that have touched his life up to his present time in Canada. Each story was very engaging and full of vivid descriptions that made it easy for the reader to imagine they were right in the settings where the events took place. The stories were a pleasure to read and the book hard to put down. The two I enjoyed most were A Samsonite Bag Full of Dreams by Raouf Omar in which he received the gift of a bag from his former boss before going off to university. The other story which also stood out for me was By the Sea by Claude Weil,which describes one of his nights on leave from the army and his encounter with a young Arabic woman and her elderly grandfather. This book is essential to anyone that wants to have more insight on world events from the views of an Israeli soldier on one side of the conflict. As a contrast the reader also has the stories of Raouf Omar that describe his time spent in the region of Palestine. Even though the stories take place at different time periods throughout each author's lives, the stories do a very good job of working together and showing how very different people can get along in the most unlikely situations. This is a book, which takes the reader on an epic journey while illustrating the triumph of compassion. A must read for a global audience anxious for conflicts to be diffused across the globe.

Can the gift of peace be far behind?

This book review was submitted by a colleague in our local Potlucks for Peace group, Judith Wouk. She writes: Light Behind the Darkness is about gifts between people on opposite sides of a conflict: - British nuns offer security to an injured Palestinian girl running from British soldiers in 1947; - a dehydrated Jewish soldier in the desert is grabbed by two Arabic-speaking field workers who give him water; - a discharged Israeli soldier, far from his own son, gives a birthday gift to the son of an Arab street merchant and accepts a gift in return; - an Israeli boss gives study materials to a Palestinian employee as he leaves to return to school. In the respectful hands of Claude Weil and Raouf Omar, people from both sides of conflicts as diverse as World War 2, Algeria/France, and pre `90s Israel, emerge as individuals who feel a connection across the barriers. They show respect ("I had no right to rob him of his dignity, so I sat and let hm polish my shoes") and recognize respect ("No-one had shown such anger on my behalf before. . . I was important in her eyes; I had value.") My favourite story is "Joan Baez - The Power of Song". Read it to see how she made eleven tanks and a tanker cry. With people like these, can the gift of peace be far behind? Or, as one story in the book concludes, "The recollection of friendships like that of Abu and his Israeli friend, combined with the will to have a normal existence and the anger of mothers, could very well topple all barriers to peace." Looking Forward, Judith Wouk

Moving Stories told beautifuly - several made me cry

An absolutely breathtaking book. This compilation of stories are told with a clarity and beauty that is rarely seen when discussing the middle east. It is a compilation of true short stories about each authors experience in the Holy Land that could easily be read in one sitting - but is perhaps best experienced over a few days. Each of the relatively short stories in the volume provide a glimpse into the emotional life of a soldier and a refugee in their own land - and how simple acts of kindness, from the most unlikely of sources had an great impact. Many of the stories told by the Israeli (Claude Weil) involve large gestures, or momentous acts of compassion and have a correspondingly large emotional impact, such as the (true) story of a tanker stopping for a flower in the desert - it took my breath away. Yet what strikes me most is the contrast to the relatively 'normal' acts of kindness (such as a gift of a suitcase upon leaving for university) or provision for dignity that meant the most to Raouf Omar, the kinds of simple acts that anyone should be able to take for granted - but he and his family could not. The book is accessible for all ages (probably middle school and up) and has no political agenda, no 'right or wrong' other than act as a powerful and beautiful reminder that we are all in need of, and deserve - human kindness and peace. A beautiful read, and highly recommended.