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Jerusalem: A Family Portrait

Boaz Yakin,

Nick Bertozzi (Illustrations)

3.62 · Rating details · 581 ratings · 112 reviews

Jerusalem is a sweeping, epic work that follows a single family—three generations and fifteen very different people—as they are swept up in chaos, war, and nation-making from 1940-1948. Faith, family, and politics are the heady mix that fuel this ambitious, cinematic graphic novel.

With Jerusalem, author-filmmaker BoazYakin turns his finely-honed storytelling skills to a ...more

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Hardcover, 400 pages

Published April 16th 2013 by First Second (first published January 1st 2009)

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· 581 ratings · 112 reviews

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Nov 10, 2016 Gauri rated it really liked it

This is a graphic novel about the author's family history, during the time his family lived in Jerusalem during the occupation of Britain. The plot is somewhat fictionalized, filling in empty parts of the accounts he painstakingly gathered from his relatives. The art and dialogue is very powerful; the author doesn't impose his own thoughts about the events in the novel, but rather gives the reader a chance to create his or her own interpretation. What I took away from this experience was the ...more

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Jun 13, 2017 Jim Angstadt rated it it was ok

Jerusalem: A Family Portrait
Boaz Yakin, Nick Bertozzi (Illustrations)

This graphic novel is based on stories from the 1940s told to the author by his family. The content of those stories, as presented here, seems consistent with the history of the region. There appears to be no effort to relate this story to a fuller picture of the region, with viewpoints from multiple and conflicting sources. Although attempting to generalize about the region, on the basis of this story, is appealing, it might ...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Dani Shuping rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novel

The year is 1940. The place is Jerusalem. And there is war all around. Not only is World War II continuing and taking away the men and boys of Israel to fight Hitler’s armies, but Jews and Arabs are fighting once more within Jerusalem. This story follows three generations of the same family, 15 members in total, from 1940-1948, through war, through jail, through faith, and through death. This is a story that will not let you go.

This has been one of the most difficult books for me to review, not The year is 1940. The place is Jerusalem. And there is war all around. Not only is World War II continuing and taking away the men and boys of Israel to fight Hitler’s armies, but Jews and Arabs are fighting once more within Jerusalem. This story follows three generations of the same family, 15 members in total, from 1940-1948, through war, through jail, through faith, and through death. This is a story that will not let you go.

This has been one of the most difficult books for me to review, not only because of the content (which at times draws close to some buried family secrets) but also because of the way the story is told. Boaz is a filmmaker at heart and it shows in how he writes and plots his stories as he moves from one person to the next and then back again to pick up the characters tale. It’s a powerful and interesting way to create a story, but at the same time there were times I got lost and needed a scorecard to keep up with the characters (of which thankfully there was one in the front.) It took me two read throughs to see the entire story, which is probably more my reading style than that of Boaz's writing. That aside though, this is a powerful story and is one that you’ll want to read again and again to see what you might have missed. Although Boaz fictionalized parts of the story, much of it still has the feel of a biography which makes it even more interesting to read.

Nick’s black and white illustrations make it feel like we’re watching one of those old classic black and white films and gives the film a sense of heaviness, of reality that grounds the story and helps keep it real. We watch as the characters grow and change during this 8 year time period and come to life. Although the illustrations are relatively simple, Nick adds details to keep visual interest that will keep the reader looking for visual imagery that enhances the story.

This is one of those books that you need to have a box of tissues next to you and a computer handy so that you can lookup aspects of the history, not to verify anything, but to enhance your understanding of the story and the places discussed. And once you get done...read it again. And then pass the book onto someone else. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars.

ARC provided by Gina at FirstSecond ...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Nicola Mansfield rated it it was amazing

Absolutely outstanding! This chunkster of a graphic novel is a gripping read that I could not put down once started. It is one I already plan to re-read. Starting off with a map and couple pages of text we are given an historical background of Israel/Palestine up to the starting date of the book post-WWII 1945. Follows is a one page text background of the fictional family featured in the book up to this date as well. The reader is then fully immersed into the chaotic, war-torn life of a Jewish ...more

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Mar 15, 2017 Simon Yoong rated it liked it

I've mixed feelings about this book. The subject matter is close to my heart, the story is no doubt moving and powerful, but it just didn't do much for me. Maybe it is the (necessary but) desensitising violence, or the lack of overarching strong, central protagonist.

Good tale, but could have been much better presented.

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May 01, 2013 Cindy Hudson rated it really liked it

Jerusalem was often a time of chaos and conflict during the years the state of Israel was being established in the 1940s. Communists, Zionists, Jews, Arabs, and British soldiers were mixed into a boiling pot that pitted brothers against brothers and race against race.

Graphic novelists Boaz Yakin and Nick Bertozzi have sought to capture those unsettling times through the lens of one family: the Hallabys. In their novel, Jerusalem: A Family Portrait, they introduce readers to brothers Izak and ...more

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Apr 17, 2013 First Second Books marked it as first-second-publications

This book is based on the story of Boaz Yakin's family dealing with living in Israel from 1940-1948, but it's not a strict biography -- it has been fictionalized.

That's one of the things I like about it.

You know how sometimes you read memoir or biography and at the end you're left kind of furrowing your brow and going, 'huh,' because the main character didn't die in a blaze of glory or after they established their global pinochle empire, they miscellaneously got themselves killed trying to climb ...more

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May 21, 2014 Jean-christophe Boudreau rated it it was amazing

Jerusalem is about a family living in Palestine, this takes place from 1940 to 1948 and has to do with the series of events that happening during that time. Its a very well told showing how tough it was for the people living there at times and even how sometimes British soliders mistreated the locals. The artwork was nice to look at and felt realistic and not like some crazy over the top cartoon-like graphic novel. This one I would recommend to people who enjoy history or stories based on ...more

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Sep 17, 2019 Ben Truong rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels, cultural, historical-fiction

Jerusalem: A Family Portrait is a graphic novel written by Boaz Yakin and illustrated by Nick Bertozzi, which traces the chaotic, bloody early history of the modern Jewish state in Palestine, focusing on a fractious family living in the hotly contested city of Jerusalem.

It follows the families of two estranged Israeli brothers, focusing primarily on the sons of these brothers as the many wars involving Jerusalem rage around them. They suffer life, death, and everything in between, all while ...more

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Oct 17, 2013 Gabrielle Lyle rated it it was amazing

This may contain spoilers!
Jerusalem A Family Portrait begins in April 1945 and tells the story of two branches of the Halabys family. Jonathan and Motti are cousins, and despite their fathers' poor relationship, are also best friends. It should be noted though that their relationship has plenty of ups and downs. The family is torn apart due to the jealousy that Jonathan's father, Yakov, felt towards his younger brother Izak. Izak is debt to his brother, but Yakov refuses to forgive the debt This may contain spoilers!
Jerusalem A Family Portrait begins in April 1945 and tells the story of two branches of the Halabys family. Jonathan and Motti are cousins, and despite their fathers' poor relationship, are also best friends. It should be noted though that their relationship has plenty of ups and downs. The family is torn apart due to the jealousy that Jonathan's father, Yakov, felt towards his younger brother Izak. Izak is debt to his brother, but Yakov refuses to forgive the debt despite the fact that his family is losing everything. The issue gets so bad that Izak has to rent out a room to the Hehmads in order to meet ends meet. At one point though he serves time in jail for back payments. He is released on bond once the pregnant Sylvia, David's supposed wife, sells her late mother's earrings. While the fight over the debt continues throughout the story, many political events are occurring. Avraham Halaby is Izak's eldest son, who serves for Britain during WWII, but once he returns to Jerusalem he becomes a member of the local communist party. His younger brother Ezra is a member of the rebels, who fight for Israel to become a Jewish state once again. His activities often end in bloodshed. David, their other brother and favorite of Motti, leaves Jerusalem to fight in Europe once Avraham returns. Motti and David had an extremely close relationship, and his departure leaves Motti devastated. Izak's only daughter, Devorah,does not play a big role; she often called worthless by her mother. However, she is courted by her cousin, Jonathan for sometime. After the United Nations votes to make Israel a state war erupts and all of the Halabys spend the next months either hiding or fighting. Sylvia reveals that she is not David's wife, after he dies in battle for Jerusalem, she was merely someone he tried to help escape the horrors of Europe by forging a marriage license. Izak's wife, Emily tells Sylvia that she has known the whole time, but she tells Slyvia to stay with the Halabys. Eventually the war is over, and the family begins to try to return to a normal life, but tragedy strikes in the final pages of the story.
Two of the main themes the authors deal with in the book are the complexity of family and the devastation of war. Family life is shown to be quite complex throughout "Jerusalem" such as when Emily is crying over the fact that all of her sons are leaving their mother. When Devorah goes to comfort her though she scolds her for not having a chore done. Izak and Yakov's relationship is very troubled. They do care for their nieces and nephews, but they almost despise each other. While Izak begs his brother to forgive the loans, Yakov refuses to do so because he strongly believes that Izak's financial issues are a punishment from above. The novel also shows how devastating war can be throughout its course (1945-1948). In one instance when Ezra is working to encourage an uprising against the British, his friend Haim is shot by British soldiers when they are discovered hanging up posters. Perhaps the most horrific incident was during the invasion of an Arab town. Two sisters, Nadia and Yusra are running away from the Jewish soldiers when they decide to hid in a nearby building.Unfortunately, a bomb is thrown into the building at the same time and the youngest sister is killed.
The authors' purpose for writing this book is to make people understand what was occurring in Jerusalem during the mid-1940's. In the beginning of the novel the British occupation is heavily discussed. While Motti and Jonathan are both Jewish, they attend a school run by British priests who refused to allow the students to speak in Hebrew and/or Arabic. When Avraham and his fellow communists hold a protest, the British soldiers tell them that they must have a permit in order to hold a demonstration. Once the British occupation is over, the real fighting begins. As the war between Israel and many Arab nations raged on, the inhabitants of Jerusalem were left without supplies and were cut off from the world. When Emily needed to fed Ika, it was shown that the Halabys had barely any food remaining in their house. Also, once David returns to Israel, he has a difficult time making it to Jerusalem, and is sadly killed by the opposing forces in a trap before he returns to his family. The Halabys have to make bomb shelters that the children are often seen living in, in oder to survive the fighting.
I would most definitely recommend this book to someone. I don't typically read graphic novels, but this one was excellent. The images were gory sometimes, but they left an impression on me. They really help one understand the devastation that everyone in Jerusalem was facing during this crucial point in it's history. I couldn't put this book down because I always wanted to know what was going to happen to the Halabys. I was constantly hoping for Izak and Yakov to recoil, but they sadly never nor do I ever think they will now. I didn't particular enjoy the ending because it left me with so many unanswered questions. I really would like to know the affect the tragedy will have on all of the Halabys. ...more

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Jan 23, 2018 Katrina rated it liked it

More graphically violent than necessary, but it is a very violent subject matter. Heartbreaking and informative, but not as conclusive as I'd have liked.

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Aug 27, 2018 Tyska rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, read-in-english, graphic-non-fiction, library

Gruesome - just like reality.

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May 28, 2017 Sami rated it it was amazing

Shelves: graphic-novels, favorites

Technically read during the school semester and I SUCK at adding books on here BUT this was AMAZING and I CRIED!!! Big family drama set between 1945-1948/9 during the period of the creation of the state of Israel -- you got a deep-seated decades-long feud between two brothers that extends to their children, young cousins best friends despite said feud, other brothers becoming peace-seeking Communists, idealistic terrorists, and awesome soldiers, and a sister that's definitely in love with a ...more

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May 21, 2013 Christina Taylor rated it really liked it

Shelves: sequential-art

Set in the British Mandate of Palestine on the eve of its independence, it would be all too easy to ascribe historical or political meaning to every plot point in the story about an extended family torn apart by jealousy and ideology. While Yakin almost certainly intends for the reader to consider such interpretations, any mapping of this narrative to another is bound to reveal less about the author's opinion than it does about the audience's point of view. Halaby family patriarch Yakov is ...more

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May 19, 2013 Trevor rated it it was ok

This looked such an interesting read - Jerusalem in the mid/late 1940's at the time of the end of the British mandate and the first war with neighboring countries, but unfortunately I found it very flat and uninteresting.

There was little character development, the story jumped about all over the place, perhaps i missed something, but there seemed to be lots of loose ends when the story finished. It just wasn't a satisfying read.

Perhaps reading it on a kindle wasn't the best idea. I'll certainly ...more

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Jan 10, 2014 b bb bbbb bbbbbbbb rated it it was ok

Shelves: stars-2-0, comic, non-fiction, country-israel-palestine

A family history of involvement in some of the early days of the creation of modern Israel. From a pro-Israel/semi-pro-zionist perspective. The drawings are well done, the writing is ok too. While the authors make an attempt to represent some of the horrors of war, they clearly also have a fascination with combat and heroics. About half the pages are dedicated to some kind of battle, conflict, shooting or blowing up of things.

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Jan 03, 2014 Stewart Tame rated it it was amazing

Wow! A family saga set against the backdrop of Jerusalem in the mid-40s. Characters and motivations feel real. The ending is just ... Wow! Wasn't sure I was going to like this when I began. War is an ugly business ...

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Jun 07, 2017 Ms. Ahart rated it liked it

I wanted to like this more... but the black and white art didn't serve the large cast of characters well, and when it was hard to distinguish between people, the story became very hard to follow, even for a careful reader.

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Sep 27, 2016 Kristin added it

Shelves: graphic-novels, jewish-and-israel

I read this as an ebook, and I think I missed a lot of nuance because of it. That, or it was hard to follow. In any case, it was still very good (I'd need to read it again to really get what happened). The illustrations are extremely expressive.

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Dec 22, 2017 Leanne rated it really liked it

There was this Popular book sale at Avenue K where one book costs RM10 but if you buy five books, you can get them for RM25. While sifting through the available books, I saw this and it was a hardcover graphic novel. And damnshit if I buy five books, this will technically cost RM5 which is a steal considering most graphic novels cost RM40-RM100++.

I read this fresh after watching Dunkirk so I felt super horrified by war and couldn't stop thinking why we humans have to initiate them when they ...more

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May 12, 2017 Cathy rated it it was amazing

This was the most fast-paced, thrilling graphic novel I've ever read. It's about a Jewish family from the Middle East (very different from the usual Ashkenazi Jewish story,) that live in Jerusalem during the "creation" of Palestine by Britain, and the bloody fight between the Jews and Arabs when the British finally leave. It is the story of a life-long fight between brothers, both literally and figuratively. It follows an entire family, from the scrappy mischief of the youngest to the fatal ...more

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Dec 08, 2017 Harry Brake rated it it was amazing

Relevant to the times, I saw Jerusalem in the news, and saw this graphic novel by Boaz Yakin and Nick Bertozzi, and thought, let me see relevance. The graphics and illustrations are amazing, very clear, and very haunting at times. When you see the conflicts and the history that puts relatives against each other, as well as neighbors, you begin to understand what a complex situation and dilemma so many have had in dealing with Israel, Jerusalem, Palestine, and all being a very complex equation ...more

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Dec 23, 2019 Catharsis rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, graphic-novels

Very powerful, tense story that gives a glimpse of the violence and the complexity around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the 1940s. Within one family, one finds secular and observant Jews, communists and Zionists, poor and wealthy, and all around them, allies and enemies, colonizers and colonized, British and Arabs. There is a Biblical feel to the story of brothers set against one another, which at times errs on the side of excess. The narrative could have used some breathing space; there ...more

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Nov 15, 2018 Keen rated it it was ok

This is a part of the world which is particularly well served by graphic non-fiction, not just by Jewish or Arab writers but by people from seemingly neutral backgrounds and so there is plenty of great graphic books to choose from. Of the ones I have read before, the two I have read by Joe Sacco still remain head and shoulders above anything else in the genre.

The art work in here is bold and at times inventive, but I struggled to love this. The Palestinian Israeli conflict has been well enough ...more

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Jun 24, 2018 David rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-east-studies, graphic-novels

4.25.
I think a graphic novel is a great way to make a complex problem, like the conflict between Israel/Palestine, more accessible to people. This story will definitely leave its mark on the reader and the artwork is fantastic. The story line is a little complex because of the number of characters and a little more background info/or a glossary would have been helpful. In the end I was moved by the story (warning: graphic violence is used and is understandably necessary), but I really did not ...more

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Feb 02, 2019 df parizeau rated it it was amazing

This one will pull at your heartstrings and really drives home the complexities of the real-world Jerusalem. The media representations of the Middle East and of Israel, in North America, are woefully simplistic by comparison and as one might come to expect from the news, neglect the human element.

This would have been a powerful story as a novel, but having a visual reference for the multiplicity of individuals is what really elevates this narrative. It may sound cheesy, but having a face to ...more

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Mar 25, 2019 Francis rated it really liked it

I took my time with this book. It looked like it deserved it and I was not wrong, it’s a great read.

The panels are well planned out and shows the amount of heart out into the book in the earlier parts. However, towards the end there was less “play” with paneling which was a shame.

The art serves its purpose but I do wish each character was drawn a little more distinctly so I did not have to second guess who they were.

But these are small gripes, the book is good and the subject matter interesting. ...more

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Mar 06, 2018 Chelsea Martinez rated it it was ok

I'm pretty sure I read this twice but I can't recall when the first time would have been. The book doesn't give a lot of context, and rather focuses on the protagonist families in Jerusalem 1940-1948; if my historical knowledge was better, I may have gotten more out of it. I could see it being made into an epic film, possibly because I watched the Godfather 1 & 2 this weekend; it has the same overflowing cast of characters that a long movie could take the time to flesh out.

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Nov 30, 2018 Mishehu rated it it was ok

This is that (thusfar in my experience) rare example of a graphic novel (historical in this case) poorly done. The narrative is difficult to follow throughout. The characters are poorly drawn (figuratively). And the point of it all (history telling aside), right up to its abrupt and confusing ending, is unclear. The book lacks an emotional core (despite the creators' efforts to demonstrate one). It is, alas, a mediocre effort. I cannot recommend it.

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Aug 02, 2018 Garrett Jackson rated it liked it

This was a very fascinating read. Set in the Jerusalem in the 1940's, Jerusalem revolves around a family and each of their individual perspectives. What I loved most about this book was an insight into an era and place I know very little about. I didn't find the story particularly compelling, but I kept reading just to understand the history a bit more. However, I'm finding myself now hungry to read something scholarly and told from a variety of perspectives outside of a single family.

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