The Storyteller of Jerusalem: The Life and Times of Wasif Jawhariyyeh, 1904-1948

by Wasif Jawhariyyeh, Rachel Beckles Willson (Introduction), Nada Elzeer (Translator)

The memoirs of Wasif Jawhariyyeh are a remarkable treasure trove of writings on the life, culture, music, and history of Jerusalem. Spanning over four decades, from 1904 to 1948, they cover a period of enormous and turbulent change in Jerusalem’s history, but change lived and recalled from the daily vantage point of the street storyteller. Oud player, music lover and ethnographer, poet, collector, partygoer, satirist, civil servant, local historian, devoted son, husband, father, and person of faith, Wasif viewed the life of his city through multiple roles and lenses. The result is a vibrant, unpredictable, sprawling collection of anecdotes, observations, and yearnings as varied as the city itself. Reflecting the times of Ottoman rule, the British mandate, and the run-up to the founding of the state of Israel, The Storyteller of Jerusalem offers intimate glimpses of people and events, and of forces promoting confined, divisive ethnic and sectarian identities. Yet, through his passionate immersion in the life of the city, Wasif reveals the communitarian ethos that runs so powerfully through Jerusalem’s past. And that offers perhaps the best hope for its future.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Biography, Israel

503 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2013

Reviews

[Aamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are like me and hoped to explore a nuanced view of the Palestinian mandate, you're in for a disappointment. Though the book itself was not particulary abysmal, the lack of organized narrative clearly shows it was a memoir not meant for publication. In fact, the book can be gutted by about a half with a decent editor, if one would remove the pages upon pages of vivid descriptions of Jawhariyyeh's parties.

I'm serious. Half the book is him describing parties where they gather and drink arak (Arab alcoholic beverage) and eat and dance and he plays the oud, before he goes on to list almost every friend attending. It sounds like like the diary of Becky, your high school classmate from Southern California.

What really irked me about this book is the complete erasure of the struggles of Palestinian peasants at that time. Jawhariyyeh is born into significant privilege, and for the most part never really experienced hardship in the same way the fellahin would. In fact, he describes several trips to the Jerusalem countryside with his father in his youth to collect taxes without recognizing the huge inequality in place. It's frustrating to read a book strictly from the point of view of the elite, and how he socialized with the famous singers of the time (Umm Kulthum's poster aside, I liked that addition), and then complain about mandate authorities (while incidentally enjoying the grand parties the British personalities threw).

Furthermore, his erasure of the struggles of Jews that lived in the region for centuries is notable. He goes into detail about the brotherhood between Muslims and Christians prior to British occupation but doesn't spare a word for local Arab Jews. It's incredibly simplistic and lacks any truly nuanced perspective. I wished I enjoyed the book, but it came off as way too superficial to me. Sorry, Wasif.

[Joseph Hazboun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book. Although the writer concentrates on his own memoires, written in a naïve style, neglecting certain components of the Jerusalem society, yet I enjoyed very much reading the history of Jerusalem towards the end of the Ottoman Period, during the British Mandate and the catastrophic events that lead to the loss of Palestine to the usurpers in 1948. Hence, it is also a heart breaking book to read.
Some of the famous and historic Palestinian Figures from Jerusalem had a certain influence in the life of our narrator. The book mentions members of most of the notable families from Jerusalem during that period.
It is sad to read - through the words of this simple Jerusalemite - how the notables of Jerusalem were so immersed in a life of parties, inebriations and festivities; failing to notice that the country was slipping from their finger tips until it was too late.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told through the eyes, heart, soul, and intelligence of an accomplished oud musician, Wasif Jawhariyyeh’s memoirs provide a philosophical, realistic, and artistic perception of life, culture, and society from childhood in the Ottoman Empire through the British Mandate and eventually Israel’s independence, where insufferable conditions forced his family to migrate from Jerusalem to Beirut leaving his beloved oud collection behind. Through simplistic storytelling, his memoirs reveal the integrity and flavor of the transitions and the strife of his family, friends, artists, and accounting associates at his day job with the transitory government tax departments. Wasif Jawhariyyeh’s memoirs are a perfect stepping stone for those wanting to learn about existence, customs, and civilization in Palestine during this turbulent epoch.

As a lover of string instruments, I appreciated the distinctions Wasif drew from Western and Middle Eastern music notation as a cultural phenomenon. He also dealt with the resistance of European music teachers in Palestine, who pushed for Western notation on Arabic music, negating the Middle Eastern sound from which Wasif stood his ground, emphasizing the original aesthetic, and drawing the European experts on the differences between Western and Eastern music.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life in Jerusalem at the end of the Ottoman occupation and through the British Mandate is vividly depicted in this memoir by one of the city’s native sons. Wasif Jawhariyyeh was a talented musician who came from a family of modest means albeit well connected. His passion for music was encouraged early on by his father, and became the means through which he lived a very colourful life.

His experiences, simply narrated, illustrate what several historians and social historians have written about in more academic books: the intermingling and syncretism that characterised life in a city that was home to people of different religious/ethnic backgrounds, and how it all came to an end when the British colonisers imposed their view of the world on Palestine.

An invaluable resource for lovers of pre-Nakba history of Jerusalem, despite its editorial shortcomings (eg inconsistencies in name transliterations).

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a captivating and deeply human memoir by Wasif Jawhariyyeh, offering a rare glimpse into life in Jerusalem from 1904 until the 1948 Nakba.

As a musician from a modest but well-connected family, Wasif lived a colorful life filled with music, culture, and rich intercommunal relationships. His simple yet vivid storytelling brings to life the syncretic, multicultural world of pre-Nakba Jerusalem - one that was gradually dismantled by colonial policies and rising tensions.

This book is more than just personal recollection; it’s an invaluable historical document. Highly recommend as essential reading for anyone interested in the lived history of Palestine. A moving, accessible, and vital portrait of a city and time too often forgotten.

[Leslie Ayala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating memoir of the writings, life, culture, music, and history of Jerusalem. It was enlightening! It also instructs us about Arabic music which is fascinating. Wasif Jawhariyyey was a very interesting person who was an incredible musician who loved life and Jerusalem.

[Museveni · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much dabkeh and arak. A heartbraking love story with a city