As much as I love reading books, I also have a tremendous adoration for movies. The reason I’m saying this here is because I personally have seen dozens of movies and series based on World War 2. Some are exceptionally well portrayed while others did a mediocre job of showcasing what World War 2 was all about and the unimaginable horrors that came with it. But then there is this memoir called The Happiest Man On Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor by Eddie Jaku which shook me to my core and struck deep into my heart. Eddie, through his mesmerizing storytelling shows us how powerful those little aspects in life can turn out to be. Aspects like love, friendship, hope and kindness that we fortunate people often tend to overlook.
Who should read it?
The Happiest Man On Earth is a book that offers valuable lessons and perspectives that can resonate with readers from all walks of life, making it an impactful read for everyone.
Top Quotes:
- Tomorrow Will Come If you survive today.
- The best balm for the soul is friendship. And with that friendship, we could do the impossible.
- If you lose your morals, you lose yourself
- Your efforts today will affect people you will never know.
- Shared sorrow is half sorrow; shared pleasure is double pleasure.
Summary:
Eddie Jaku was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1920 into a loving little Jewish family of only 4 members which includes Eddie, his younger sister Henni and their parents. Eddie and his family were truly patriotic where they considered themselves as Germans first and Jewish second. His father was a very honest, and skilled mechanic who worked hard to provide Eddie and his family a comfortable life. Eddie’s father was the one who drilled in him the life lesson that there is far more pleasure in sharing and giving than in taking and that friends, family, kindness are far more precious than money.
Having excellent eyesight and hand-eye coordination Eddie Jaku decided to study mechanical engineering in a very reputed, well equipped and modern engineering college which back then offered the best engineering education in the world. But there is a catch here. He had to study under a false identity in order to conceal his religion which if brought to light would’ve surely got him expelled from the institute. He spent five years in that boarding school without being able to make any contact with his family due to the fear of being removed from the institute which his father had to put so much on the line to get him into. It was a terrible sacrifice to make for someone so young. Despite his loneliness, Eddie knew the importance of education and persisted with his studies and worked as an apprentice making very fine X-ray equipment.
Little did he know that as the Nazis rose to power, Eddie’s world was soon to be turned upside down. Eddie wanted to visit his parents on their 20th anniversary and surprise them, only to find himself in a scenario that he never could’ve anticipated in a thousand years.
Hell broke down on all the Jews living in Germany. Friends, neighbors, colleagues became murderers and sworn enemies. The jews were too scared and weak to take a stand for themselves in the early stage of the chaos. His parents were nowhere to be seen. He was captured by the Nazis, beaten badly and then loaded on a truck and taken away. Where to? I guess we all know the answer to that. For the following seven years, Eddie encountered unfathomable acts of brutality on a daily basis, initially in Buchenwald, followed by Auschwitz, and subsequently on a death march, orchestrated by the Nazis. Amidst the darkness of the concentration camps, Jaku discovered a reservoir of inner strength and resilience that sustained him through the darkest of times. Across the pages of this memoir, Eddie emphasizes the importance of the act of love, kindness, and forgiveness, even in the face of hatred and cruelty. He credits his survival and resilience to his determination to hold onto hope and belief in the goodness of humanity.
After the war, Jaku rebuilt his life with his family in Australia, where he became a successful businessman and a beloved figure, sharing his story of hope, optimism and resilience to audiences around the world, inspiring them to confront their own adversities with courage and drill in them a strong belief in the power of love and kindness, which can be said to be two of the most important cornerstones in his life.
Eddie Jaku and I urge you to pause and cherish each moment of your life, embracing both the joys and the challenges, the laughter and the tears. May you always be surrounded by abundant love to share, lots of good health to spare, and lots of good friends to care for.
