Amir Gutfroid Israeli novelist Country: Israel

Biography of Amir Gutfreund

Amir Gutfreund, one of the most captivating Israeli authors of the younger generation, was born in Haifa in 1962. His parents experienced the Catastrophe and its aftermath. After completing his military service, Gutfreund enrolled in the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa, where he studied applied mathematics. He served in the Israeli Air Force for about 20 years, working in the department of mathematical development and research. Gutfreund demobilized as an Air Force colonel. During his service, he completed his education at the Technion and obtained a second degree in applied mathematics.

Gutfreund is the author of the book "Our Holocaust," which was published by Zmora Bitan Publishing. The novel received literary acclaim and was awarded the Yad Vashem Memorial Literary Prize. His novel "A Mansion on the Coast" also received the Sapir Literary Prize.

In 2005, Gutfreund's novel "The World a Minute Later" was published. His latest novel, "Heroes Fly for Her," was released in 2008 and received high praise from critics.

Gutfreund also gives lectures in which he presents the Catastrophe from an unexpected and unique perspective. Despite the tragic nature of the topic, Gutfreund manages to make the audience smile.

His book "Our Holocaust" is narrated from the perspective of two Israeli boys who grow up in a community of adults who experienced the Catastrophe. The children try to decipher the meaning behind the word "Holocaust" and understand what happened to their parents, neighbors, and loved ones. The fact that the adults try to hide the past from them turns their search for truth into an adventure. While the book features fictional characters, it is largely autobiographical and based on real events in Israel's history. Unlike most works dedicated to the Holocaust, the central theme of the book is the collision between a child's perception and the horrors of the Holocaust.