While bookstores all over the country are closing their doors, the historic western town of Honokaa, on the Big Island of Hawaii, recently added the locally owned Beach Dog Books to their menu of wonderful shops and restaurants along Mamane St. I had read about their opening in the Hamakua Times, the local newspaper that features my monthly Real Estate News & Views articles. I love to read so I was very excited to visit the bookstore.
It was Western Week in Honokaa so hubby, Pat, and I went down to enjoy the annual parade. While waiting for the parade to come roaring down Mamane St., we noticed the Beach Dog Books storefront. Of course we went in, but only after checking out a table of colorful t-shirts and other assorted items supporting Singing Whale Rescue & Rehabilitation. I had never heard of this rescue program.
As a Realtor® with natural interest in people who are brave enough to step into retail, I spent some time with the owner, Michael Miller. He shared that Singing Whale Rescue & Rehabilitation is their organization dedicated to the needs of at-risk equines here and on the mainland. Miller said, “We partner with a network of rescue groups and equine professionals to provide immediate and longterm care for mistreated and neglected horses, mules, donkeys, and ponies, and to reduce the non-stop need for such services.” Of course, as a life-long equestrian, I bought a wonderful t-shirt!
I wandered through the small, yet well stocked store, quickly selecting two books to add to my “must read” stack. Lately, I have enjoyed reading books with some sort of history woven into the story, so I was drawn to a small soft cover with a photo of an elderly man boasting a very happy face! The title also intrigued me: The Happiest Man on Earth. Hmmmm, I wondered why he was so happy, and how he got that way. Many people I run into today are not happy…politics, interest rates, our medical services, the cost of eggs, you name it! Then, I read the sub-title: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor. In my lifetime I had read and heard plenty about the atrocities of the more than six million Jewish people who had been extinguished by Nazi Germany, and those who escaped or survived. I had even visited a museum in New York as part of my daughter’s 8th grade graduation trip that shared stories and had powerful exhibits of piles of shoes, hairbrushes, and glasses from those lost in the concentration camps. I never forgot the impressions these exhibits made in my mind and heart.
I decided to purchase the book and learn how a man who had survived the horrors of Auschwitz could possibly be considered the happiest man on earth! I was not disappointed. This book is a testimony to what he, his family, friends, neighbors and countrymen experienced. It is also a book that shares his remarkable journey to true happiness. At only 195 pages, it is a quick read, a hard read, and a hope-filled read! His tenacity, strength, work ethic, preparation, and faith brought him through; and I gleaned valuable insights for my own life!
Eddie Jaku was a brilliant and gifted man who understood the intricacies of complex machines both large and small. He was able to build them from scratch, and this natural gifting was just one of the reasons he survived Auschwitz and other concentrations camps. After his release he eventually opened his own Service Station and Car Dealership. After retirement, and this was the shock for me, he received his real estate license and opened his own brokerage – E. Jaku Real Estate! Wow!!!! I knew I was drawn to this guy…
In his 90’s he reluctantly shared his story through his book which became an International Bestseller. He spoke internationally at schools, colleges, companies, anyone who invited him to share. In 2013, he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to the Jewish Community. In 2020, he was nominated for the NSW Senior Australian Citizen of the Year. His remarkable life has changed so many lives!
There is so much to learn and to appreciate through reading The Happiest Man on Earth, most importantly his message of hope: “What I have to share is not my pain. What I share is my hope.”
And isn’t the message of hope what every human being needs?
