Amos Oz

Date of Birth: May 4, 1939

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Date of Death: December 28, 2018

Biography

Amos Oz, born Amos Klausner, was an influential Israeli writer, novelist, journalist, and intellectual. He was born on May 4, 1939, in Jerusalem, then part of the British Mandate of Palestine. His parents were of Eastern European Jewish descent, and they instilled in him a love for literature and learning from a young age. Oz’s early life was marked by the turbulence of the Israeli War of Independence and a strained relationship with his father. After his mother’s suicide when he was 12, Oz changed his surname to “Oz,” which means “strength” in Hebrew, symbolizing a new beginning. He attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he studied philosophy and literature. His literary career began in the early 1960s, and he quickly became known for his evocative prose and insightful explorations of Israeli society. His works often dealt with themes of family dynamics, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the complexities of Jewish identity. Some of his most acclaimed books include “My Michael,” “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” and “Black Box.” Oz was not just a writer but also an active public intellectual and advocate for peace. He was a founding member of the Peace Now movement, which called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Over his career, he received numerous awards and honors, including the Israel Prize for Literature, the Goethe Prize, and the Franz Kafka Prize. Amos Oz passed away on December 28, 2018, leaving behind a rich literary legacy that continues to influence readers and thinkers worldwide.

5 Interesting Facts about Amos Oz

1. Amos Oz served in the Israel Defense Forces and fought in the Six-Day War (1967) and the Yom Kippur War (1973).

2. His memoir, “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” was adapted into a film directed by and starring Natalie Portman.

3. Oz’s novel “My Michael” has been translated into over 30 languages.

4. He was a professor of literature at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

5. Amos Oz was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature multiple times but never won.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Amos Oz

1. “The conflict in the Middle East is a tragedy, not a Western. You cannot be pro-Israeli without being pro-Palestinian, and you cannot be pro-Palestinian without being pro-Israeli.”

2. “The role of the writer is not to solve the problem but to state the problem correctly.”

3. “When you add all the tiny moments together, you have a life.”

4. “If you live in a graveyard, you can’t weep for everyone.”

5. “To be cured of our ignorance, we must first admit it.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of his career, Amos Oz’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million.

Children

Amos Oz had three children: Fania Oz-Salzberger, a historian and author; Galia Oz, a writer and television producer; and Daniel Oz, a musician and poet.