Israel Has Come of Age

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Notes from the Lampert Library

israel

 

 

 

We mark Israel’s birthday today. She is a country now solidly into middle age with not only a future but also a past. If she were an American, she’d be more than eligible for full Social Security and Medicare benefits.

But Israel is a country, not a person, though isn’t it curious that we refer to countries as “she?”

The Lampert Library has many books on Israel, from the founding of the State to best-selling novels. The reader who wants to understand Israel needs to be open to the flow of history as well as the impact of contemporary issues. Some say that fiction can be a better window into a country’s successes and failures than historic tomes.

Try some of the following books to broaden your understanding of Israel. Written from many points of view, they all try to explain modern Israel to the contemporary reader. And don’t forget the monthly Israel Cinema Café at Shomrei. Thoughtfully curated by Yechiel Felder, the films show Israel warts and all but in a respectful and loving way. The Lampert Library has many of these films available for borrowing. The Library also has the entire Shalom Sesame series of DVDs for young viewers.

FIC Gur, Murder in Jerusalem: A Michael Ohayon Mystery, rich in the culture of modern Israel, tells the story of what seems to be an accident turning into a crime when the star of an Israeli TV production is killed by a falling pillar.

FIC Wilentz, Martyrs’ Crossing: A Novel is a fast paced “tragic tangle” (Library Journal) look at the human side of the Israeli-Palestinian situation. Filled with sympathetic, nuanced characters on both sides, this novel helps to explain why there are no simple solutions to peace between Israelis and Palestinian.

Announcement of Independence, 1948

Announcement of Independence, 1948

FIC Wouk, The Hope describes the events from 1948’s War of Independence to 1967’s Sixday war through the eyes of two major fictional characters who are interwoven with the major real life players.Thoroughly researched, this a typical Wouk in its length and sweep of history.

BIOG Landau, Arik: The Life of Ariel Sharon looks at Israel’s military, social and political history through the life of the man who was involved in or influenced almost every facet of modern Israel’s existence. The author is the former editor-in-chief of Haaretz.

641.5 Gur, Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey, written by the editor of Israeli’s leading food and wine magazine, looks at the evolution of Israeli cuisine and its culinary heritage, influenced by waves of immigrants and location in the Middle East. Lovely photos and good directions make this a good choice for those interested in the food of modern Israel.

950.2 Klein Halevi, Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroops Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation follows the lives of a diverse group of seven soldiers involved in conquering the Old City of Jerusalem in the 1967 war. The American born journalist, who is a promoter of Jewish-Arab reconciliation, has written what’s been called a “must read.” (Publishers’ Weekly)

Women Training at Mishmar HaEmet Kibbutz, 1947

Women Training at Mishmar HaEmet Kibbutz, 1947

953.2 Shavit, My Promised Land looks at the history of Zionism from 1897, the kibbutz movement and Israel’s wars and Palestinian problems through hard questions and personal stories. Shavit is a journalist associated with the center left Haaretz.

953.23 Tolan, The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the Middle East, based on a 1998 NPR documentary, shows the personal interaction between a Palestinian refugee and a Jewish settler who now lives in the Palestinian’s old home.

958 Let’s Go Israel while not totally up-to-date- for costs and hours (2010) is excellent when planning a trip as it highlights the must sees.

958 Fletcher, Walking Israel: A Personal Search for the Soul of a Nation is the former NBC correspondent’s personal journey along the coast of Israel from Lebanon to Gaza. He gives concise history of the areas and then interviews a wide variety of people. This is Fletcher’s chance to view his territory subjectively and ask those questions he couldn’t as an objective journalist.

 

 

 

 

 

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