Very few books have the ability to influence people, and the ten works we have listed here are among them. They brilliantly expose readers to the psyche of the Jewish state’s intricacies. They educate us about the country’s history and its current, technology-led dignity. Take a look at these books that make us fall in love with a land that so many of us relate to in a lot of different ways.
Israel’s Story: How was the Jewish state reborn, by Gili Meshulam
Gili Meshulam tells a crisp, cascading historical story that flows from one subject to the next with ease. “Israel’s Story” is an excellent introduction to contemporary Israel especially for individuals who are unfamiliar with the country or those who see it from the lens of propaganda. Meshulam tries her best to communicate the best about Israel’s origins, its complexities, the struggles of recreating a nation dispersed around the world and most importantly, about what the Jewish state stands for. Itdeserves to be on the top of our list because of the ease with which story manifests itself to the reader.
Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth by Noa Tishby
Noa Tishby, an Israeli actor, producer, and public intellectual, has published a handbook to Israeli history that is interwoven with her own and her family’s histories, the things they’ve seen and the horrors they’ve endured. It will lure you into a world full of realities that ordinary humans like us had to go through.
The result is a lighthearted and amusing book that doesn’t shy away from hard facts, tough questions, and contentious topics, all presented in a friendly, easy-to-read manner. A excellent option for individuals who want to brush up on their historical knowledge without thinking like they’re in a high-school history class.
The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland? Then, Now, Tomorrow, Gil Troy
The Zionist Ideas: Ideas for the Jewish Homeland—Then, Now, Tomorrow is the most extensive Zionist anthology ever released, bringing light to the unexpectedly varied and common visions for establishing Israel as a progressive Jewish state. Gil Troy builds on Arthur Hertzberg’s iconic The Zionist Idea by exploring the background stories, aspirations, and achievements of over 170 impassioned Jewish thinkers from the 1800s to today—quadruple Hertzberg’s initial number and so now includes women, mizrachim, and many others.
Troy categorizes the ideas into six streams of Zionism: geopolitical, revisionist, working class, theological, cultural, and expatriate Zionism, revealing the depth of the discussion and unexpected synergies. He also places the visionaries in the context of three key phases of Zionist growth, showing the discussion’s duration and progress. Part 1 (pre-1948) presents the Jewish state’s founders, including Herzl, Gordon, Jabotinsky, Kook, Ha’am, and Szold. Ben-Gurion, Berlin, Meir, Uris, Kaplan et al. are among the architects who actualized and updated the Zionist designs in Part 2 (1948 to 2000). Today’s stalwarts, notably Barak, Grossman, Shaked, Lau, Yehoshua, and Sacks, are featured in Part 3.
This varied collection of perspectives will re-energize the Zionist debate by evaluating and expanding the ethical, cultural, and geopolitical aspects of the Jewish state of now and future.
The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land by Donna Rosenthal
Donna Rosenthal’s work on how Israelis see themselves and the nation has become a landmark for anybody seeking to comprehend the land’s sometimes bizarre, complex, and contradictory reality.
She spoke with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Israelis from all sorts of backgrounds, providing a rare glimpse into cultures, traditions, and problems that don’t often reach the media but are nevertheless noteworthy.
A Beggar in Jerusalem, by Elie Weisel.
It is all too easy for the new generation to forget about the sacrifices made by the previous generation, to take life and nation for granted. A Beggar in Jerusalem by Elie Weisel examines the confluence of history and present, realism and legend, conflict and peace, spiritual and secular people of what was given, what’s been lost, and what was inexorably won. The tale and its protagonists, who are entrenched in the country’s rich and varied history, grapple with the consequences of a conflict that guaranteed their preservation but also compelled them to war. Their intellectual discussions recall Talmudic debates, evoking a stronger and more emotional link to both the pleasure and shame associated with the establishment of the Jewish character in Israel. Weisel personifies an otherwise abrasive people to the point that we inevitably fall in love with them, while also providing understanding into their distinct perspectives aiding them in dealing with history, present, and beyond.
Israeli Soul, by Michael Solomonov
This latest scripture of Israeli food culture, written by American chef Michael Solomonov, the ultimate emissary of Israeli cuisine, is the result of his own trips and adventures in Israel, as well as his expertise operating Jewish- and Israeli-themed eateries back in his home country. He is a well-regarded figure in the culinary world, especially when it comes to Israeli cuisine.
Paletta popsicles with Israeli tastes, dishes that are less well-known outside of Israel, like Mafroum, and Solomonov’s renowned hummus and instant tahini sauce will please every reader.
The Story of the Holy Land: A Visual History, by Peter Walker
This book explores Israel and the numerous invasions of her territory from ancient to contemporary times via modern photos, sketches, and descriptions by a scholar of biblical research at Trinity School for Ministry in Pennsylvania. It belongs in your collection or on your tabletop since it is packed with history presented in Walker’s engaging manner of factual narrative. The manner in which it’s written will captivate you from the very beginning of the book.
Thou Shalt Innovate: How Israeli Ingenuity Repairs the World, by Avi Jorisch
Thou Shalt Innovate is an up-to-date handbook to Israel’s passion for innovation, modern spirit, and global generosity that builds on the popular Start-Up Nation (2009) but from a different perspective. It not only goes on to discuss cutting-edge Israeli medicine, agricultural production, water, and national defense technologies, and the designers behind them, but also looks at why Israeli society is so consistent with the ability to innovate, and how it could be improved.
Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle by Dan Senor
This is an intriguing book that chronicles Israel’s transformation from a poor nation with a slow agricultural sector to a global IT pioneer. From contemporary laptop models and protected mobile payments to sparkling water, Israel is responsible for many of the technological advancements that enrich our everyday lives and make them simpler. Give it a read and learn how this tiny yet powerful country became known as the “Start-up Nation.”
The Balfour Declaration: 67 Words: 100 Years of Conflict, Elliot Jager
The Balfour Declaration: Sixty-Seven Words 100 Years of Conflict is a succinct explanation of the actors, motives, and context for one of contemporary history’s most important letters. The letter kicked off a journey wherein the world community came to support the concept of establishing a Jewish national home in Palestine. Jager vividly depicts the remarkable individuals who worked in the midst of the worldwide struggle that was World War I. Notwithstanding political maneuvering and many covert agreements, the Balfour Declaration was published publicly while the war was still fighting. Britain pledged Palestine to no one except the Jews, but it quickly reversed course. This book explains the background of recent news, one century later, amidst the Arab world’s unwavering disdain of the mere concept of a Jewish state.
