Aliya
Three Generations of American-Jewish Immigration to Israel
By Liel Leibovitz
(St. Martin's Griffin, Paperback, 9780312315160, 304pp.)
Publication Date: August 7, 2007
Other Editions of This Title: Hardcover
Categories: Emigration & Immigration, Jewish - General, Middle East - Israel
 |     |
Why would American Jews---not just materially successful in this country but, perhaps for the first time in the entire 2000-year Jewish Diaspora, truly socially accepted and at home---choose to leave the material comforts, safety, and peace of the United States for the uncertainty and violence of Israel?
In his search to understand the phenomenon of aliya, Leibovitz focuses on the stories of three sets of immigrants: Marlin and Betty Levin, who came to Palestine before Israel was even created, and were present through its violent birth; Mike Ginsberg, who was overcome with awe at the heroic Jews who fought for their country and was involved in much of Israel's tumultuous history, including the Yom Kippur War; and Danny and Sharon Kalker who actually made aliya in 2001, during the most recent unsettled phase of Israel's existence.
With a keen writer's eye and unfeigned passion for his subject, Leibovitz explores the fears, hopes, and dreams of the Israeli immigrants, and the journey they undertook, a journey that lies at the very heart of what it means to be a Jew.
Liel Leibovitz has made aliya in reverse: a ninth-generation Israeli, he emigrated to the United States. He became interested in the phenomenon as a child when, much to his astonishment, his American cousins (of whom he was intensely envious for their superior television and delectable treats) made aliya. A graduate of Columbia Journalism School and a veteran of the Israeli army, he is currently the culture editor of The Jewish Week, as well as a contributor to other publications. This is his first book. He lives in New York City with his wife, the author Lisa Ann Sandell, and their dog, Molly
"[Leibovitz] is an outstanding writer whose prose poignantly portrays his subjects."
---The Atlanta Jewish Times "With a flair for storytelling, Leibovitz richly illustrates these [immigrants'] lives, deftly detailing their emotional journey from carefree Americans to proud Israelis . . . the book is a powerful reminder of the unique yearning that has defined and united Jews through a 2000-year exile." ---Publishers Weekly
". . . stirring . . . moving . . . Leibovitz is a fine writer and able to leap easily into the consciousness of another . . . his presence and passion are felt throughout the book."
---The Jerusalem Post
"With his portrait of three generations of olim, Liel Leibovitz has made this history affecting, informative, and indelible. To read this book is to read about a love affair---not perfect, easy love, but love tested by gritty reality, which is to say the only love that counts or that lasts." ---Samuel G. Freedman, author of Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for the Soul of American Jewry
 |
1Q84 Haruki Murakami Knopf |
 |
The Marriage Plot Jeffrey Eugenides Farrar, Straus, and Giroux |
 |
The Sense of an Ending Julian Barnes Knopf |
 |
Death Comes to Pemberley PD James Knopf |
