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Israel is Real

Rich Cohen
Farrar, Straus, Giroux (2009)
ISBN 780374177782
Reviewed by Andrey Bilko for RebeccasReads (10/09)

“Israel is Real” is a captivating history of Jews and Israel. The events described start two thousand years ago and finish with current affairs. After reading the book, I was amazed by how well it is written. The text flows very smoothly, making it an easy read, grabbing interest of the reader, and making him or her finish it to the end. I have encountered plenty of very informative, but very dry history books, this one, however, is not dry at all and still very informative. I loved reading this book, which made me raise some curious questions and forced me to think about the existence of Israel and how it came about.

One of the main points that Rich Cohen introduces is his belief that after creation of Israel, Jews came back to the more physical way of practicing Judaism, which is similar to the one present during the existence of the Second Temple, destroyed in 70 A.D. During the Temple’s existence, the practice of Judaism revolved around the holy place, but after the Temple vanished, Judaism became less physical, not requiring a specific place for practice. Jews began to pray anywhere they could manage to pull it off. There was no more specific need for the holy city or single holy place of worship. Judaism could be practiced outside of the walls of Jerusalem, making it easier for Jews to move around the world. After the creation of Israel, the holy place re-appeared, creating one physical place for all Jews and to-be Jews and not be afraid of it. However, nothing comes easily, and the place of Jewish freedom became a cradle for continuous war and violence.

“Israel is Real” revisits Jewish history in order to better understand the position that Israel is currently in. It retells the story extremely well, drawing upon many specific examples and episodes from people’s lives. It is a great read, which I recommend to anyone interested in Israel and Jewish history. Rich Cohen shows his love for Israel, but at the same time is not afraid to be its biggest critic. This book made me look at some issues in a different way, making me reflect on them. It is a real page-turner with lots of useful information!

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