FIGS AND ALLIGATORS

An American recounts the years he spent living in Israel with his family and the evolution of the country in this memoir.

When Leibel met his wife, Bonnie, a move to Israel seemed very unlikely. She hailed from a solidly Protestant family, and while he was Jewish, he was “completely detached from the Jewish people.” But in the aftermath of the Six Day War in 1967, Bonnie felt a wave of sympathy and solidarity for Israel, converted to Judaism, and decided—she had an “extremely adventurous soul”—that they should relocate there with their two daughters, a move called “making aliyah.” Even after the author agreed, he harbored reservations: “As a matter of fact, I began to have severe doubts about the wisdom of the whole making-aliyah idea. What were we doing bringing our two innocents into the cauldron of fire called the Middle East? I asked myself.” They moved there in 1972 and stayed for 16 years, leaving in 1988. Leibel recalls his eventful experiences there—he lived in Jerusalem as well as on a kibbutz, where he worked at an apple orchard, and eventually became a journalist. He served in the Israel Defense Forces for 14 years and at one point was recruited to become a spy by Israeli intelligence. The author leads readers on an astute tour of Israel’s metamorphosis from a “Third World country with a First World military establishment” to a “start-up nation” that was the “most important technological center in the Middle East.” Leibel’s story is brief—not quite 100 pages—but brimming with historical drama. He lived in Israel during the Yom Kippur War, the nation’s peace with Egypt, and the first intifada. This is a remarkable introduction to a complex country, personally charming and historically edifying.

A thoughtful and thorough explication of a turbulent nation.