Recommended
Books are listed alphabetically within reading levels.
Books organized by grade level can also be found in Recommended Books sub-menu.
Books that link directly to teacher’s guide are indicated by an asterisk.
If you are looking for resources about American Jewish history, please see this website.
Pre-K+
by Rachel Raz
ABC Israel, introduces readers to Israel’s people, food, languages, and more with colorful pictures, while also teaching the alphabet.
Pre-K+
by Galia Armeland
Aleph- Bet Israel introduces young readers to the Hebrew alphabet and popular sites around Israel using whimsical illustrations.
Pre-K+
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
illustrated by Rotem Teplow
An eccentric Bubbe goes grocery shopping for Shabbat at the Carmel market in Tel-Aviv and ends up bringing home some feline friends.
For reading guide, click here.
Pre-K+
by Diane Levin Rauchwerger
illustrated by Jason Wolff
Dino’s adventures continue as he boards a plane for Israel. Join him as he munches on falafel, tucks a message high up on the Western Wall, and invites a friendly camel to go snorkeling in Eilat.
For reading guide, click here.
Pre-K+
by Vivian Newman
illustrated by Akemi Gutierrez
Excited Ella and her stuffed monkey, Koofi, take a family trip to Israel. Ella enjoys visiting all the famous places in Israel, but Koofi experiences Israel in his own special way!
For reading guide, click here.
Pre-K+
by Leslie Kimmelman
illustrated by Talitha Shipman
A spirited picture-book tour of Israel takes readers to the Old City of Jerusalem and modern Tel Aviv, the desert and the sea, Roman ruins, the Biblical Zoo, a kibbutz, and much more. Lively, rhyming text and vibrant, colorful illustrations offer young readers a trip through this old-new land of many contrasts, cultures, and customs.
For reading guide, click here.
Pre-K+
by Laura Gehl
illustrated by Sarah Goodreau
What will the hare and the tortoise see as they race across Israel from Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea?
For reading guide, click here.
Pre-K+
by Sylvia A. Rouss
illustrated by Katherine J. Kahn
Another adventure in the “Sammy Spider” series as Sammy travels with the Shapiro family to Israel, snorkeling in Eilat, riding camels in the desert, placing notes in the Western Wall, and eating falafel and pita.
Pre-K+
by Rachel Raz
This book by author/photographer Rachel Raz (ABC Israel) showcases the many vibrant and beautiful colors of the land of Israel, from the red double-decker train in Akko to the white dome of the Shrine of the Book, from pink postage stamps to orange beach umbrellas in Tel Aviv.
Lower Elementary
by Allison Ofanansky
illustrated by Rotem Teplow
A Sweet Meeting on Mimouna Night tells the story of a young Jewish girl in Morocco who is helping her mother gather flour from her Muslim neighbors to make special pancakes that are only eaten on the last day of Passover as they celebrate the Jewish-Moroccan holiday Mimouna.
Lower Elementary
by Erica Lyons
illustrated by Jen Jamieson
A young girl practices the Four Questions on her apartment balcony in Jerusalem and finds a way to bring the neighbors together for Passover even during the separation of a pandemic.
Lower Elementary
by Giora Carmi
A young girl visits Israel and envisions the history of the sites she sees.
For reading guide, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Hava Deevon
illustrated by Rotem Teplow
When Saul was a little boy, he used to listen to stories about a place called Eretz Yisrael – the land of Israel. Everything he heard inspired him and he longed to know what it would be like to live there and to walk barefoot in the soft, golden sand. When Saul grows up and finally gets his wish, will it live up to his expectations? Follow Saul in this heart-warming tale about following your dreams and the importance of accepting everyone, no matter where they come from.
Lower Elementary
by Michelle Edwards
Rody lives on a kibbutz, but is called “Chicken Man” because of his work with chickens. The story details how a kibbutz functions and promotes the rabbinic saying (Pirkei Avot) “Who is rich? Those who are happy with what they have.”
For teacher’s guide, click here.
For reading guide, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Tami Shem-Tov and Rachella Sandbank
illustrated by Avi Ofer
Uri is bored hanging around his parents’ delicatessen in 1930s Tel-Aviv until his German-speaking Grandma takes him on a walk and introduces him to the famous classical musician, Mr. Huberman, a friend she knew back in Europe. A Concert in the Sand tells the story of the first performance of what was to become Israel’s Philharmonic Orchestra.
For reading guide, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Deborah Bodin Cohen
illustrated by Shahar Kober
The story of an engineer named Ari who is rushing to complete his final trail trip from Jaffa to Jerusalem before Passover begins. The book takes place during Ottoman-ruled Palestine and includes a picture and history of the actual first train that rolled into Jerusalem in 1892 and discusses how the father of modern Hebrew, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, came up with the Hebrew word for “train.”
Lower Elementary
by Deborah Bodin Cohen
illustrated by Yael Kimhi Orrelle
Today is Israel’s Independence Day and Engineer Arielle is getting ready to go to work at Jerusalem’s new light rail train station. Engineer Arielle drives her train through Jerusalem and runs into family and friends who tell her how they are going to celebrate Israel’s birthday!
Lower Elementary
by Miri Leshem-Pelly
Whenever the author-illustrator runs in a field, climbs a hill, or swims in the sea in Israel, she looks for something small to hold in her hand. She finds a basalt pebble from the ice-cold Dan River, formed from lava over 100,000 years ago. Israel’s national bird, the hoopoe, leaves a feather in the grass at HaYarkon Park. Dead hood coral grows in the Red Sea, where fish play hide-and-seek. She holds small things in her hand and then leaves them in their habitats . . . for the reader to find.
Lower Elementary
by Charlotte Herman
illustrated by Kathryn Mitter
Abby and her parents have moved to Israel, where they’ve always dreamed of living. Abby’s excited about her new home, but she misses her grandma. As they exchange letters and emails, Abby tells about her new life-learning Hebrew, eating falafel, and floating in the Dead Sea.
Lower Elementary
by Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh
illustrated by Maxine Lee
Of all the stray cats in Israel, a kitten sits high in a tree above girders, beams, cement mixers and cranes. Avi wants to adopt the friendly kitten although his mom―and the family dog― don’t like the idea. But every day the clever cat comes back, becoming a family’s “forever cat!”
Lower Elementary
by Gili Bar-Hillel
photography by Prodeepta Das
Photographed and written in Israel, this book will introduce young readers to many aspects of Israeli society and culture, including language, animals, holidays, cities, and food.
Lower Elementary
by Devora Busheri
illustrated by Noa Kelner
Based on the poem, “The Pond,” by Hayim Nahman Bialik, who is regarded as Israel’s national poet, a child and her mother take a walk in a forest near Jerusalem.
For resources for teachers and students, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Tracy Newman
illustrated by Abigail Halpin
Before becoming one of the greatest violinists of all time, Itzhak Perlman was simply a boy who loved music. Raised by a poor immigrant family in a tiny Tel Aviv apartment, baby Itzhak was transformed by the sounds from his family’s kitchen radio—graceful classical symphonies, lively klezmer tunes, and soulful cantorial chants.
For extension activities, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Michelle Shapiro Abraham
illustrated by Ann D. Koffsky
An American Jewish child compares celebrating Jewish holidays in the Diaspora versus her cousin Tamar’s experience of living in Israel. This book will resonate with many Jewish readers who have been to Israel and for the first time, understand what it means to be in the Jewish homeland.
Lower Elementary
by Alice Blumenthal McGinty
illustrated by Rotem Teplow
Travel to Israel and learn about the diverse people who together contribute to Israel’s commerce, religions, cultures, and various industries. Although Israel is a tiny country, it is a leader in innovations that help the world with growing crops, improving communication systems, and new medical technologies.
Lower Elementary
by Tami Lehman-Wilzig
illustrated by Elizabeth Wolf
This book introduces children to the many different ways of celebrating Passover around the world, including customs that can be adopted for use in the child’s own family seder.
For reading guide, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Susan Tarcov
illustrated by Fotini Tikkou
A story about the famous professor and philosopher Martin Buber and his nine cats. Buber was active in the Zionist movement and moved to Israel after the Nazis came to power in the 1930s.
Lower Elementary
by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod
illustrated by Denise Damanti
Maddie has just moved to Israel and is excited to celebrate the Ethiopian Jewish holiday of Sigd with her new friend Orly. But what about her own favorite fall holiday, Thanksgiving? Together, Maddie and Orly go on a quest to find the ingredients for a delicious pumpkin pie and bring a taste of the United States to Israel.
For reading guide, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Lisa Rose
illustrated by Catalina Echeverri
A humorous story about a painter, who is hired to paint a mural ahead of Israel’s Independence Day celebration and who has a tendency for procrastination, and his talented dog.
Lower Elementary
by Sarah Sassoon
illustrated by Noa Kelner
Shoham’s Bangle tells the story of a young Jewish-Iraqi girl named Shoham and her life in Baghdad with her family. Shoham details her family’s journey to Israel and her memories of Iraq.
For educator guide, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Deborah da Costa
illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu
A beautifully illustrated story about two boys, one Jewish and one Muslim, who encounter conflict when they find out they are both caring for the same cat. Readers who are familiar with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will appreciate the storyline’s message.
Lower Elementary
by Ariana Mizrahi
illustrated by Siona Benjamin
The Blue Butterfly of Cochin follows Leah, a young girl from the Jewish community of Cochin, India, as her family emigrates to Israel in the 1950s. Struggling with the loss of her home and traditions, Leah finds comfort in a magical blue butterfly. The story beautifully captures her emotional journey of adaptation and connection to her roots.
For activity guide, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Tamar Sachs
illustrated by Yossi Abolafia
In biblical times, Itamar, the tailor’s son, has carefully carried the High Priest’s robe―with its little golden bells sewn onto the hem―home for his father to mend. But one day, one of the bells is missing! When nobody turns in the lost bell at the Claiming Stone, Itamar wonders if the tiny bell will ever be found. A surprise ending brings the story into modern times when an archaeologist finds a golden bell at a Jerusalem dig.
For reading guide, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Richard Michelson and Karla Gudeon
The fascinating story of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the reinventor of modern day Hebrew and his son Ben-Zion, who was the first child in the early founding of the modern state of Israel to speak only Hebrew.
Lower Elementary
by Sherri Mandell
illustrated by Robert Dunn
A quirky Israeli boy who likes to do things backward and upside down tries to be on his best behavior as his class takes a school trip to visit the Israeli Prime Minister’s home. Readers will learn about the exercise regimen, including headstands, of the State of Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion.
For resources for teachers and students, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Shoshana Nambi
illustrated by Moran Yogev
Sukkot is Shoshi’s favorite Jewish holiday. She and her brothers love to decorate their sukkah, the hut where her family will celebrate. But who will win the Ugandan Abayudaya community’s annual sukkah contest? While only one sukkah can be the best, everybody wins when neighbors work together.
Lower Elementary
by Lesley Simpson
illustrated by Janice Lee Porter
This is the story of a 5-year-old Jewish Ethiopian girl on a dangerous journey with her grandmother to a Sudan refugee camp where they will be airlifted to Israel.
For reading guide, click here.
Lower Elementary
by Ze’ev Zion
Z is for Zionism is an educational booklet that takes readers on a historical journey of the Jewish people’s connection to the land of Israel, the history of antisemitism, the beginning of Zionism, and Israel’s contributions to the world.
Lower Elementary
by Tami Lehman-Wilzig
illustrated by Ksenia Topaz
With clever text and colorful pictures, Zvuvi the fly takes readers on a tour of the country of Israel, buzzing through the modern cities, ancient ruins, and nature preserves from north to south.
Upper Elementary
by Nancy Churnin
illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg
The life story of Hadassah founder Henrietta Szold’s upbringing in Baltimore and her social justice work to help Jewish immigrants assimilate into American society and later, when Hitler came to power, to save Jewish children by organizing their transfer to pre-Israel Palestine.
For curriculum/discussion guide, click here.
Upper Elementary
by Anna Levine
illustrated by Chiara Pasqualotto
Alexandra Crane is terrible at following her family in their flying Vee. She can’t help it that the world is so full of interesting and distracting sights! When it’s time for the Cranes to migrate to Israel’s Hula Valley for the winter, Alexandra is excited but her family is worried. Will Alexandra stay with the group? And might Alexandra discover that a bad follower can make a great leader?
Upper Elementary - Middle School
by Tammar Stein
Set in 1973, “Beni’s War” is the sequel to “The Six-Day Hero.” Twelve-year-old Beni must say goodbye to his older brother, Motti, who is now in the Israeli army.
Upper Elementary
Upper Elementary
by Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein
illustrated by Mark Anderson
This vibrant A-to-Z guide—or rather Z-to-A, Hebrew-style—examines more than 3,000 years of this postage stamp–sized land’s history. With the 26 letters of the alphabet paired with lighthearted text and colorful illustrations, this fun fact book explores the heart, the soul, and the foundation of the Jewish people—the homeland from where their ancient traditions, culture, and values have come.
Upper Elementary
by Barbara Sofer
A biography of Israel’s first astronaut starting from his upbringing in Beersheva to studying hard in school and becoming a pilot in Israel’s elite Air Force.
Upper Elementary
by Anna Levine
illustrated by Ksenia Topaz
When Jodie begs her dad to take her on an archaeological dig, he agrees to take her to Modi’in, the ancient home of the Maccabees. And when she volunteers to explore an underground cave, she learns that she and the Maccabees, the heroes of the Hanukkah story, have something in common.
Upper Elementary
by Anna Levine
illustrated by Ksenia Topaz
Young amateur archeologist Jodie invites her cousin Zach on a Passover adventure to explore Hezekiah’s Tunnel in Jerusalem, the famous secret water tunnel. Sloshing through the long, creepy, dark, wet passage, they solve the riddle in the middle and find a shiny treasure!
Upper Elementary
by Anna Levine
illustrated by Ksenia Topaz
Stumbling onto an ancient wine press while walking her dog, amateur archeologist Jodie gets the best idea ever for a birthday surprise for her dad!
Upper Elementary
by Blake Hoena
illustrated by Daniele Dickmann
A graphic novel biography of human rights advocate Natan Sharansky and his life’s work to fight the Soviet government and allow Soviet Jews to immigrate to Israel.
For resources for teachers and students, click here.
Upper Elementary-Middle School
by Noa Nimrodi
Twelve-year-old Shai, struggling with moving from Israel to America, seeks a way back home through family visits and a drawing competition. Facing challenges in a new school and encountering antisemitism, she finds unexpected support.
For educator’s guide, click here.
Upper Elementary
by Esty Schachter
illustrated by Alex Orbe
In the summer of 1986, 11-year-old American, Molly, begrudgingly travels with her family to visit relatives in Israel. In Israel, she attempts to navigate using little knowledge of Hebrew while learning about her family and Israeli culture and society.
Upper Elementary
by Erica Lyons
illustrated by Yinon Ptahia
When young Saliman’s family left Yemen in 1881 to move to Jerusalem there were so many things they could not take along. Promising to remember it all, even the names of each their goats and the color of their fur, he clutched his memory stone, a piece of his house that he kept in his pocket, as a way to keep Yemen in his heart. Saliman and the Memory Stone is a fictionalization of the real emigration of hundreds of Yemeni Jews to Jerusalem.
Upper Elementary
by Eric A. Kimmel
illustrated by Dov Smiley
Greeks and Jews are living in an uneasy peace in ancient Judea. Jonathan, a Jewish boy, sees a Greek boy attacked by bullies, and stands up to defend him. They become best friends. But when war comes to their land, Jonathan joins the Maccabees while his friend joins the Greek army. They seem destined to fight one another. How will their friendship survive?
Upper Elementary
by Candice F. Ransom
The amazing story of young Hannah Senesh, a Hungarian Jew, who at only 23-years-old was executed by the Nazis after being captured for attempting to rescue Jews out of Nazi-occupied Hungary. Hannah Senesh’s foresight at the deteriorating conditions for Jews in Europe caused her to immigrate to British-ruled Palestine where she was passionate about helping to grow the Jewish homeland.
Upper Elementary
by Chaya Burstein
A comprehensive and easily digestible history of the Jewish people in a graphic novel format, for younger readers. Jewish history and the Jews’ connection to the Land of Israel are explored in 26 chapters covering biblical times on.
Upper Elementary
by Tamar Bergman
translated by Hillel Halkin
Set post-WWII and up to the 1948 War of Independence, The Boy From Over There tells the story of a young, orphaned Jewish boy who lived in hiding during the Holocaust and was then brought to Israel, where he joins a group of kibbutz children.
Upper Elementary
by Alex Paz Goldman
Twelve-year-old Israeli Motti and his friend Reuven are on a mission to root out a supposed German spy that is lurking in their neighborhood. Set in 1960s Israel, “The Lost Spy and the Green Dress” delves into the complexities of being raised by Holocaust parents in the modern State of Israel.
Upper Elementary
by Martin Lemelman
The Miracle Seed is the true story of how Israeli scientists brought back to life the once-extinct Judean Palm Tree by crossbreeding a 2,000-year-old date seed found at Masada and a seed found at an archaeological site in Jericho.
For discussion guide, click here.
Upper Elementary
by Joy Nelkin Wieder
During the time of King Chizkiyahu, Sancheriv, the wicked King of Ashur, threatened to surround the city of Yerushalayim. It seemed that many other cities had already fallen to Sancheriv, but the Prophet, Yishayahu, told the people to trust in Hashem. The danger was: the powerful enemy could easily win by simply blocking off the water supply of the Jews. Our story follows a fictional character, 11-year-old Yonatan, and his desire to help protect his family and his people. The historical details of daily life and dramatic threat of the siege combine to create a suspenseful page-turner for children.
Upper Elementary
by Galila Ron-Feder-Amit
translated by Nancy Wellins and illustrated by Galia Bernstein
The Time Tunnel is a popular Israeli series about ten year-old friends Dan and Sharon who travel back in time to periods in Israeli and Jewish history. In this English edition created just for PJ Our Way, Sharon and Dan end up in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City just as the Jewish inhabitants are surrendering to Jordan’s Arab Legion in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence.
Upper Elementary
by Tammar Stein
illustrated by Barbara Bongini
This book, inspired by an archeological dig in which the author participated in Israel, tells the story of two girls living 2000 years apart. Becca is a modern-day girl who has joined an archeological dig, and Rebeka is a girl from the past who lost something very important.
Upper Elementary
by Deborah Lakritz
Set in 1973, Melanie desperately wants to be accepted by the Shimmers, the popular girls in her class, but when she gets to know Dorit, the new girl from Israel, she must choose between popularity and true friendship.
Upper Elementary
by Miroslav Sasek
This is Israel is one in a series on countries and cities by Miroslav Sasek first published in 1962. The book’s engaging pictures take readers through many famous sites and cities in Israel. Biblical quotes are sprinkled throughout the book, which help the readers make connections to the land of Israel.
Upper Elementary
by Sarah Janisse Brown and Alexandra Bretush
illustrated by Anna Kidalova, Dana Andreeva, and Elaina Targarina
Travel Dreams has created a series of social studies journals to be used by readers to research and learn about Israeli history and culture. Readers can take the journals with them on their trips to Israel or use research methods to find answers and fill out the informative pages.
High School
by Alex Singer
Alex: Building a Life is a poignant collection of writings and drawings by Alex Singer, an American-born Jew who chose to serve as an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces. His life was tragically cut short by a terrorist in Southern Lebanon. The book, compiled by his parents, showcases Alex’s remarkable character through his letters, diaries, and art.
High School
by Judie Oron
Twelve-year-old Wuditu is a member of the Beta-Israel tribe in Ethiopia, an ancient Jewish people that settled in Ethiopia many centuries ago. Cry of the Giraffe tells the incredible journey of a young Jewish girl as she perseveres through numerous obstacles in order to return to the Promised Land.
High School
by Gad Shimron
Using his own personal memoirs, former Mossad agent Gad Shimron has written the exciting true story of the undercover operation to rescue Ethiopian Jews from Sudan.
High School
by Sarah Ansbacher
As a museum tour guide, the author educated visitors about the Jewish Adeni community and their abrupt flight from Yemen. Passage from Aden, is comprised of stories based on the author’s conversations with visitors from around the world who came to tour the Aden Jewish Heritage Museum in Tel Aviv.
High School
by Gila Almagor
translated by Hillel Schenker
Under the Domim Tree was written by Israeli film actress, Gila Almagor, who drew upon her childhood experiences to create a coming-of-age story centered around orphaned teenagers growing up in an Israeli agricultural youth village. The main protagonist, Aviya, is one of the few teenagers who was born in Israel, while all the others are Holocaust survivors.
High School
by Iddo Netanyahu
Yoni’s Last Battle chronicles the detailed planning and implementation of one of the most incredibly successful airborne rescue missions in history. The mission was carried out by Israel’s elite commando unit and led by Yoni Netanyahu (older brother of the author) to rescue 105 hostages held by German and Arab terrorists in the Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
High School+
by Ronald Radosh and Allis Radosh
A dramatic, detailed account of the events leading up to the creation of a Jewish homeland and the true story behind President Harry S. Truman’s controversial decision to recognize the State of Israel in 1948, drawn from Truman’s long-lost diary entries and other previously unused archival materials.
High School+
by Leon Uris
This historical novel about the founding of the modern State of Israel begins with a retelling of the 1947 voyages of a ship bringing Jewish refugees from the Holocaust to Mandatory Palestine, recounting the epic history of Israel’s birth through the eyes of two generations of Jews as they fight to reclaim their homeland. Originally published in 1958, Exodus became an international bestseller.
High School+
by Daniel Gordis
With Israel, public intellectual Daniel Gordis offers us a brief but thorough account of the cultural, economic, and political history of this complex nation, from its beginnings to the present. Accessible, levelheaded, and rigorous, Israel sheds light on Israel’s past, so we can understand its future.
High School+
by Anita Shapira
Written by one of Israel’s most notable scholars, this volume provides a breathtaking history of Israel from the origins of the Zionist movement in the late nineteenth century to the present day. Organized chronologically, the volume explores the emergence of Zionism in Europe against the backdrop of relations among Jews, Arabs, and Turks, and the earliest pioneer settlements in Palestine under Ottoman rule.
High School+
by Noa Tishby
Tackling popular misconceptions with an abundance of facts, Noa Tishby provides critical context around headline-generating controversies and offers a clear, intimate account of the richly cultured country of Israel.
High School+
by Barry Rubin
This comprehensive book provides a well-rounded introduction to Israel—a definitive account of the nation’s past, its often controversial present, and much more. Written by a leading historian of the Middle East, Israel is organized around six major themes: land and people, history, society, politics, economics, and culture.
High School+
Edited by Itamar Rabinovich and Jehuda Reinharz
This timely anthology, completely revised and updated from the original edition in 1984, provides convenient access to the most significant documents of the Zionist movement since 1882 and of Israel’s domestic and foreign policy issues between 1948 and 2006. Comprised largely of primary sources from Israeli, Arab, and American records, documents encompass not only political and diplomatic history but economic, cultural, legal and social aspects of the region as well.
High School+
by Mitchell Bard
Explore the historical and political forces that created the Jewish state, influence the unrest in the Palestinian territories, shape the peace process, and affect Israel’s security today. Learn about the diversity of the land and the people, the significance of the Law of Return, and Israel’s importance to America’s interests.
High School+
by Eric Rozenman
What happened to the post-1945 world of Never Again! ? In Jews Make the Best Demons: Palestine and the Jewish Question, Eric Rozenman examines how we got here, the danger posed not only for the Jewish state and Jews everywhere but also for the United States and the rest of the self-doubting liberal West.
High School+
by Murray S. Greenfield and Joseph M. Hochstein
This is the dramatic story of the rescue of Jews from Europe after World War II by North American Jewish volunteers who smashed through the British blockade and brought thousands of refugees to safe haven in Palestine through the illegal Aliyah Bet.
High School+
by Sheilagh Herrera
As the world drifts closer to war and the nations shut their gates, a clandestine movement arises to get Jews out of Europe and into Mandatory Palestine before it’s too late.
High School+
by Ari Mittleman
In Paths of the Righteous, discover eight individuals who have gone above and beyond for Israel and the Jewish people during a difficult and turbulent period. Largely unheralded and not in the headlines, their stories can inspire us. They each demonstrate unique attributes.
High School+
by Ruth Gruber
Learn about the true story of a remarkable woman whose life mirrored the trials and tribulations of the beginning of the modern State of Israel. Through her eyes, readers will learn about the history of Israel and the experiences of the people within the state.
High School+
by Michael B. Oren
Writing with a novelist’s command of narrative and a historian’s grasp of fact and motive, Michael B. Oren reconstructs both the lightning-fast action on the battlefields and the political shocks that electrified the world. A towering work of history and an enthralling human narrative, Six Days of War is the most important book on the Middle East conflict to appear in a generation.
High School+
by Matti Friedman
Spies of No Country is about the slippery identities of Israel’s spies, but it’s also about the complicated identity of Israel, a country that presents itself as Western but in fact has more citizens with Middle Eastern roots, just like the spies of this fascinating narrative.
For CAMERA book review, click here.
High School+
by Dan Senor and Saul Singer
Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion dollar question: How is it that Israel — a country of 7.1 million, only 60 years old, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources– produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK?
High School+
by Dan Senor and Saul Singer
Widely admired for having the world’s highest density of high-tech start-ups, Israel’s greatest innovation may not be a technology at all, but Israeli society itself. Understanding how a country facing so many challenges can be among the happiest provides surprising insights into how we can confront the crisis of community, human connectedness, and purpose in modern life.
High School+
by Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk portrays the young nation of Israel once again pushed to the brink of annihilation — and sets the stage for today’s ongoing struggle for peace. Taking us from the Sinai to Jerusalem, from dust-choking battles to the Entebbe raid, from Camp David to the inner lives of such historical figures as Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, and Anwar Sadat, these extraordinary novels have the authenticity and authority of Wouk’s finest fiction — and together strike a resounding chord of hope for all humanity.
High School+
by Herman Wouk
This saga spans from 1948 to 1967, the early decades of the state of Israel as it fights for its life, outmatched and surrounded by enemies—the first of the two-part epic that concludes with The Glory. The four heroes, and the women they love, weave a compelling tapestry of individual destinies through a grand recounting of one nation’s struggle against the odds.
High School+
by Yehuda Avner
This intimate narrative takes the reader behind the scenes into the chambers of Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzchak Rabin, and Menachem Begin on whose personal staffs the author served.
High School+
by Adi Schwartz and Einat Wilf
Two prominent Israelis argue that for the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians to end with peace, Palestinians must come to terms with the fact that there will be no “right of return.”
High School+
by Martin Kramer
In The War on Error, historian and political analyst Martin Kramer presents a series of case studies, some based on pathfinding research and others on provocative analysis, that correct misinformation clouding the public’s understanding of the Middle East. He also offers a forensic exploration of how misinformation arises and becomes “fact.”
High School+
Edited by Gil Troy
High School+
by Mitchell G. Bard
While most people view the Palestinian conflict as the greatest threat to Israel’s survival, it is in fact only one of the nation’s long-term concerns. Bard paints a realistic picture of the road ahead with a hopeful message: Israel will not only survive, but will endure long into the future.