Sue's Bookshelf

By Sue Littauer

The Charlotte Jewish News, April 2023

Israel celebrates its 75th birthday on April 25, 2023. In celebration, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite books related to Israel. A book about the history of Israel, one about a founder of the State of Israel, one celebrating the strength and ingenuity of the people of Israel, and one by a contemporary Israeli author.

I have no doubt that “Exodus” would be the number one favorite recommendation by readers of all ages. It’s a “passionate summary of the inhuman treatment of the Jewish people in Europe, of the exodus in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to Palestine, and of the triumphant founding of the new Israel” — “The New York Times”

Whether you read the timeless classic when it was first published in 1982 or more recently as a requirement for a teen trip to Israel, the main characters, Ari, Kitty, Dov, and Karen, are no doubt still in your heart and in your mind.

I don’t think I appreciated the great opportunity given to me when I had the opportunity to meet a great leader of the State of Israel. I actually met Shimon Peres twice as he welcomed leaders of the American Jewish community to Israel. And when I served as a judge for the Jewish Book Council’s biography panel and read his book, “No Room for Small Dreams: Courage, Imagination and the Making of Modern Israel,” I was in awe of his achievements. Shimon Peres was the last survivor of the generation of leaders who founded the modern state of Israel. In his book, Shimon Peres tells his life story in a very readable way. “Told with the frankness of someone aware this would likely be his final statement, “No Room for Small Dreams” examines pivotal moments in Israel’s rise. Peres explores what makes for a great leader, how to make hard choices in a climate of uncertainty and distress, the challenges of balancing principles with policies, and the liberating nature of imagination and unpredicted innovation.” — Amazon

I think a great word to describe Israelis is “chutzpah” and there is no better way to truly appreciate and understand the miracle of the state of Israel than to read “Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle” by Dan Senor and Saul

Singer. “Israel, a country the size of New Jersey and surrounded on all sides by hostile nations, has more companies listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange than the next five foreign countries combined. In this book, two Middle East experts … credit a combination of five characteristics: Israel’s strategic isolation, the centrality of its military, its close connections with and support from its diaspora, and its pioneering origins. With references to history and by means of personal anecdotes, Senor and Singer introduce the reader to many of the people who have helped make household names of companies such as Intel, Cisco, Google, and many others equally important but less familiar as well as to visionaries such as David Ben Gurion and President Shimon Peres who created a nation that values and encourages innovation. — Jewish Book Council, Peter Rothholz Finally, my favorite novel by a contemporary Israeli author is “Waking Lions” by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. “Waking Lions” is a gripping, suspenseful, and morally devastating drama of guilt and survival, shame and desire. The novel has been translated into thirteen languages, and earned numerous prizes, awards, and recommendations by such publications as “The New York Times Book Review” and the “Wall Street Journal.” “Waking Lions” would be a top choice for your book club, one which highlights many contemporary issues in Israeli culture, and showcases the brilliance of the next generation of Israeli writers.

To honor the birthday of the founding of Israel, take the time this month to read one of these books or one of your own choosing.

All books are available to borrow from the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library at the Center for Jewish Education. For more information, contact sue.littauer@ jewishcharlotte.org.