A previous post listed award winning books about the Land of Israel. In this post you will find a variety of classic writings by insightful and thought provoking Israeli nationals whose works have been translated to English
I and Thou by Martin Buber (1878–1965 ) is the most famous among this author’s philosophical writings. I and Thou (1923) is the short but powerful book which has long been acclaimed as a classic. Many prominent writers have acknowledged its influence on their work; students of intellectual history consider it a landmark; and the generation born after World War II considers Buber one of its prophets. Buber’s main proposition is that we may address existence in two ways: (1) that of the “I” toward an “It,” toward an object that is separate in itself, which we either use or experience; (2) that of the “I” toward “Thou,” in which we move into existence in a relationship without bounds. One of the major themes of the book is that human life finds its meaningfulness in relationships. All of our relationships, Buber contends, bring us ultimately into a relationship with God, who is the Eternal Thou. - Simon and Schuster (2008)
My People: The Story of the Jews by Abba Solomon Eban (1915-2002) is a fascinating book, written with knowledge, perception, lucidity, eloquence and passion. You would expect anything less from its distinguished author, for his credentials are impressive. Eban was an Israeli diplomat and politician, who completed Cambridge with highest honors, was appointed research fellow and lecturer there in Hebrew, Arabic and Persian. In this volume Eban narrates the story of the Jews from Abraham's migration to The Six Day War.- Behrman House, (1968)
To the End of the Land by David Grossman ( 1954 - ) is a book of mourning for those not dead, a mother's lament for life during a wartime that has no end in sight. At the same time, it's joyously alive, full to the point of rupture with the emotions and the endless details of a few deeply imagined lives. The Israeli mother in Grossman's story, is surrounded by friends and lovers who form with her a love triangle whose intimacies and alliances are unique. The story depicts the emotional strains that family members of soldiers experience when their loved ones are deployed into combat. Born in Jerusalem, Grossman is an outspoken left-wing peace activist and the author of numerous works of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature. His work has been translated into thirty languages around the world and this book has won many International awards. - Random House
Like Dreamers by Yossi Klein Halevi (1953 - ) is the story of the Israeli paratroopers who reunited Jerusalem and divided a nation. In restoring Jewish sovereignty to the Holy City during 1967's Six-Day War, the Israeli paratroopers fulfilled a dream of two millennia, forever changing the history of Israel and of the Middle East. Veteran journalist Halevi compellingly reveals how they served pivotal roles in shaping Israel's destiny long after their resounding military success. As he follows the lives of this Israeli band of brothers, and charts the ideological divides among them, he weaves an epic chronicle of modern Israel that humanizes the country's political and cultural dilemmas, and offers an unprecedented glimpse into its soul. - Harper Collins
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari (1976 - ) make sense of today's most pressing issues. Harari writes: “My first book, Sapiens, surveyed the human past, examining how an insignificant ape became the ruler of planet Earth. Homo Deus, my second book, explored the long-term future of life... In this book I… zoom in on the here and now, but without losing the long-term perspective.” Harari received his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford in 2002 and is currently a lecturer at the Department of History in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Spiegel & Grau
Eden by Yael Hedaya (1964 - ) is not the paradise it appears to be. It is a stifling rural Israeli community in which upscale urban escapees try to salvage their relationship. Set against a backdrop of Middle East fears, family entanglements, disappearing countryside, and disappointed expectations, Yael Hedaya's Eden brilliantly renders the strains of unrest in what, on the surface, seems an idyllic place. The head writer for In Treatment, the acclaimed Israeli TV series adapted for HBO, Hedaya also authored Housebroken. Three-The Story of Love, and Accidents. - Henry Holt & Co. (2011)
My Family Right or Wrong by Ephraim Kishon (1924 - 2005) is a book of short humorous stories. A very funny situation is linked to another funny situation from another story and all of them are related to real life events so everyone can find themselves in some of the stories. . The stories are witty and funny and give a rare glimpse into Israel in its early days after 1947 independence. Kishon was a very popular Israeli author, dramatist, screenwriter, and Oscar-nominated film director. He was one of the most widely read contemporary satirists in the world. Kishon was nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and three times for a Golden Globe Award.- Ramboro Books (1997)
My Michael by Amos Oz (1939 - 2018) is a 1968 novel whose story is told in first-person by a dissatisfied wife, describes her deteriorating marriage to a geology student and her escape into a private fantasy world of violent heroics and sexual encounters. Set in Jerusalem of the 1950s, the novel uses the physical and political landscape of the city as a metaphor for the protagonist's inner struggle. The best-selling novel garnered much controversy upon its publication in Israel, translated into English in 1972 and has since been translated into more than 30 languages. It was adapted into a Hebrew-language film in 1976. Amos Oz was an Israeli writer, novelist, journalist, and intellectual. He was also a professor of Hebrew literature at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. From 1967 onwards, Oz was a prominent advocate of a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. - Alfred A. Knopf (1997)
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