A Tale of Love and Darkness / Amos Oz (2004) Amos Oz' autobiography captures the flavor of life in Palestine before Independence in ways that virtually nothing else I've read does. The passages that describe the events of November 29, 1947, the day of the UN vote on Israel's creation, and his discussions with a Kibbutz member of whether the Arab "enemy" is really a "murderer," are literally unforgettable. The entire book is a masterpiece.

Dancing Arabs / Sayed Kashua (2004) Kashua is an Israeli Arab, who interestingly writes in Hebrew only. Funny and sad, he is far from an apologist for the "Zionist narrative." He tells a story of a community that belongs nowhere, and exposes the complexity of Israeli Arab life. Watch also for his second book, "And It Was Morning," not yet in English.

The Liberated Bride / A. B. Yehoshua (2003) I read this book both in Hebrew and in English, and didn't love it. But I'm a minority. Most people loved it. And it clearly reveals slices of Israeli academic, judicial, Arab and romantic life. It's a good yarn, if a bit long, and gives a rich picture of dimensions of contemporary Israeli life.

Six Days of War / Michael B. Oren (2002) Universally lauded, this book has become a classic. A history of the Six Day War, it reads like a novel. Of particular interest to many will be the opening sections that discuss the period called the "hamtanah," the weeks prior to the war when many Israelis really feared that the end was at hand. The fragility of the new Jewish State is brought to live in vivid detail.

Righteous Victims / Benny Morris (1999) This is a controversial book, and not an easy read for lovers of Israel. But Benny Morris is part of a group of historians whose work must be encountered. He shows that the Palestinians people's have causes more complex than Israeli narratives often admitted, and that Israeli behavior has been varied. To my mind, a serious engagement with Israel means thinking about these issues as well.

Israel: A History / Martin Gilbert (1998) Simply put, a classic history of Israel (very sympathetic) that covers the pre-State and post-Independence periods, from one of our period's great historians. Very readable.

The Book of Intimate Grammar / David Grossman (1994) David Grossman is among Israel's greatest novelists. This book, or his "See Under: Love", are wonderful introductions to this artists. This novel tracks the story of a poor adolescent in the period of the Six Day War, offering a glimpse into the two Israel's of the period the victor in the Six Day War, and the society still coming to terms with those on its fringes.

The Blue Mountain / Meir Shalev (1991) Meir Shalev is also one of Israel's finest novelists. Rather left wing in his politics, he combines a critical eye with a deep love of the Bible and of the scent and the feel of the land. I include him here not only because he is great, but because he breaks down the stereotype that love of the land must lead to the "right" in politics. His latest books, unfortunately, aren't yet in English.

Turn Left at the End of the World (2004) Set at the end of the 1960's, this movie, which was a great success in Israel, protrays the travails of the Northern African immigrants who were sent to "holes" at the end of the world. The story of Israel's absorbtion of immigrants is one of the great miracles of Israeli life, but it was not perfect. With humor, romance and beauty, this movie addresses this important side of our history.

The Syrian Bride (2004) Israel is not only a country of Jews. There are Chritians, Moslems, and Druze, as well. Amal, a Druze woman in an Israeli village, is about to marry a Syrian man and cross the border. When she does, she will never be able to return. The movie tells a personal story, but on a backdrop of Israeli politics and policy. A beautiful film, proof of the great strides of the Israel film industry.

Ushpizin (2004) A new classic of Israeli film, the movie gives us a glimpse into the lives of faith, hope, poverty and childlessness of a newly ultra-Orthodox couple. Casting a loving eye on their world (the movie was made by members of that community), it succeeds in showing us the sweet as well as the problematic in their world, and amazingly, the powerful romance between them, without them ever touching.

Campfire (2004) It's the early 1980's, and a single mother decides to move with her two daughters to a religious-=Zionist settlement in the "occupied territories." The movie casts a not always flattering lens on the passions and beliefs of the community, shown through the trials of the two teenage daughters and the way they are treated by a host of characters. Painful, sometimes funny, and always poignant.

Yossi and Jagger (2002) Many movies had dealt with the Israel Defense Forces. But this is the first, to my knowledge, to address the trials and tribulations of a gay couple serving in the IDF. It's a haunting, beautiful and sad movie, and raises harrowing questions about the real costs of the "macho" environment of the IDF. A classic in Israel, and a wonderful window on yet another dimension of Israeli life.

Broken Wings (2002) Israel is not all about war, army, immigration. Sometimes it's just about regular people trying to live regular lives. This film, about a single mother raising her teenage children alone, isn't at all critical of Israel. Indeed, it's not "about" Israel. But because it takes place in Israel, it offers a window into parts of Israeli life, even while dealing with a subject much more universal.

Foreign Sister (2000) Foreign workers are a major dimension of Israeli life, and not a necessarily pleasant one. Israel has allowed thousands of people to enter to work here, but their status is often grey, and their conditions deplorable. This movie isn't directly about that, but about feminism, power, family and place. The foreign worker issue is central, but only one of many. A beautiful film.

Chava Alberstein - Foreign Letters Chava Alberstein is an international singing star whose recordings have gone Gold and Platinum. Her new album Foreign Letters is her first domestic release. Featuring Chava's warm vocals in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew, accompanied by intimate, acoustic instrumentation, this is her most accessible album yet. Understanding Hebrew helps, but the music is great.

Atzum There are thousands of fabulous organizations in Israel, doing wonderful social justice work. One of the great ones, a small start up run by (my friend) Levi Lauer, addresses three important issues: victims of terror, righteous gentiles and human (sex) trafficking. Check out their web site. And if you want to make a contribution, there can't be a better place than here. http://www.atzum.org/