Why Anglo-Israelis Are Most Becoming!

Becoming Israeli** is a widely praised collection of essays by English speaking immigrants to the Jewish state that first appeared via The Times of Israel blogsite.

Conceived and edited by Akiva Gersh with a foreword by Yossi Klein Halevi, it is currently listed on Amazon.com’s ‘Free Kindle Biographies’ daily email as part of its ‘Kindle Unlimited’ package.

I fear this makes the offer misleading as, like too many other titles on this list, it is available only to K U subscribers paying a monthly fee of $9.99. It also means that customers like me are ineligible to become subscribers as we do not have the correct account!

However, I have read the ‘free excerpt’ available to casual browsers and understand why so many readers have been charmed by Gersh’s boyish ardour for Israel and the undiminished thrill he still feels as an immigrant, despite having lived here since 2004.

Some of Gersh’s observations don’t ring true to me. But as we hail from different countries, are of different generations and leapt the ‘great divide’ at different times, I suppose I must take his remarks at face value.

I

suggest that should a sequel be considered, that it features the founders and members of the startlingly successful ‘Keep Olim in Israel’ group. This is where much unsung work is accomplished to quite wonderful effect.

**Becoming Israeli: The Hysterical, Inspiring and Challenging Sides of Making Aliyah is available from Amazon gratis via Kindle Unlimited. The cost is otherwise $9.99 (digital list) and $15.99 (paperback).

© Natalie Wood (08 February 2019)