Israel 201: Your Next-Level Guide to the Magic, Mystery, and Chaos of Life in the Holy Land

by Benji Lovitt, Joel Chasnoff

Why do Israelis go bike riding on Yom Kippur? How did Jerusalem’s stray cat problem spur religious debate? And why are Israelis so blunt, even when the truth hurts? From shomer Shabbos car insurance policies and ancient marriage laws to Arab Israeli stand-up comedy and LGBTQ activism in the IDF, Israel 201 goes beyond an introductory “101” course to show you the magic, mystery, and, yes, chaos, of one of the most fascinating and least understood countries on earth.

Genres: Israel, Nonfiction

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2023

Reviews

[Ayelet · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who made aliyah I can relate to so much of what they write. It's not meant to be read straight through but there are some really funny parts.

[Adam Hummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is good travel guide if you want to know more than just the popular guides provide for the Israel. It goes more into the cultural and everyday aspects of what makes Israel such as unique adventure.

[Gayl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book far exceeded my expectations. I had anticipated a humorous volume about contemporary life in Israel. It turned out to be a combination of serious sociological observations along with laughter loud anecdotes that truly provided insight and affirmation to my understanding of Israeli society (pre-October 7). As someone who lived in Israel in the 70s and 80s and has visited many times since, much in this book was both affirming and surprising. Highly recommended to anyone who knows Israel from some years ago.

[Randi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super entertaining and enlightening insight into Israel today. After reading this book, I realized I am a much cooler person than I'd thought I was before because now I know that a concert my parent took me to in 1973 featured Israel's original premier rock band, Sippurei Poogy. I remembered their song Yo Ya but I had no idea what it was about. Here's the YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xUi... Enjoy!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book! It’s an Israel book about Israeli culture and what it’s like to live there, not a typical history book. It’s written by two comedians, one originally from my area and the other who did YJ. So that was cool. Overall it was a quick/easy read and I learned a lot.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read straight through or you can pick your way around it out of order, this book gives a tour of Israeli history, culture, and geography but distinguishes itself by skipping all the usual stuff and getting to the deeper cuts—the cultural touchstone movies and songs, the habits around school or military service, and even a brief guide to hiking trails. In other words, it does exactly what it promises to do on its back cover copy.

[Dr-Orban E. Hassan · Rating 2 out of 5]

أشياء كثيره لم يتطرق اليها بصورة واضحه ليخفي أشياء شديدة القبح في مجتمع ملئ بالمتناقضات و مهما جهد الكاتب في ابراز صورة مثاليه الإ إنه من البديهي استنتاج أن كل مجتمع مهما بلغت درجة رقيه الا انه لابد من وجود أشياء كثيرة تشذ عن القاعده و تظهر القبح الحقيقي.

[Lsilberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An irreverent but helpful introduction to some of the contemporary "mysteries" of Israeli life, from an explanation for Israeli rudeness to the reality of life in the military.

[Seth Petok · Rating 4 out of 5]

whatever it takes to survive...and laugh!

[Steve Gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag: some fun stuff, some tedious stuff

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with interesting and entertaining information about Israel. I learned so much reading it.