Independence Park: The Lives of Gay Men in Israel

by Amir Fink, Amir Sumakai Fink, Jacob Press Staff (Editor)

Independence Park, Tel Aviv, is the best-known meeting place for gay men in Israel; Independence Park, Jerusalem, is perhaps the second-best-known; and the hope for independence is the dominant theme of this wide-ranging collection of personal narratives told in the voices of twelve gay men representing a cross-section of contemporary Israeli society. The speakers are Jew and Arab, ranging in age from 22 to 72. They include students and teachers, a waiter, a prostitute, a journalist, and a janitor. Some are married to women, some are “married” to men, some are single; their families come from Yemen, Germany, Morocco, Romania, Egypt, Russia. They talk about their family backgrounds and early childhood memories, their first stirrings of sexuality and responses to those feelings. They reveal their emotional struggles as well as their religious and political views. The conviction structuring this book is that by allowing these men to render their different worlds in their own words, their voices will produce a layered chorus approximating the vibrant cacophony of the Israeli street. A remarkably rich assemblage of anthropological fieldwork, the book also can be read as literature―there are some fine storytellers here―or for pure human interest, as the narratives themselves are deeply moving.

Genres: Israel

398 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is now 11 years old, it is an amazing capture of a time and place, 373 pages of history, culture, experience, and life. Over 12 interviews with an extraordinary cross-section of the gay men living in Israel, the reader is given a very distinct and clear view of gay life, and life in general, in Israel, a country that holds many mysteries and fears for people. Each of the men are allowed to tell their stories which range from the sad to the strange and disturbing. It's unbelievably fascinating.

There are the common touchstones for all gay men - the feelings of being the only one in the world, discovering who one is and realizing it has to sometimes be kept quiet, the decisions to live two separate lives in public and employment settings, the first thrills of venturing out of the closet, the pressures to date and marry women, and the homophobia that exists in the world. What sets this book apart and adds more depth and a sense of this not being like life in America are the added stories of every male being drafted into the army, the entire Israeli/Arab conflict and how it hovers over all daily life in Israel, how being Jewish has impacted all of these men, and the limited resources and supports for a burgeoning gay and lesbian community within a country that could be considered just an infant. The title of the book comes from a park where many gay men cruise for sex. For years, it was the only way gay men were able to connect with others in society.

While the book does provide a short update of where these 12 men are now, one has to remember that this book is eleven years old and these interviews were conducted in 1993. A lot of time has passed, which is why I think it would be really interesting to find out where these men are now in 2010 and how gay life has evolved in the Israel of today. Until then, this book is a good window into this world.

[donna]

this book insightfully and articulately explores what it is to be a gay man in israel. israel is pretty gay-rights progressive and this took shape within a short amount of time. the book is written by an adorable couple in 1993. they track the political history of gay rights in the introduction. there are twelve interviews telling the story of twelve different israeli gay men. a religious guy, an arab, a male prostitute, a russian, a sex columnist...this book gives them a voice. but there is something to be said that the book was only published in english.

i imagine aviv as the character of each of their stories. that's really what makes it what it is.