At a time when the Jewish conversation revolves around ceasefires, freed hostages, a new U.S. administration and an alarming rise in antisemitism, is there room for a book about the Zionist dream?<\/p>\n
Indeed, because the timely has a tendency to submerge the timeless, you can argue that this is the best time for such a book, especially since the Zionist dream is one of the great timeless ideas of the Jewish story.<\/p>\n
So let\u2019s enter a book that embraces both a timeless dream and a timely opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy American-infused Zionism is a hopeful, second-stage, Zionism,\u201d historian and Zionist author Gil Troy writes early in his new book, \u201cTo Resist the Academic Intifada: Letters to My Students on Defending the Zionist Dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I tried building it reactively, on scars, on my personal trauma from Jew-haters, it would rest on a thin foundation. Instead, it evolved proactively, on bedrocks of Americanness, Jewishness, liberalism, truth-seeking, and meaning-seeking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right away, Troy lets the reader know this won\u2019t be a book of talking points to help you win arguments. Yes, the book is full of information that makes a compelling case for Zionism, and it might even help you win a debate.<\/p>\n
Although the letters in his book are addressed to his students, the way he tells his stories and argues his case makes the book relevant for anyone interested in learning more about Zionism.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Troy, who lives in Jerusalem, has written an unapologetic book about embracing the power of the Zionist dream, at a time when it has been under attack like never before.<\/p>\n
For the full review by David Suissa in the ‘Jewish Journal’ click here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n