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The Xenophobe's Guide to the Israelis by Aviv Ben Zeev A guide to understanding the Israelis that unravels their idiosyncracies
and national characteristics.
| Gift of the gaffe | | Israelis have never accepted themselves as part of the Middle
East. It is well known in Israel that when God asked Moses where he would like
to lead the Israelites, Moses (who had a severe stutter) had his heart set on
Canada and answered:''Ca...Caan...Caaaan...''. ''Canaan it is, then'', ruled the
Almighty. The rest is history. |
| Suckers for sentiment | | Israelis
have been likened to the native cactus fruit, the Sabra, which is covered with
thorns on the outside yet is sweet and mushy on the inside. Music carries this
emotionalism a long way, with Israeli 'golden oldies' making grown men cry, and
nostalgia films on television receiving top ratings. |
| Family first | | At
the centre of every Israeli's existence stands his family. The Jewish mama nurtures
her babes from the age of 0 till 80. Children are expected to grow up respecting
their parents, to live at their parents' home until conscription age, to become
lawyers or doctors, to marry into a good family (it can't hurt if they're rich
as well), to reside in immediate proximity to their greying elders and to produce
grandchildren ASATWO (As Soon As The Wedding is Over). |
| Help is at hand | | Israelis
cannot resist trying to help their fellow man. This often takes the form of meddling,
and can even be mistaken for rudeness. They will interfere in someone else's conversation
on the street to offer some good-hearted advice; they will read the newspaper
in the hands of the man sitting next to them on the bus and proceed to ask him
not to turn the pages so fast; they will never allow a fellow Israeli to fix his
car by himself, even against protest. |
| A must for
anyone who ever comes in contact with Israelis, Great read. This book is a must
for anyone who ever comes in contact with Israelis. I am an immigrant in Israel
and I only wish I had read this book when I first came here - would've saved me
a lot of misunderstandings. Now that I am here, I read this book and see how much
it is correct about all, even the little details. Most of all - it's a funny and
amazing book. | | Israel |
| The
publisher would welcome readers comments on this title. |
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| An
enlightened new series, good natured, witty and useful. The Xenophobe's Guides
to different nations deserves a real cheer. |
| The European |
| The
Xenophobe's Guides raise a smile and give you an understanding of the beliefs
and foibles of nationalities. | | Glasgow Evening Times |
Nationalism
and Identity
Character
Attitudes and Values
Manners
Behaviour
Obsessions
Custom and Tradition
Sense of Humour
Government
and Bureaucracy
Leisure and Pleasure
Eating and Drinking
Health and
Hygiene
Systems
Culture
Business
Crime and Punishment
Conversation and Gestures
Language |
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| Author:
Aviv Ben Zeev | | Format:
64
pages, pb | | Published:
31/07/01 | | Updated:
January 2004 | | Price:
£3.99 | | ISBN-10
& ISBN-13: 1-902825-34-9 | |
