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Leaving Home Going Home Returning Home

5.0 out of 5 stars Israel discovered, January 25, 2010
By Gilbert Maron "Red Sox Fan" (New Britain, Ct, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) This review is from: Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel (Paperback)
After receiving a review copy , I was happy to learn about a country that I had not been to, Israel. First of all I must say I liked the larger type as I am 67 years of age. Being Jewish , I always wanted to visit Israel one day. The easy to read book gave me insight into the real Israeli character and life there, not like what I was being fed in the news media which does not really reflect what life is like there. I was sad because of the daily struggle for existence the Israelis have to go through. But Jason's book was a real positive breath of fresh air about the day to day life there. The book was insightful about what one has to do when moving from the USA to another country of a different culture even though I am Jewish, and how to adapt. So the lessons in the book are universal. The book was also entertaining in that it was like a travel log of the country from the perspective of an American Jew or Hebrew as Jason calls himself. One of the best chapters in the book that I liked was " The Nothingness" because that chapter showed that even with our differences, people are people anywhere. I enjoyed each and every chapter and did get a feeling that I was walking in the footsteps of the author. I felt the book was not only entertaining , and humorous, but of a very professional quality and am happy to give it the highest rating because I know others will love the book as I did. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Becoming A Citizen of the World in Israel, the United States and Europe, July 15, 2010
By Christopher Meade - See all my reviewsThis review is from: Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel (Paperback)
In 1996 I traveled to Israel on a pilgrimage with about twenty Catholics. I left with a sense of gratitude for the dynamic culture of modern day Israel with its diverse population of Jews, Palestinians and Arabs. Without fail, when I share with others that I spent a few weeks in Israel, most respond that they would love to visit but are afraid that the region is too dangerous and volatile to venture into.
Jason Alster's book offers to would be travelers an enjoyable account of one man's decision to make a life in Israel over a twenty-year period. He captures the joy and thrill of an American Jew learning about a new culture with its distinctive cuisine, economy and historical narrative. Living through the anxiety produced by the Gulf War and periodic episodes of terrorism he manages to fall in love, marry, raise two daughters and embrace with open arms the joy of reconnecting with his Jewish heritage.
The book's charm revolves around its personal and funny anecdotes. I especially enjoyed the story of the couple who sought out Mr. Alster's biofeedback services to reduce stress and blood-pressure issues. As the husband sat down to begin his session his chair gave way and he harmlessly fell to the ground. Laughter can be a great stress reducer.
For those interested in getting beyond the often ominous headlines in the news about Israel and the Middle East, for those who would like to understand what it's really like to live in that nation and, perhaps, one day visit Mr. Alster's book is a great place to start.
Author of Icons & Iconoclasts
Icons & Iconoclasts: How Secrecy and Denial Shattered the Catholic Church's Prestige - And How It Can Recover Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A mosaic of vivid snapshots that clearly exhibits a remarkable insight into the heterogeneous and dynamic culture of Israel, April 22, 2010
By Norman Goldman "Publisher & Editor of Bookp... (Montreal) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME) This review is from: Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel (Paperback)
Author: Jason Alster
ISBN: 9781439258750

Part memoir and part travelogue, Jason Alster with his Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel reminisces about his experiences when he made Aliyah to Israel in 1984 at the age of twenty-eight, and where he lived until returning to the USA in 2007.

The term Aliyah in Hebrew means "going up" both spiritually and physically. As Alster informs us, the geographic and spiritual center of Israel is Jerusalem, situated on a high mountain, and thus you need to go up to get there. It is an important Jewish cultural concept and a key element of Zionism, which is enshrined into Israel's Law of Return. Someone who makes Aliyah is called an oleh, if a male or olah, if a female and olim if in the plural.

At the age of twelve, Alster had his first inkling that one day he would be make Aliyah to Israel. This came while attending Bible class at the Yeshiva of Hartford Hebrew Academy. It was not until sixteen years later that he actually took the plunge. According to Alster, the principal reason for his move to Israel was that he was searching for his real home and homeland and he didn't want to be a minority anymore. Later, when people would ask him why he moved to Israel, he would tell them that his father originally planned on making Aliyah and he came instead.

Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home is a deeply personal adventure, wherein Alster chronicles the process of his immersion into a society, culture and language far different from his native USA. Surprises were abundant, beginning with his initial meeting with an Israeli representative that tried to dissuade him from moving to Israel. After all, was this not the official policy of Israel to invite people to her land? As he later discovered, stated policy and reality are two different animals. Interestingly, Alster wasn't sure what he was going to do in Israel and perhaps this was the key to his adaptation. As he states, he expected to live a normal life, watch TV, go to the movies, work and raise a family-"Israel for better or for worse."

Written in a highly readable style that is both enlightening and at times funny, this fascinating memoir provides the reader with a window and unique perspective of Israeli life. One of its principal strengths is the number of interesting fly-on-the wall anecdotes scattered throughout. One such account is the chapter entitled "Don't touch the shawarma, no matter how delicious." Alster had a rude awakening when he discovered that his shawarma sandwiches were not one hundred percent meat but rather fifty percent pure fat and the remainder meat. Another was his agonizing experience with an Israeli builder-something, by the way, could very well have taken place in my home-town of Montreal. Also sprinkled throughout are interesting tidbits of information. For example, I have been eating tilapia for many years and I never knew that it was the same famous St. Peter's fish that my wife and I ate several years ago while visiting Tiberius. It is fished from the Sea of Galilee (Kineret).

Among Alster's many vocations is that of a biofeedback practitioner/learning specialist, who has over the years helped hundreds of learning challenged students with Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) dylexia, and test anxiety to succeed in school. Consequently, a great deal of ink, and perhaps a trifle too much, is devoted to his experiences in working in this field and applying his specialized knowledge while living in Israel. In fact, he was very much sought after, as he was one of the few experts in Israel during his sojourn.

Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home is a mosaic of vivid snapshots that clearly exhibits a remarkable insight into the heterogeneous and dynamic culture of Israel, while at the same time conveying to the reader the nuances of feelings, as well as the harshness of reality. And for anyone contemplating aliyah or even visiting Israel, this is a must read.

Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A deep look at life in Israel, December 26, 2009
By Jason Mark Alster M.Sc "Millenium man" (Wethersfield , CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel (Paperback)
A synopsis of this novel is in the author's profile/blog.

I never thought I would write a novel. To me, this book about life in Israel was just something that had to be told. I felt, and was told many times, that I had a unique perspective and could see things from many angles. That is because of my background and different endeavors. My mother was a traditional Jewish lady born to secular parents , while my father was a secular Jew born to a traditional family. I myself had went to Hebrew school , but had grown up with many gentile friends from my neighborhood, and am secular today. By age 14, I had moved away from home to enter a private Hebrew school in another state, Maryland, and by the time I moved to Israel in 1984 at age 28, I had moved as many as five times and lived in four different states; Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. I guess I could identify with people who moved allot. By the time I had published this book, I had moved about fourteen times.
To this I also add my different vocations that give me different perspectives; psychology/biology, electro-neuro-diagnostics, real estate agent, sleep-wake disorders research, biofeedback, natural medicine, art teacher, educational technology, and author publisher. Well, I wanted to have a positive book that would be a real joy to read, but at the same time identify with other people who are deciding to follow their dreams , but know that might mean relocating. So the novel may be read on different levels. As an informative book on life in Israel spanning the years from 1984, an exciting adventerous novel, and a book about following your dreams. I know you will enjoy this book and hopefully be inspired.
Being in Control: Natural Techniques for Increasing Your Potential and Creativity for Success in School , Creative Painting for the Young Artist , Relaxing Sights and Sounds of Natural Israel , Exotic and Meditative Sights and Sounds from Israel Why no voting buttons? We don't let customers vote on their own reviews, so the voting buttons appear only when you look at reviews submitted by others. Permalink
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Homerun, Whether Leaving, Going, or Returning, October 11, 2011
By Jim Smith (Amston, CT USA) - See all my reviewsThis review is from: Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel (Paperback)
I confess that "Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home" is a book that I normally would not read. I am a web designer by trade and a techie book author as well (How to Start a Home-Based Web Design Business, 4th (Home-Based Business Series)). A book about a guy's journey to Israel didn't seem to match my normal pattern of technical tomes. But when I picked it up and thumbed through it, I found myself settling back in my easy chair starting the first chapter. By time I had read a few chapters, I felt the book warranted my full attention.

Alster taught me more about Israel, its people, culture, and history than I had ever been aware of before. I was able to view it through the eyes of someone who was willing to give a non-judgemental panoramic view of a culture that I previously only knew superficially. Through his eyes, I was able to see a part of the Jewish history that allowed me to understand more than I ever did before.

I remember in the early 1990's when I watched the televised version of Iraq shooting scud missiles during the Gulf War. It was a low-impact experience so many miles away. However, as I read about Alster protecting his daughter and family as he could hear the scud missiles just outside his own home, it became very real to me. This was not just a crazed dictator firing random artillery into the desert -- this was a real threat to real people! Seems obvious now but it took the skilled writing of Alster to bring me into the house with him and his family, feeling each painful explosion. By this time, I couldn't put the book down.

This book was written in a style in which I feel I have a better understanding of why so many of my Jewish friends talk respectfully about a desert land so far away. I understand it through a glimpse of someone with American values growing up in a Jewish household. And through someone who, forsaking all he grew up with, moved to a land of his heritage to make a new home. And then when he decided to return to the US, it made me think of it as the modern day equivalent to the 1915 book "Acre of Diamonds" (Acres of Diamonds: -1915).

If you are looking for a well-written book on a young man traveling to Israel and back, you can't go wrong with this one. It is educational, entertaining, and inspirational.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel, February 22, 2011
By M. Giskin - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel (Paperback)
The conversational style of this book is very inviting. It is as if the author is talking to you as a friend over a cup of coffee. The insider's look would be interesting to anyone contemplating a trip to Israel but especially to Jews considering making aliyah. We often view Israel from a political perspective but this book shows it as a real and vibrant country. A place the author called home with all its aspects, both good and bad. One gets a real feel for the culture of everday life and a sense of what it would be like to live and work there. In addition the author's love of his ancestral homeland and her resilient citizens comes through. The book also inspires an appreciation for Israel as the lovely Mediterranean country that it is with its beautiful beaches and natural beauty, something often overshadowed in newsclips of desert violence. An enjoyable read that provides many interesting insights. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading For Those Making Aliya, Made Aliya, Understanding Israel, December 11, 2010
By Joel Leyden - See all my reviewsThis review is from: Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel (Paperback)
"Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home: A Hebrew American's Sojourn in the Land of Israel" is written by an American who has lived in Israel for over 20 years and has observed this tiny, democratic state with the accuracy of a medical scientist - for which Alster is.

Furthermore, Jason is a gifted, natural writer - able to articulate all that he has witnessed and deliver it into exciting nouns, verbs and adjectives that equal some of today's most respected, read authors.

It is an honest, objective, no hold punches account of Israel which maintains its own integrity while supporting the Jewish state.

I feel that this book is required reading for every person who is contemplating making Aliya, has made Aliya and cares to understand the inner workings of Israeli culture. It provides support for those who have made Aliya and those who have returned from their tour of duty in defending the Jewish nation.

From experiencing an Israeli McDonalds, the Aliyah experience (12 chapters are dedicated to this process), enjoying the colorful historical, biblical history, shopping, driving, war, peace, the economy, the native food, marriage and divorce, doing business and then returning to your native country - this book covers it all.

Learning how to "expect the unexpected" and survive. Learning to appreciate and adapt to completely opposing cultures (Israel is polychronic - relationship oriented while the US is monochronic - rule oriented) without judging which is right or wrong but rather embracing the differences is what makes this truly informative book shine.