Herb Keinon is a veteran reporter for The Jerusalem Post. He has been at the paper since 1985, and has covered the diplomatic beat since 2000. Keinon has a BA in political science from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MA in Journalism from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Originally from Denver, Keinon moved to Israel in 1981, is married with four children, and lives in Ma’ale Adumim.
The following exchange will focus on Keinon’s new book, French Fries in Pita: A Collection of Herb Keinon's Columns on Life in Israel.
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Dear Herb,
I must admit that this exchange is a tricky one to kick-off.
Unlike most of the books we normally discuss here, this one describes the life of its author. While our exchanges are normally dedicated to historical figures (like Sholem Aleichem or Rav Kook) or to big issues (like 'intermarriage' or 'religion in Israel'), this one is basically about, well, you. So asking you to present your thesis or to tell us a bit about the hero of the book is not really an option…
But a few pages into your collection of very vividly written and enjoyable essays, a pretty clear theme does emerge – this is a book about the nuanced subtleties of being an American immigrant in Israel, about a foreigner learning the ways of a very unique (and sometimes quite crazy) land.
My question: was there a distinct agenda or general approach to Aliyah which guided you in editing this book? Is there 'something you would like your readers to learn' from all these amusing observations? (In other words, please present your thesis…)
Yours,
Shmuel.
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Yes, Shmuel, there is an underlying theme to the columns that make up this book, and that is simply to keep it real, have realistic expectations, see Israel for what it is, and not what you imagined it would be, or wish it could be.
I've lived in Israel now for some 33 years, and truly believe that the secret to a “successful” aliya, the secret to staying here and actually enjoying it, is to accept the country as it is. Don't have unrealistic expectations about the people or the place. Don't think the country owes you anything for coming here. Don't look at Israelis as caricatures who are only rude, loud and pushy.
For hundreds of years Jews placed Israel on a pedestal, created a construct in their mind of a perfect place that could in no way meet those expectations. As a result, when people move here and face the dirty, crowded, noisy reality, they are often disappointed. This is not the Israel of their dreams and imaginations.
And no it is not. It is a flesh and blood place with flesh and blood people full of quirks, but also full of charms. These columns are an attempt to describe both. This is not a Zionist polemic, but a collection of personal stories aiming to describe the small, real moments of life here; the small, real moments that make living here both appealing and meaningful.
It is also a book that looks at everyday life in Israel from the perspective of an immigrant. And I am an immigrant, and still feel like an immigrant, even though I've been here for most of my life.
As I wrote in the book's introduction, being an immigrant is a designation – and a feeling – that lasts forever. There are some who come to Israel and try to become absorbed completely, become Israeli overnight. Others come and live in an immigrant cocoon.
I believe in the middle path – come, try to integrate as much as possible, but, again, always have realistic expectations. I come from America, with American sensitivities, an American accent, an American-born wife, American habits and tastes.
I am not going to “go native” overnight, or even over 30 years. I represent the generation of the wilderness. But my kids, well they are a different story – they are Israeli, through and through. And that overlap is the story this book tries to tell.
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