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6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home Jan 20, 2010
By Roberta Buland
Leaving Home, Going Home, Returning Home by Jason Alster speaks to me directly because I have made the same journey he has. I grew up in comfortable USA, where I lived until my son was a teenager. At that point, we made aliyah to Israel where we lived for 5 years, returning when he was of college age. Many of the experiences Jason had mimic many of my and my family's own, especially the parts about working in Israel, learning the language, bureaucracy, politics, traversing the country, food issues, and all the miracles one can witness in the Jewish "homeland." What Jason does is bring all the issues one would face when leaving the comfort of one's Mother country to move for a short or long time to a country whose language and culture are so very different. It's easy to extrapolate from his Israel experiences to any travel in a foreign country. Writing in short chapters that are almost all stand alone, one can thumb through the book and read what is of interest, or one can read from cover to cover as I did because the book is a page-turner.
The book would be of interest to someone going to visit Israel (or even another country) for the first time to deciding to stay indefinitely. When you pick up the book, be sure to read "Ronald McDonald is an Israeli," "Driving in Israel," "Turning the Page on the Holocaust," and "Israel, the Land of Miracles," chapters that give a flavor of the country and Jason's writing.
Although I would have liked to see more in-depth writing about socialization and holiday experiences, the book is definitely one that will enrich the reader's knowledge of what it is like to leave home, go "home" to Israel, and ultimately come full circle back to one's homeland.
Roberta Buland, Member of Connecticut Authors and Publishers (CAPA)
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Israel discovered Jan 26, 2010
By Gilbert Maron
"Red Sox Fan"
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.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A wonderful travel diary about Israel and Jewish culture Feb 02, 2010
By Tax Accountant
"Tax Accountant"
This book was a very interesting first-hand account of the author's travels though Israel. The story is full of detailed descriptions, like this one:
"There were the sweet smells of falafel balls cooking in oil, broiled fatty turkey shawarma roasting on rotisseries, pungent Turkish coffee brewing in pots..."
The whole story is vividly told and a great read for anyone who like travelogues in general. Some of the stories are funny, like and some are poignant. The author does therapy for some shell-shocked military personnel, and the outcome is interesting as well as sad. I really enjoyed it.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Courage to explore new lands & step outside your comfort zone Mar 27, 2012
By Debbie T. Kilday (Wolcott, CT)
This book is a well written account of how a young man left his life here in the United States to go live in Israel. He details his experiences and how he made a life for himself there. He also tells of the difficulties he encountered as he adjusted to a different culture and way of life. He then returns to the United States. I highly recommend this book for everyone. It is very interesting, gives you an insight to what the author experienced, and it keeps you interested so that you can't wait to read more.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A Homerun, Whether Leaving, Going, or Returning Oct 11, 2011
By Jim Smith
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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