Customer Reviews

Between Sodom and Eden: A Gay Journey Through Today's Changing Israel

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"Between Sodom and Eden" represents an astounding tour de force. Walzer's book is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary Israeli society and politics, as well as the sometimes surprising approach of Judaism to homosexuality. His prose brings alive the tensions, conflicts, and contradictions of a society in search of its identity as Israel becomes an increasingly multicultural, post-Zionist society. That Israel is one of the most progressive countries in the world today on gay rights will surprise most Americans, who think of the Jewish state as the land of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (with its reputed condemnation of homosexuality). The cast of characters in Walzer's book -- a transsexual pop Diva, openly gay high school students and kibbutzniks, lesbian politicians, and a cast of supportive straight politicians and educators, to name just a few -- guarantees new surprises on each page.

This is an incredibly good book for any interested in the topic of Gay rights in Israel.

I was writing a thesis paper for a political science class on internal politics in Israel. It happened to be the week of the gay pride parades when I had to choose my topic, and there were news reports of protests in Israel about them, so I opted for the topic of gay rights (assuming that Israel, being something of a theocracy because of the power of religious parties, would be restrictive -- oh boy was I wrong). My professor tried to beg me off the topic, saying it would be VERY hard to find good sources in English. And for the most part he was right. Very little is out there in book form, although I did find some good articles in Legal journals.

This book Saved me. Walzer, who graduated ironically enough from the same university I'm attending (Northwestern), provides an in depth analysis of the evolution of gay rights in Israel. In addition to issues on record, he adds personal interviews with head of state, including rabbi's from the far right who offered their interpretation. Offering insights into things such as below the table negotiations that occurred between interested political parties before votes.

For ANYONE interested in the topic, this book is a must read