Border Crossings: American Interactions with Israelis [Paperback]

Lucy Shahar (Author), David Kurz (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1877864315 | ISBN-13: 978-1877864315 | Publication Date: April 1, 1995

Americans are often puzzled by their interactions with Israelis--the way the culture challenges authority, breaches of taboos, and their forceful self-confidence. Border Crossings: American Interactions with Israelis by Lucy Shahar and David Kurz, allows readers to unravel the puzzle by providing an analysis of American-Israeli cultural differences and highlighting the contrast between the two cultures through case studies, critical incidents, helpful analogies, and models.Border Crossings covers the fundamental aspects of Israeli society and its people, and the authors also examine direct American-Israeli interaction through real-life experiences of Americans in Israel, bringing many first-hand experiences into play, and providing unique and thought-provoking perspectives on the one-of-a-kind experience of living in or traveling to Israel. Border Crossings takes a practical approach to helping Americans have greater success in their dealings with Israelis in all contexts, with particular emphasis on Israeli-American workplace relationships. It's the perfect companion for North Americans who engage in ongoing communication with Israeli colleagues, clients or friends, as well as immigrants or sojourners. Contents Acknowledgments Author's Note Introduction Part I: Setting the Scene 1 Israeli Culture as a Puzzle and a Challenge 2 First Impressions 3 Second Impressions: Soldiers, Women, and Israeli Arabs 4 Coloring Books, Video Recorders, and Sandpaper: Three Cultural Metaphors Part II: American Encounters with Israelis: Dealing with Different Norms, Expectations, and Behavior Patterns 5 American Facade/Middle Eastern Behavior: Commercial Transactions and Bureaucratic Encounters 6 Distance, Deference, and Dissonance in the Workplace 7 Have We Made a Deal Yet? Israeli Negotiating Style 8 The Choreography of the Social Dance Afterword Appendix A: Coping-Strategies Exercise for Commercial Transactions and Bureaucratic Encounters Appendix B: Coping-Strategies Exercise for the Workplace Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lucy Shahar and David Kurz have developed a personal perspective on Israeli culture through twenty-odd years of living in Israel, undergoing the adjustment process, becoming part of an Israeli family, and gradually feeling that they belong. Shahar has been conducting cross-cultural workshops for more than fifteen years for Israelis and Americans. Kurz has worked for over fifteen years in community development with immigrant groups. Their combines experiences have given them an opportunity to understand how Americans and Israelis perceive and misperceive each other.

Product Details

• Paperback: 186 pages
• Publisher: Intercultural Press (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1877864315
• ISBN-13: 978-1877864315
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,209,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Business Travel

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important book., January 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Border Crossings: American Interactions with Israelis (Paperback)

Anyone in either Israel or the US that is interested in working with a factor from the other country cannot afford not to read this book. It has nothing to do with intuition or intelligence - the differences can only be learned, either through tiresome and costly experience or through reading Border Crossings.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Next best thing to being there, March 22, 2010

By 

T. Harris "http://talkaboutquality.wordpress.com" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Border Crossings: American Interactions with Israelis (Paperback)

The United States and Israel are two modern industrial and hitech powers. Forms of government and political freedoms are similar. Both are innovative in industry and fast-moving in business. And Israelis speak English very well. But to go from those similarities to being able to avoid surprises at work between these two cultures you need a guide. "Border Crossings" is an impressively even-handed and accurate guide. Lucy Shahar and David Kurz start with a short history and background of the country and its people, with accurate, if minimal mentions of the Arab population, both citizens and non-citizens. The book continues with impressions and interpretations of what an American sees visiting Israel, and leads into specific scenes on the street, in stores and government offices, and finally, in the workplace. Covers Americans working and doing business in Israel, as well as Israelis representing their companies in America. No book is a substitute for actual experience, but "Border Crossings" really is the next best thing to being there.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars right on target!, February 3, 2000

By 

Moshe Fried (Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Border Crossings: American Interactions with Israelis (Paperback)

I work in a multinational company and am in daily contact with colleagues and clients abroad. They come from r&d, marketing and sales. When I read the book, everything clicked. All of a sudden, I understood why problems dealing with contracts, managing time and solving conflicts had arisen in the past. "Border Crossings" also gave me some good ideas about how to solve intercultural conflicts. When I first started out, I needed a dictionary to understand the language. Now that I understand the language, I need a cultural interpreter to figure out what the words and behavior really mean. "Border Crossings" is my interpreter.