From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up -A short history of events that, over the course of 66 years, led to the creation of the state of Israel, focusing on the lives and political involvement of the three men most responsible. Beginning with each man's early years and education, Greenfeld offers some insight into how and why each individual was drawn to the Zionist ideal and outlines the part each one played in the establishment and settlement of the Jewish homeland. The book is divided into three sections, each presenting key happenings involving one of Israel's founding fathers that, finally, led to the U.N. decision, in 1947, to partition Palestine. The author shows how the lives and work of these men overlapped as the Zionist movement grew and events unfolded over half a century; and he points out the considerable differences in the three statesmen's backgrounds and personalities. Captioned black-and-white photos add realism to the text. A two-page time line; lengthy bibliography; and index help make the book useful for reports. There has been nothing else on the topic written for this age group in recent years.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 7-10. Greenfeld recounts the history of the Zionist movement and its influence on the formation of the modern state of Israel by focusing on the contributions of Herzl, Weizmann, and Ben-Gurion. He explains why Herzl, a Hungarian Jew who was not particularly religious, came to view the establishment of a Jewish state as a necessity; discusses the work Weitzmann, a Russian chemistry professor who immigrated to England, did to secure the Balfour Declaration, in which Britain legitimized Zionist claims; and looks at the role Ben-Gurion played within Israel to bring statehood to fruition. Greenfeld's writing is straightforward and succinct, and he eschews most personal information about his subjects. Several sidebars and a number of black-and-white photographs break up the text, although the format may still be daunting for browsers. Appended with a time line and bibliography, Greenfeld's unusual book offers students a good resource for investigating this chapter of world history. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
