From Rosh Pina and Degania to Dimona: A History of Constructive Zionism by Yosef Gorny (Jewish Lights Pub)

I read this book in Hebrew a number of years ago. I found it to be a largely sympathetic and highly informative account of the building of the land of Israel. The story of a people returning to its land after two- thousand years of exile and creating a modern vibrant state is a moving and compelling one. Ingathering the largely poor, tired, and hungry, the refugees of persecution from over one - hundred lands Israel has through the dedicated work of its people , despite the hostility of neighbors, made major achievements. One is the revival as spoken and living language of the Biblical language, Hebrew. Another is the forging of an economy which began at the bottom and now has reached the lower level of the most prosperous nations. Yet a third achievement is the outstanding contributions made by Israelis to world agriculture, music, computer- science, medicine, and other areas.

The book explores, in the light of immigration, the Jewish settlement of Palestine and Israel, including urban population growth, and economic, social, and political development. The Jewish Thought Series from Israels MOD Books, now distributed exclusively by Jewish Lights. A part of Israel s Broadcast University Series, each book is written by leading experts and authors in their respective fields. They are published jointly by Tel Aviv University, the Chief Education Office of the IDF, and IDF Radio.