L ifestyles /C ulture
the book, while incidents like
Operation Protective Edge, the
Gaza Flotilla, the Iran Deal
and key U.N. decisions form
the second half.

Werner’s message, in the
end: Don’t take Israel for
granted. “Since the establishment of
the state of Israel 72 years ago,
there has been not a single mass
persecution of Jews anywhere
in the world, and you might
think that’s normal, because
we grow up this way. And
we say, OK, that’s normal,”
Werner said. “It’s not normal.

In the history of Jewish people,
you’d be hard pressed to find
any 72-year span before where
there was no mass persecution
anywhere in the world of Jews.

But the reason there hasn’t
been since 1948 is because
of the existence of the state
of Israel.” l
jbernstein@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
Courtesy of Gefen Publishing House
on and off duty, valuable for
their insight into Israeli life. He
travels the country with family
and friends, taking in the sights
and reinforcing why they’ve
chosen to do what they do.

Many Jews’ impressions of
the country and its citizens,
Werner believes, are distorted
by the fact that they are trans-
mitted through the media.

Israel, he said, is a much more
diverse, kind and loving place
than many realize. In other
words, according to Werner:
There’s much more to Israel
than Haredim and soldiers,
and much more to Haredim
and soldiers, too.

Werner also seeks to contex-
tualize his journal entries by
describing the Israeli political
and military situations that his
volunteering stints coincide
with. The detention and release
of Gilad Shalit — a former IDF
soldier held captive by Hamas
for more than five years —
color much of the first half of
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