Cultures, Customs, and Celebrations in Israel

How is it that many people carry guns and serve in the army yet gun crimes are nearly nonexistent in Israel? Why do some people go to the beach on Saturday while others head off to synagogue? How do you revive a dead language? What holidays do Israelis celebrate? What clothes do Israelis wear, and what do they eat? Is Israel a Jewish state, or a country with many Jewish citizens?

These questions and more reveal the inner tension, and the great love of life, that characterize life in modern Israel. Welcome to an exploration of one of the world s oldest yet newest cultures, and certainly one of its most vibrant.