Review by Choice Review
This interesting work is difficult to precisely categorize. It presents the results of interviewing a selection of elderly sometime residents of Jaffa, Israel, reflecting on the changes that have affected living there since the creation of the State of Israel, in May 1948. Monterescu (Central European University, Hungary) and Hazan (Tel Aviv Univ., Israel) seem to be especially interested in the stories themselves, the contrasting perspectives of Arabs and Jews, but also variation within each group. The selection is too small and the criteria for selection are not clear enough to draw any broad conclusions. Furthermore, no clear picture emerges of a living, dynamic city with various population elements that are internally cohesive or fragmented by day-to-day interaction. If this is anthropology, where is the examination of daily life, family dynamics, social institutions, religious life, etc.? It does seem to fit a growing tendency to uncover hegemony and exploitation of the weak. Bias favoring Palestinian nationalist perspectives over Israeli narratives is clear from the conclusions. Nevertheless, the stories are well told and the information gleaned is useful. Middle East scholars and especially historians will find new material of potential value. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --Laurence D. Loeb, emeritus, University of Utah
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
