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To state that this is a book my education at Brandeis and Columbia prepared me to write might appear merely to state the obvious. But the idea for this topic began in a question I put to my beloved Brandeis teacher, Ben Halpern, about how Zionist pioneers managed to survive the hardships they encountered in the land of Israel. His answer: It was like “summer camp.” The remark stayed with me as I continued to learn about Israel and the Middle East at Columbia. I was fortunate to study the languages and history of the Middle East at Columbia at a time when there was an environment—forged by, among others, my mentor, J. C. Hurewitz—that placed a high value on analysis and scholarly rigor. My first acknowledgments, then, necessarily go to those who not only influenced the way I think and write about the Middle East but who also encouraged me to find my own voice. Still, I would not have been able to turn what were half-formed ideas into a book without the intellectual community of Smith College’s Kahn Institute. Not only did my Smith colleagues see something of value in the less-thancertain thoughts I presented to them on the experience of Zionist immigrants in British Mandate Palestine, they also made me realize that I had an important story to tell and that it belonged between hard covers. Thus it is a pleasure to acknowledge all those people and institutions who helped me reach this point. Some personal debts must also be highlighted. The first is to Peter Rose, Sophia Smith Professor Emeritus of Sociology, who directed the Kahn Project on exiles and who demanded a lot from us but also gave generously of his time and expertise. The second is to Dan Horowitz, Mary Huggins Gamble Professor of American Studies, a source of moral and critical support, who read parts of an earlier draft. I drew much insight from the comments of Alan Dowty, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Notre Acknowledgment< Exiled in the Homeland viii Dame and formerly the Kahanoff Chair of Israel Studies at the University of Calgary. He reviewed the entire manuscript and offered helpful suggestions about how to refine it. Martha Ackelsberg, William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Government; Howard Nenner, Roe/Straut Professor Emeritus of History; Ruth Solie, Sophia Smith Professor of Music; and Mark Steinberg, Associate Professor of Sociology, all Smith faculty, provided everything from editorial suggestions to wise counsel on how to clarify and expand on my ideas. At the University of Texas Press, Humanities Editor Jim Burr has shepherded the manuscript through the editorial process with enthusiasm and sensitivity, and I thank him for his support at a crucial juncture. I can offer my thanks as well to the two people who reviewed the manuscript for their helpful comments. Finally, I am indebted to David J. Estrin for helping me bring this manuscript into publishable form. Needless to say, the flaws that remain are mine. I am, as always, grateful to my husband, Tom, and to my children, Elana and Jonas, for their love, sense of humor, and for always cheering me on. ...

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