Immigration Books

Mosaic's style of church is not just an "L.A. thing" but all across the country as leaders of churches from almost all denominations and hundreds of younger adults starting new churches look to the ministry of pastor Erwin McManus and Mosaic as their North Star. The church grew while experimenting with new structures for congregational ministry and engaging diversity, pluralism, and urbanization.

Other books covering related topics include: Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a Los Angeles Church about a vibrant church meeting in a converted movie theater in the center of Hollywood. A new, practical book on megachurches based on good scholarship is Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America's Largest Churches (J-B Leadership Network Series). And, an in-depth look at the influence of evangelical megachurches on mainline denominations is The Megachurch and the Mainline: Remaking Religious Tradition in the Twenty-first Century.

This book is an artform. The work is an in-depth glimpse of the inner-workings of the emerging church that many philosophize and prophesize about, yet never have the opportunity to live within. The care and balance that Marti brought to the project as a pastor and scholar was obvious and reassuring. I am confident that Gerardo's work will provide a methodological basis that provides others with the courage to do the same. This book is timely as the denominational form of Christianity continues to slide into oblivion in the U.S. However, it is a refreshing testament to the fact that God has something more in mind. He's not done with Christianity in the U.S. just yet. He is the God of MORE...much more. Marti's book is a refreshing, uplifting testament to the fact that He is alive and working diligently in our world...He just needs some disciples to hear Him and "Follow Me." Clearly, the finished work spawns more questions and opportunities for additional research, as any substantial research endeavor should.

Looking under the conventional labels used to depict religious believers, ethnographers and cultural historians are uncovering some unexpected findings. We know, for example, that religious conservatives are likely to vote Republican, but what, exactly, does it mean to be a religious conservative? If the scholarship of historians like R. Marie Griffith or sociologists like Gerardo Marti is any indication, it does not necessarily mean turning one's back on the modern world. [...] Marti's 'A Mosaic of Believers: Diversity and Innovation in a Multiethnic Church,' to be published next month, offers a case study of a Los Angeles-based church that is at one and the same time Southern Baptist in affiliation and conservative theologically and attractive to a young, primarily single Hollywood clientele working at cutting-edge cultural jobs in the entertainment industry. As such books illustrate, the ethnographic trend overlaps with interest in the complexities of religion and American culture and their intersection. While religion has certainly done its share to shape American culture, it is also the case that American culture shapes religion, and in very powerful ways.

-- From Alan Wolfe, "Scholars Infuse Religion With Cultural Light," The Chronicle of Higher Education

Detailed Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
   Mosaic Havens: Dual Movement of Escape and Refuge
   Max Weber and the Dynamic Nature of Ethnicity
   Overview

Chapter 1: Multi-Ethnic Churches, Mosaic, and Social Change
   Significance of Multi-ethnic Churches
   Significance of Mosaic
   A Glimpse Into the Future

Chapter 2: Describing Mosaic
   An Oral History
   Unique Aspects of This Congregation

Chapter 3: History, Agency, and the Evangelical Faith: A Reconstruction of Ideology
   Exploring Mosaic's Theological Haven
   Catalytic Preaching and the Shaping of a Congregation
   A Theology of Mission
   The Apostolic Community and the Movement of History

Chapter 4: The Hollywood Connection and the Management of Artistic Talent: A Reconstruction of Involvement
   Exploring Mosaic's Artistic Haven
   Parallels between Mosaic and the Entertainment Industry
   Mobilization as the Core Activity at Mosaic

Chapter 5: Innovation and the Cultivation of Catalytic Leaders: A Reconstruction of Imperative
   Exploring Mosaic's Innovator Haven
   Discovery, Development, and Deployment of Leaders
   Diversification and Innovation through Catalytic Leaders

Chapter 6: Mosaic and the Emerging American Culture: A Reconstruction of an Institution
   Exploring Mosaic's Age Haven
   Reversing the Age Hierarchy
   Cultural Appeal to the Coming Century

Chapter 7: Becoming Mosaic: A Reconstruction of Identity
   Exploring Mosaic's Ethnic Haven
   Charismatic Authority and the Strategic Management of Ethnic Identity
   Charismatic Re-orientation of Ethnic Identity

Conclusion
   Innovation and Diversification in Pursuit of Mission
   Popular Culture, Younger Generations, and the Rejection of Modernity
   Capturing a Movement in Action

Bibliography

Appendix: Methodological Considerations from a Religious Insider
   Qualitative Research and the Dilemma of Researcher Involvement
   Seeking Validity for This Researcher in Studying This Congregation
   Guidelines Offered in Hindsight

Appendix: Women and Leadership at Mosaic

-- Quoted from CHOICE Reviews by K. D. Lyon (Jones County Junior College), January 2006.

"Through careful ethnography and masterful application of sociological theory, Marti (sociology, Davidson College) provides a rewarding and insightful study of one of the nation's largest multiethnic churches, Los Angeles's Mosaic."

"Principally, Marti attributes Mosaic's remarkable success to five "havens" of inclusion/involvement within the church that allow transcendence of ethnic separateness in favor of spiritual commonalty. The "theological" haven offers a purposeful ideology of evangelical mission that animates other havens, while the haven of "artistic creativity" harnesses a wealth of Hollywood talent and integrates myriad artistic forms into worship. Analyzing the "innovator" haven, Marti explains how congregants viewed as deviant in organizationally conservative churches frequently become "catalytic leadership" within Mosaic. The "age" haven attracts and empowers young people, especially those fleeing "entrapment" in their parents' monoethnic subcultures."

"A superb chapter explores "ethnic" haven in terms of the fluidity, subjectivity, and situational construction of ethnic identity, allowing emphasis, reconfiguration or muting of ethnicity within Mosaic's context and missiology. Engagingly and accessibly written, this excellent book deserves wide readership among everyone interested in US religion, ethnicity, organizations and urban culture."

"Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries."

-- Quoted from Journal for Scientific Study of Religion by Elaine Howard Ecklund (University of Buffalo, SUNY, and Rice University), September 2006 (Vol 45/No 3), pp. 467-468.

"Mosaic of Believers is a highly readable volume, following in the footsteps of other congregational ethnographies within the sociology of religion (e.g. works by Nancy Ammerman, Brenda Brasher, and R. Stephen Warner)."

"He shows that Mosaic retains its unique mission, in part, by rewarding change-agents, providing a haven for self-starters and leaders."

"Carefully walking the line between overindulgent navel-gazing and unquestioned objectivism, Marti writes an engaging methodological appendix.... Throughout the volume, he implicitly pushes forward a dialogue on the different roles that insiders and outsiders to a religious community have in ethnographic accounts of such settings."

"Overall, this is a strong volume and I look forward to reading Marti's future work."

-- Quoted from "Multiethnic Mix: A Model of Congregational Diversity?" by R. Stephen Warner (University of Illinois at Chicago), The Christian Century, July 26, 2005 (Vol 122/No 15), pp. 26-29.

"As Marti sees it, the key to building a congregation of people from diverse, often alienated ethnic backgrounds is to appeal to them in ways that trump their differences."

"Marti stresses the malleability of identities and the way that being a follower of Jesus Christ at Mosaic "transcends" ethnicity. In so doing he offers an appealing vision of a church that builds on the dynamism of demography and popular culture to overcome the scandal of religious segregation (as well as the specter of civic balkanization)."

"Clearly, Mosaic is spiritually compelling. Its members are on fire with their faith, eager to share it with everyone in Los Angeles. Its leaders take risks that most pastors would not dare."

"His book will be on the syllabus the next time I teach a course on race, ethnicity and gender in American religion."

-- Quoted from Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review by Kathleen Garces-Foley (Cal State Northridge and Marymount University), Fall 2006.

"Marti's analysis is a well-crafted mix of first-person accounts and sociological theory."

"As an assistant pastor at Mosaic during the course of his research, he straddles the religoius insider/outsider tension with ease and precision, and the methodological appendix offers insightful advice for other scholars in this position."

"It also offers valueable insights into the postmodern church movement, and I found the discussion of Mosaic's theological position with regard to premillenialism particularly helpful."

This book does a masterful job of piecing apart Mosaic, how it is structured and how it operates. It provides facts and unique insights behind the scenes and gives the reader what he needs to understand diversity in a local church that is impacting the world.

I was assigned this book for a Jewish History class at my university, and so far I'm really enjoying it. We read one of the autobiographies each week, and I feel that Cohen has done an excellent job of bringing together stories from different backgrounds and different experiences, and even has a married couple each tell their stories in their own autobiographies.

I'll be honest; I was expecting it to be boring - but am very pleasantly surprised to find that it's not!

"My Future Is In America" contains excellent primary source material for the student of Jewish immigration to this country and immigration history in general. The individual essays are captivating and very readable, providing a wealth of information about the immigrant experience, not only after arrival in America, but also about life in Europe pre-immigration. This book should be considered as reading in American Studies curricula.

I just finished reading this book. This is not only for Jewish people but other religions as well. It's a part of our history and I found it very enjoyable and informative. A must read.

The older brother of Minnie Goldstein, who wrote the first of the autobiographies that appear in the book, is my great-grandfather and what seems to have been passed down through the generations is a somewhat sanitised version of the truth ... I really had no idea about their dreadful poverty, or the fact that a contributing factor to Hershl Malinberg's emigration from Warsaw to the U.S. was being cheated in business by his own mother-in-law. Of course, the story has particular resonance for her own kith and kin, but it contains so much vivid detail, and is told so well, that I would recommend it to anyone.

As a first generation American, I always wanted to know how and why my parents came to America... they passed away before imparting this information.... this book fills in all the gaps, in a humorous and interesting way. I could not put this book down, and reread it... Totally enjoyable!!!! 5 stars

The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the symbolic moral victory of American capitalism has been viewed by the US mainstream literature as the onset of a new era; one of global prosperity and peace. Although the end of state socialism has led to the spread of liberal democracy in Eastern Europe, it has also marked the beginning of numerous political and social crises that have precipitated an unprecedented growth of refugees and internally displaced peoples.

Arthur Helton's THE PRICE OF INDIFFERENCE astutely analyzes the emergence of the past decade's refugee crisis and the inability of the international political and legal framework to adequately address it. Using what sociologists call the "extensive field work methodology," Helton not only presents a succinct history of the recent refugee crisis; but also the "refugees' experience" through personal accounts and in-depth interviews with important policy-makers of the international refugee community. The result is an instructive analysis of "what went wrong" and what can be learned from the past, all presented in a style that captivates the interested reader.

As a scholar, legal practitioner and one of the international authorities in the field of migration and refugees, Helton's unique insights and inside resources illuminate the roots of the current crisis. By showing that prior policy responses were the outcome of emergency situations that lacked a systematic understanding of the diverse origins of the contemporary crisis, Helton proposes the creation of two institutions-one inside the US government and the other within international institutions-to anticipate and proactively respond to future refugee emergencies. While this approach is likely to attract the criticism of those who advocate a lesser role of the US government, it is a realistic and feasible solution that takes into consideration the fact that no refugee crisis can be resolved without the cooperation of the US government. At the same time, in order to devise a solution for current and future refugee crises that will be effective and long lasting, US policies must have international legitimacy which can be achieved only through international cooperation.

In sum, THE PRICE OF INDIFFERENCE is a "must" for any specialist in the field of refugee policy and for any person interested in future international policy on displaced peoples. Refugees matter not only because "they are there" or because "it could be me" but because refugees are here to stay and, in the process, how the U.S. helps to shape international policy will profoundly influence the political, ethical, and racial/ethnic future of our future global society.

The author of this book, Arthur C. Helton, was killed on August 19, 2003 in the suicide bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad. Helton was meeting with UN officials at the time of the bombing.

Smallchief

The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the symbolic moral victory of American capitalism has been viewed by the US mainstream literature as the onset of a new era; one of global prosperity and peace. Although the end of state socialism has led to the spread of liberal democracy in Eastern Europe, it has also marked the beginning of numerous political and social crises that have precipitated an unprecedented growth of refugees and internally displaced peoples.

Arthur Helton's THE PRICE OF INDIFFERENCE astutely analyzes the emergence of the past decade's refugee crisis and the inability of the international political and legal framework to adequately address it. Using what sociologists call the "extensive field work methodology," Helton not only presents a succinct history of the recent refugee crisis; but also the "refugees' experience" through personal accounts and in-depth interviews with important policy-makers of the international refugee community. The result is an instructive analysis of "what went wrong" and what can be learned from the past, all presented in a style that captivates the interested reader.

As a scholar, legal practitioner and one of the international authorities in the field of migration and refugees, Helton's unique insights and inside resources illuminate the roots of the current crisis. By showing that prior policy responses were the outcome of emergency situations that lacked a systematic understanding of the diverse origins of the contemporary crisis, Helton proposes the creation of two institutions-one inside the US government and the other within international institutions-to anticipate and proactively respond to future refugee emergencies. While this approach is likely to attract the criticism of those who advocate a lesser role of the US government, it is a realistic and feasible solution that takes into consideration the fact that no refugee crisis can be resolved without the cooperation of the US government. At the same time, in order to devise a solution for current and future refugee crises that will be effective and long lasting, US policies must have international legitimacy which can be achieved only through international cooperation.

In sum, THE PRICE OF INDIFFERENCE is a "must" for any specialist in the field of refugee policy and for any person interested in future international policy on displaced peoples. Refugees matter not only because "they are there" or because "it could be me" but because refugees are here to stay and, in the process, how the U.S. helps to shape international policy will profoundly influence the political, ethical, and racial/ethnic future of our future global society.

As noted by Arthur Helton, refugees matter. However, they matter not only for humanitarian reasons but also because they are intimately tied to questions of national and strategic interest. By extending the argument beyond the realm of humanitarian charity, Helton effectively makes the case for state intervention in the field and elevates scholarship in the realm of refugee studies.

Moreover, the perspective of The Price of Indifference is a fresh one. Addressing crises from Africa to Afghanistan, Turkey to East Timor and Haiti to the former USSR, his work constitutes a comprehensive account of a decade that was perhaps the most dynamic one in recent memory. And from a discussion of the Cold War models of humanitarian action to the "Mogadishu syndrome" and the CNN effect, Helton covers the prevailing dynamics of all periods. What is more, the book goes so far as to model potential futures depending on which prevailing ideology is adopted (e.g., cooperation or containment).

Not only does the book discuss shortfalls in the national system of humanitarian action (calling for a new separate civilian agency, the Agency for Humanitarian Action), but it also entails a discussion of the international system and its inability to effectively mediate refugee-related crises. In doing so, Helton makes the case for new institutional structures (e.g., the Strategic Humanitarian and Research Entity, or SHARE) which effectively consolidate the fragmented humanitarian components in the UN system.

As we know, the Cold war changed responses to refugee and migration emergencies in fundamental ways. Yet, for all we do know, there is no single answer. Rather, a more varied and comprehensive "policy toolbox" is required. To be helpful, policy needs to be more proactive so that "international coordination" and a "preventive orientation" replace the "selective apathy" and "creeping trepidation" that currently animate refugee responses.

No longer can states hide behind the out-dated Westphalian notion of absolute sovereignty. Rather, certain concerns are obligations erga omnes and the concern of all those within the international community. As a result, a significant attention and backing is given to humanitarian intervention (and its reform).

As Helton notes, recent experience teaches us that expectations should be modest. Yet with a thorough review like the Price of Indifference, one cannot help but hope for a better future for refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide.

Every notable disaster of the past century -- war, famine, civil unrest, earthquake and ecological catastrophe -- has resulted in the massive displacement of people within and across borders of their home countries. The June 7, 2002 New York Times reported that 14.9 million civilians were driven from their countries by war alone last year, and an additional 22 million people uprooted within their countries. It is a natural phenomenon in its own right, yet there has never been a systematic or comprehensive approach to anticipate, gather resources (both financial and intellectual) and make available workable solutions to this devastating predicament. This universal lack of foresight has taken its toll on untold numbers of refugees; some of whom waste years of their lives in flight or languish in refugee camps fearing for their safety, struggling for mere survival; while others achieve the relative fortune of starting their lives over in a new environment.

Now, the reader with even a passing interest in the plight of these unfortunate wanderers, and the expert alike, can explore an extraordinary trove of information on refugee policy and a startling new solution to this monumental problem. THE PRICE OF INDIFFERENCE: Refugees and Humanitarian Action in the New Century, by Arthur C. Helton, sets forth a concise modern history of refugee crises and the structural mechanisms and varied policies that have emerged for dealing with them. Helton depicts numerous strategies such as temporary protection, safe havens, asylum, evacuation, humanitarian corridors, resettlement, internal protection and repatriation, explaining why States have chosen some "solutions" over others as well as revealing the lapsed policy of states that have chosen to remain uninvolved. By analyzing diverse crises of the last decade in Bosnia, Cambodia, East Timor, Haiti, Kosovo, and Rwanda, Helton reveals the full array of policy tools and astoundingly problematic realities of managing refugees.

With an uncanny ability to capture the big picture, Helton also evokes vivid, personally observed details of a wide range of specific refugee crises, often in poetic terms. This book gives you the insider's view of what refugees actually experience:

It was a late Sunday evening in November 2000 when our plane landed in Nairobi, Kenya. As I walked on the runway through the sultry air to the airport arrival hall, I became an unintended witness to the conclusion of the infamous journey of the `lost boys of Sudan', some of whom I had visited in 1993 at the Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya. There, a remnant of some 17,000 children had come to rest after fleeing in 1988 from fighting in Sudan to Ethiopia, where they were attacked again after the regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam fell in 1991. This prompted a harrowing 600-mile trek by foot to Kenya, with many dying from attacks by wild animals and exposure.
p. 183.

In Helton's words, "[a]t the outset of the twenty-first century, the policy debate is driven by selective apathy and creeping trepidation." He reveals rationales for employing the various options including political motivations, notions of sovereignty, and practicality, among others. With a comprehensive overview of policy options that have been employed in recent history, their successes and failures, Helton envisions putting an end to such inevitable recurring suffering.

Unsatisfied with unpremeditated, unsystematic and less than ideal solutions that spring, almost ad hoc from crises as they arise, Helton offers a striking proposal for two organizations dedicated to assembling resources and a base of experts to anticipate, prevent and ameliorate future predicaments - one inside the U.S. government, and one internationally-based. While some may bemoan a proposal for new agencies, Helton's suggestion is innovative for the policy underlying these proposed organizations: a vehicle for prevention of mass displacement and for proactive, anticipatory mitigation when prevention is impossible or inappropriate. The new national security and foreign policy agenda he presents reflects his heartfelt and lifelong quest for states, organizations and individuals to view the protection of refugees as an obligation to humanity; an obligation that merits foresight.

Arthur C. Helton, one of the world's top experts on refugees and the migration of displaced persons, is Senior Fellow for Refugee Studies and Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He previously directed the Refugee Project of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights for twelve years and has written more than 80 scholarly articles on refugee and migration subjects. Helton's book will educate and fascinate policy makers, statesmen, relief workers, and humanitarians, as well as advocates for refugees and enthusiasts of migration, foreign policy, history, diplomacy, politics, and human rights. This comprehensive volume poses important questions and will undoubtedly take its place among the seminal literature devoted to the topic.

Radu Ioanid and his mother were among the Jews ransomed by Israel from Ceaucescu's Romania, and in The Ransom Of The Jews: The Story Of Extraordinary Secret Bargain Between Romania And Israel, he sets to rest the various myths and rumors about a policy which strangely enough resulted in the author's freedom. The author's investigation into the mysteries surrounding the ransom produces an extraordinary story which is a welcome contribution to the growing library of 20th Century Judaic History.

Like so many Jews "bought" out of Romania, it was a chilling revelation to understand how lucky were we, and what a tremendous debt of gratitude we all owe Israel. And everything mentioned in the book (and in some cases even more) as far as the Romanian authorities' shenanigans played on the already traumatized emigrees ("traitors") are absolutely true! Many, many thanks to Radu Ioanid and everyone that made this part of history of the Romanian Jewish Community available to the people that lived it but were kept in the dark.

Mr Ioanid's mind boggling historical-political book reads as a story. Although a most disturbing and frightening one, it gives a very painful insight into the pristine hell that communist leaders offered not only to Jews but the whole people, as a matter of fact. Jews, as it unfolds from innumerable documents, were their choice bargaining chip for hard currency. For the sake of dollars, we the people were prize slaves, clearly branded and tagged with the relevant value and price.If only half of Mr Ioanid's story were true, it would be enough to spook the life out of any humble human being on the surface of planet Earth. A must read for anyone decent in this life !

I don't think the core issue of this book - the fact that Romania demanded payments from Israel and West Germany for allowing emigration during its Communist regime(s) - will really surprise or shock anyone today. Indignation too seems somewhat idle. Those were aberrant times, but does history ever really stop being aberrant?
Thankfully, the author - a historian - understands this well. This is a good book because it never rests in contemplation of its discoveries, never tells us what it thinks of them.
In contrast, Ion Mihai Pacepa, the famous defecting general, pathetically abandons himself to lament in the awful afterword he was allowed to write. Not once does he refer to the deals of his former supervisors (Gheorghiu Dej and Ceausescu) without frantically seeking for the most damning adjectives: despicable, hideous... Let's be straight: General Pacepa is an invaluable resource for this book but at the same time he is one of its aberrant characters.
He waits for the therapeutic mud to crack on Ceausescu's naked body while strolling with him 'along the restricted presidential shore of Lake Techirgiol', and six days later is 'magnanimously granted political asylum by the United States government' - whereupon Ceausescu tears his shirt screaming hysterically that he cannot even trust the shirt he's wearing (how could he, he was naked with his traitor less than a week ago).
Of much less anecdotical value is Pacepa's condemnation of the 'hideous sale of Jews'. We see him return to Romania, 20 years after giving Ceausescu the last monthly debrief of their transactions ('one hundred twenty two thousand dollars in cash', a dissapointing month) to claim back his 'properties' without even realizing that by now, the very same book he is so eager to praise has already revealed just how these 'properties' were acquired.)
I don't know what the author's real intentions were in allowing the retired General his self-serving epilogue. It may be ironical, it may come from a genuine fascination with the veteran officer, it may even be from gratitude (Pacepa claims to have been around when the idea for this book was 'born'). In any case, his voice at the end of the book adds something truly chilling (like a horror movie that doesn't allow itself to end without giving us a last glimpse of the undead malice that fed the story).
But these are all digressions of a satisfied reader. Read this book for the stories: there is one on every page. I haven't seen Steven Spielberg's 'Munich' yet but does he tell us that Abu Daud, the person who planned the attack on the Israeli Olympic team was photographed, fingerprinted, 'and lavishly fed' in Bucharest several weeks before Munich? Read the book to find out why he was there.
The book also provides a tremedously vivid portrait of Nicolae Ceausescu (although this is never its main intention). I was 16, spending Christmas with friends in a Moldavian village, when Ceausescu was executed. Nobody liked him, nobody believed him, nobody cared to know him better, nobody was sorry for him. I am wondering now, shouldn't we all have had the patience to sit through a proper trial and hear these stories. Would it really have been too risky giving us this chance after 25 years of aberrant life in an aberrant country? Because history doesn't just stop and start anew. The aberrant characters always find a way to continue their aberrant work until somebody tells the story and demystifies it.
So I must say that despite the great pleasure I took in reading this book, sometimes the stories left me wanting. The book gives a very generous account of the author's exhaustive investigation but it also 'loses' some stories when it was just about to get them. Do not expect justice to prevail and evil to be defeated at the end of the book. Some villans do go away with the money. Most of the corruption can only be glimpsed at for a moment before it slips away, still vigorously alive, unstartled by the momentary spotlight.
How can we possibly believe then the wised-up general's hope, dramatically expressed at the very end of the book, that the story we have just read should 'prevent that aberration from ever recurring'.
'That' aberration, maybe, but watch out for the next one. The players are still at the table. They've just been dealt a fresh hand.
There is much more in this book than stories about Romania: there are hints at the extraordinary passion and 'hunger' that led to the creation of the state of Israel. There are hints into the mixture of finance and ideology that drive terrorist organizations. And most interestingly, there are hints at how 'exciting' these negotiations, transactions, and betrayals are, how seductive, how irresistible. How different the motives, how nuanced, how terrible.

Between 1948 until 1989, the State of Israel had clandestinely engaged in one of the longest and most expensive ransom pacts in history, wherein Romania permitted most its 370,000 Jews, who had survived the Holocaust, to immigrate to Israel in exchange for hard currency and various other considerations.

Born and educated in Romania, and director of International archival programs at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., author Radu Ioanid, exposes in The Ransom of the Jews: The Story of the Extraordinary Secret Bargain Between Romania and Israel, a hideous chapter in Romanian history, that little was known until recently.

Although, officials in Washington may have been vaguely aware of this secret pact, they had no concrete evidence-until the defection to the USA in 1978 of one of the Cold War's most important defectors, Lieutenant General Ion Mihai Pacepa.
Pacepa was at the time of his defection a close confidant of Romania's head of state, Nicolai Ceaucescu, and he had been the country's chief spy.

As mentioned in the Afterword of the book contributed by Pacepa, the roots of The Ransom of the Jews go back to 1993, when the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was opened. It was there that Pacepa had met with Radu Ioanid leading eventually to a long ensuing relationship. During this time, the author was informed of the many super-secret documents that existed in the still- classified archives of the Romanian espionage services.
Due to the relentless and determined doggedness of the author, much of the information contained in this book has now come to light.

Ioanid points out, that contrary to the glowing propaganda that had emanated from Romania pertaining to its treatment of Jews, they were nonetheless subjected to blatant anti-Semitism with all of its trappings that had been practiced in many of the Communist countries, such as loss of government jobs, paying for otherwise free education, badgering by governmental officials, and other abuses.
As a result, there had been an intense effort on the part of the Israelis to bring out as many individuals as possible, even if it meant signing a secret pact with the devil. And that is exactly what had transpired.

This is a remarkable and engrossing read providing a window as to what exactly transpired between Romania and Israel, and how the latter had been exploited by the former in order to gain needed hard currency as well as receiving most favored nation status by the USA.
The author's revelations, the product of many years of research, exude frankness and thoroughness that will give readers an excellent perspective of this surreptitious relationship that otherwise would be difficult to glean elsewhere.

Written with an open mind, this book will prove to be an important book in gaining a more clear perspective of how one Communist State professing to be somewhat independent of the USSR and even more democratic, was no better in its relations with treatment of its Jewish community.

Norm Goldman, Editor of Bookpleasures.com

Hear an interview with Rivka's First Thanksgiving illustrator Maryann Kovalski on The Book of Life podcast's Thanksgiving Special episode (November 2007) at www.bookoflifepodcast.com!

Kovalski's heroine touches children on both a personal and national level. Rivka endeavors to become American. Her family's quest for freedom is like the Pilgrim's. She helps her family to recognize and celebrate the true spirit of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Elsa Rael's book fills a truly needed place in American-Jewish children's literature and children's literature on the whole. The story of a clear headed and plunky little girl who mounts up steep wood tenement steps to confront first one austere little rabbi in his book-filled room to a whole roomful of them to explain why Jews should celebrate Christmas is wonderful! The Lower East Side is everyone's heritage, and Ms. Rael and her magical illustrator bring it to life. You see the world of the 1930's through the eyes of a child. Original and heartwarming.

In rich and spirited prose, accompanied by warmly rendered illustrations, Rivka's First Thanksgiving captures the texture and cadence of early 20th century Jewish immigrant life in New York City. The story teaches children the importance of old traditions, as well as the necessity for creating new ones. The reader can almost smell the turkey -- and the challah!

The recent political atmosphere makes this book even more profoundly important. Children see the need and are starving to understand each other's cultures. I read it to my 11-yr and 13-yr. Puerto Rican - American born niece & nephew a couple of days before Thanksgiving, wondering if they'd be too old & too sophisticated to enjoy it, (they are Harry Potter fans.) This book both empowered them and satisfied their need to more fully understand how children from a different culture (Jewish) relate to "Thanksgiving." It 's apparent that we've gotton away from the roots of this American holiday and that "Thanksgiving" had never clicked in their heads. It helped them to understand why people from other countries still come to America today. My "kids" strongly identifed with "Rivka's" courage to stand up for her own point of view . They were thoroughy engaged in the story and loved the illustrations-and so did I. J. Gardner

History is so much more when you see what a lifetime was really like in the 19th or 20th century for someone completely "unimportant." A story like Rosa's is a hundred times better than the oatmeal summaries we get about immigrant hardships and all the stuff about people coming to find their fortunes in America or whatever. This gutsy girl never wanted to come, didn't choose to come, but what do you do if you start out life as a foundling, are sent to work in a silk factory at age 8 where your job is to unravel silk cocoons (!), and then you get married off to an old creep who's carting you off mostly to run his boarding house and look after his mistress while he slaves in an iron mine in Missouri. Man, this was a hard life, but out of it came this wonderful, storytelling woman who somehow survived to tell us what things were really like to end up starving in Chicago in the 1890s. Whew. Forget the history textbooks. Let's just puts books like these in front of our kids. And ourselves. Take Me With You When You GoNutty to Meet You! Dr. Peanut Book #1

A wonderful view of immigrant life as well as a poignant look at life in the old country. Rosa's voice is full of detail--almost as if she is sitting across the table from you, sharing the joys and sorrows of her life.

Being a member of a third generation Italian American family this book was very interesting to me. I felt like I was sitting next to Rosa as she went through her experiences. It brought back many memories. I finished the book in one weekend then mailed it to my Italian mother for her to enjoy. This is the first Italian American book I have read that was written from a women's point of view. I highly recommend it.

I stumbled across this book a month ago while writing a term paper on Italian immigration.
Rosa's tale is a poignant story. Her life story reveals her pride,faith and determination to survive in both the new and old world and her unwillingness to compromise her values.

I highly recommend this book!

First we need to thank Helen Barolini for resurrecting this precious book from obscurity. And for all those who complain there are no uplifting, inspiring tales about Italians, here in Rosa The Life Of An Italian Immigrant, is the proof that there certainly is.

Rosa would be the first to say she was no one special, just an ordinary peasant orphan who kept herself from starvation and worse by the faith of her religion and incredilby hard work for her entire life. Not that hard work is a surprise but the reality with which this uneducated woman shows us a plain ordinary life is as unforgettable as she is. God gave her the gift to tell the story of her life, to share laughs and to charm her new friends in wherever she landed, in a mining camp, a convent school or a silk factory.

From her early life as a child laborer who is beaten for mistakes in the silk mills of the 1860s to the uneducated young girl who is forced to marry a lousy, drunken bum, Rosa perseveres and triumphs with a long life and many friends who love her. You can't read this story with out falling in love with this precious woman as she endures life.

In 2001, it is hard to imagine that the cruelties Rosa suffered were every day occurences a century ago (or even less!), that is, nothing unusual. We have come a long way baby, but we had better not forget where we've come from.

Rosa The Life Of An Italian Immigrant will keep you rooted in the reality of our history and ancestry. Buy it, read it. Give it to your friends. Buy them their own copies! Give it as gifts to all the young women in your family.

Rosa's story must be remembered. Her story is unforgetable, so is Rosa Cavalleri.

Hey, Hollywood, I dare you to make a movie about this incredible woman!!!!

Although this novel is a fictional story, the topic is a timely one. The story brings to light a common stereotype and then proceeds to shatter it by giving it a human face. The reader is given unbiased insight to realities and cultural differences that many Americans either are unaware of, or fail to consider for whatever reason. On that same token, this is not a book that preaches in any way. The story is well-written in a literary sense, the style is smooth and flowing, and the reader is left to see for themselves that despite certain differences, wisdom can be found in every culture if one is willing to look for it and accept what they find. In this book, Spooner's treatment of the emotions that everyone encounters at some point in their lives helps to make the story entirely believable. A strong first showing by this author, and I am pleased to see that another novel has been released.

The debut novel of T.M. Spooner, The Salvation of La Purisima is a contemporary tragedy about a rural Mexican village wracked by fear, speculation, and superstition, in the wake of the drowning of one of its own at the Mexican-American border. Through personal crisis as well as professional compassion, an outsider becomes involved in the village's suffering, and the economic and social forces driving migrants north. Told in from the first-person point of view of the outsider, The Salvation of La Purisima is a profound and heartrending look of a disenfranchised and poverty-ridden society that, driven by the necessity of its own survival, culturally pressures its members to make a perilous migration and earn money whether they want to go or not. Highly recommended.

The Salvation of La Purisima centers on the tragic crossing of a group of migrant workers from Mexico to the United States and the consequences of this tragedy for all involved. Spooner takes us on a journey back to Mexico to deal with the repercussions of this tragedy. We see Mexican culture through the eyes of American anthropology student, Paul Westin. Spooner's knowledgeable and compassionate portrayal of the Mexican migrate laborers humanizes a group who have become dehumanized too often in current political debate.
The romantic relationships are given gravity that is missing from most current American fiction. The men and woman are not lustful animals, but rather real people dealing with that most complex human emotion.
The novel causes us to question the high cost of the American Dream, but provides no trite or easy answers to the question. At the conclusion of the novel you come to realize that our way of doing things is just that: A way, but perhaps not the way. Overall, this is a quite impressive debut novel and I look forward to the future work of this author.

Mr. Spooners tale of Mexican migrant workers is a well written account of a world of which I am largely ignorant. As a result, the honest telling of this story, and its introspective nature created a sense of caring and understanding both for the characters in the novel as well as the plight of the real world people that they surely represent.

The characters were living and breathing throughout the book and Mr. Spooner accomplished this in a way that didn't represent these men and women within the stereotypes that I would have expected.

This novel represents what I love in literature - a thoughtful and well written story with an intriguing plot, 'real' characters and content that challenges the reader to think.

An exciting story about 4 illegal migrant workers facing tragedy while crossing the border between the US and Mexico. The author discusses the powerful social, economic, and political forces behind migration and their implications as the human tragedy makes the reasons of migration unjustifiable for at least one of the migrant workers. The author's deep knowledge of the mexican culture and colorful landscape makes the reading highly entertaining.

This book is one of the best books I have ever read. Each character seems to come alive with each page. By the end of the book you feel like you actually personally know each and every character. I believe it takes a really talented author to make that happen. My favorite character in the book was Sarah. Her determination, courage, and spirit made the book. This book was excellent and I encourage anyone to read it, but I warn you, you won't be able to put it down until you are finished!

Sarah reluctantly travels to Virginia from England with the aunt she has lived with ever since she lost her parents. The journey is long and hard, but the hardship is multiplied when Sarah loses her aunt and finds herself alone in a new world.
Sarah works along side the other colonists, but, instead of working to make a new life, she works to earn enough for passage back to her old one.

As Sarah grows from child to woman, the hunger, death, never ending work, and other challenges that accompany settling a new land bind her to the people around her and forge friendships that make Sarah doubt her determination to leave. And, in a twist of fate, she finds herself losing her heart to a man who loves the land and is just as determined to never leave. Sarah may have finally found the place that she truly belongs, but, when tragedy strikes, will she stand by those who have come to love her or will she finally decide to flee?

This is my absolute favorite book of all time! It is romantic, tragic, adventurous, and ends exactly as it should. If you can find this book, do yourself a huge favor and get it a.s.a.p. If you're like me, you'll read it over, and over, and over again.

I read this book four years ago, when it first came out, and I still remember all of it, I enjoyed it so much. It's 1620, and fourteen-year-old Sarah hates the New World the moment she sets foot on it. An orphan, Sarah longs to return to England, and she decides to save up enough money for the journey. The other settlers discourage her, telling her she should either marry or become a servant. Sarah struggles to hold on to her dreams over more than two years as she matures and slowly begins to think of Virginia as her home, even falling in love. But violence and tragedy shatter her world, and she must start all over, with only her courage and hope for the future to sustain her. This is an excellant book, and though it is hard to find now, if you can find it, and you're a teenager that enjoys historical fiction, read it!

Sarah arrives in Virginia orphaned, penniless, and alone. Most young women settle for a hasty marriage, for the only other choice is indenture. But Sarah is determined to return to England, and she sets out to earn enough money for the return voyage. But Sarah discovers the one thing she least expected to find in this harsh new land: true love.

SARAH is a joyful combination of compelling characters (Sarah herself and others, such as the ebullient, sassy boy Twig) layered in a period of our country's early history and fresh writing that sweeps you along. We're soaked in the times-- the food and clothes, the problems between the native Americans and the people arriving from far-away England. The author's thorough research is obvious--readers are grounded in custom, law, flora and fauna and more. We're there in early Virginia. Other characters are distinctive in their speech, values, and life views. A map helps you know the area. Sarah is a powerful central character who faces daunting adversities with pluck and intelligence. At the back of the book, the author discusses how the book came into being. Fascinating reading. I loved this book.

I could not more highly recommend any book! The story is told in a manner that is thoroughly compelling. As the students prepare to work with the refugees, the author provides the reader with snapshots of the struggles facing the refugees. The cast of students is highly inspirational. I would recommend this book to all law students, especially those interested in asylum law or immigration more generally. As a law student who spent a semester in my school's immigration clinic, much of the frustration and joy I felt was also experienced by the students in this book. I only wish I had read it before starting clinic!

I was at Yale Law School when the events described in this fast paced and well written book took place. I played a small role in the events but I had no idea how much time and effort went into this campaign on behalf of Haitian refugees. Brandt Goldstein describes a law school experience unlike any other but at the same time gets at what the law school experience can be like for all law students and professors if they take advantage of the opportunities offered. This is a must read for any aspiring lawyer and for any lawyer who may have forgotten why he or she went to law school in the first place. And any non lawyer will be fascinated by the events that took place here and the challenge of upholding the rule of law here in the United States not just in places like Haiti.

Can't wait to see the movie!

I found myself storming through this book - it is, as already noted, a page-turner, and concerns politically- and socially-charged events in our recent past, and is enormously moving and personal on top of all that. What's that line about being doomed to repeat mistakes if we fail to study our history? I'd recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the importance of America's international relations and immigration policies, and who wants this country to live up to its supposed ultimate respect for civil liberties, human rights, and individual dignity.

Normally I wouldn't consider a legal work like this, but after continually hearing Storming the Court's a must read, I finally picked it up. It's a completely engaging story - I couldn't put it down.

If we as a country had known then what we know now, perhaps the prison at "Qitmo" and the status of individuals being held there would not be the legal quagmire that it has become. It is to the credit of the Yale law students and faculty that the situation was repeatedly challenged in the name of freedom for refugees.
Storming the Court is a great read. I did not expect to find it to be a "page turner", based on the subject matter, but it was. The research for this book was outstanding, with all the supported documentation cited. There wasn't a wasted sentence, yet the author was to capture the personalities and challenges of the legal defense team and their clients.
After reading the book I sent copies to friends, asking them for their opinions. Everyone has found the story to be moving and incredibly well written.
If you want to learn more about how the U.S. has come to use Guantanamo as a purgatory, you must read "Storming the Court".

Absolutely must for an IMG, has a lot of stuff starting on how to prepare a good application and also tips on writing personal statement and dos & dont,s for recommendation letters. I found it very useful and would definitely recommend it.

I bought this book on June/06, just prior the match season started. It totally changed my original plan. I was full of the info that is on the internet, the same that the thousands of applicants use. This book gives you in detail what you have to do in order to outstand from the rest. Focusing on the difficulties that an IMG has while trying to get a residency, set the profile of the SUCESSFUL IMG, and explains you how to become one. I relyed on this book only and obtained 10 invitations out of 30 applications, all from top centers like Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, or Mayo Clinic. Definitively, the best tool for IMG's.

I would swear and curse with joy, but I shall hold back!

The author of this book is to be commended on the exemplary structure and layout of this little gold-mine... I was hoping to find this work earlier, and I am only thankful that I have it in my hands right now!!!

Getting to the US, into a top-notched residency programme, while being a foreign medical graduate are all difficult things to combine and accomplish skilfully. It is absolutely wonderful to see a physician who made it, and who made it BIG.
I found this book thoroughly informative, believe it or not, on ALL the major steps required for that arduous process. Most texts offer scarse little tid-bits of already well-known facts that I needed to add MUCH more to. This book does that splendidly.
I particularly enjoyed the Seventy-Thirty rule.

Guys out there looking for more than JUST a book on getting through the hurdles?... this book is for those who want to do it and do it WELL. It's plain, and simple, and easy to read. I recommend it above ANY of the other books on the market. THIS ONE is the ONLY one of it's kind...

Thank you to the author. A tremendously honest piece of work. Congratulations.

It's a very comprehensive book and the tips it gives are really great and deal with real life. The LORs and interview sections are marvellous. The author has an indeed deep understanding of the successful application process for a residency in the U.S. What might miss from this book: maybe how can IMGs find an observership in the U.S for which he/she wouldn't have to pay, just like it is possible in Europe!
I recommend the book in highest terms to anyone applying for residency.

This is THE book for IMGs. Forget first aid and others. Nobody explains the finer details, the minutae that can enhance your competitiveness better than Anagh Vora. The book is a truly outstanding read and will help the readers in the process of obtaining a US residency.

Best would be to buy it by the 2nd-3rd year of medical college and utilise all the guidelines mentioned. Its 140 pages of information for just IMGs, so very much detailed as to what to do and what not to do.

Buying it will be the best decision in you quest for a US residency.