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April 20, 2007
The whole megillah, in pictures
Graphic novel brings Israel's 4,000 years of history to a generation
reared on television.
KATHARINE HAMER EDITOR
This year marks Israel's 59th birthday and the 40th anniversary
of the uniting of Jerusalem. Of course, the country's history reaches
back far beyond these milestones and has, by now, been summarized
in countless books. None is quite like Homeland: The Illustrated
History of the State of Israel.
Conceived and edited by William J. Rubin, written by Marv Wolfman
and illustrated by Mario Ruiz, Homeland is an attempt to
bring the lessons of Israel to a new generation.
"The work is in a format that is the fastest growing portion
of the book store market," noted Rubin, who also helms the
book's publisher, Nachshon Press, in a recent interview with the
Independent.
"It is the story of the Jewish people in a format that can
be devoured in a few sittings, it is for all audiences and it has
appeal to virtually all ages and religions. It is a unique attempt
to tell a great story in a way that the MTV generation understands."
Reaching out to a younger generation is a mission close to Rubin's
heart. As the head of the largest Jewish education umbrella organization
in Chicago, he said, "I have always been plagued by the knowledge
that both our children and adults do not know Israel's history.
Homeland is a response to that. I knew that this would be
a terrific way to convey information in an engaging way.
"The Middle East is in the news nearly every day and yet, there
is a real lack of understanding about the area. The 500-page works
of history are sitting on the shelves for this generation. We wanted
to bring Israel's narrative to the public in a way that would be
accessible, academically sound and balanced."
Using a blend of hand-drawn and computer-generated graphics, as
well as archive photos, Homeland guides readers through 4,000
years of history. It begins with Abraham and covers biblical times,
Roman rule, pogroms, the Holocaust, the founding of the state of
Israel, its accomplishments and the recent wars its people have
had to fight. The introduction is penned by Rona Ramon – wife
of the late astronaut Ilan Ramon.
Leading us through the book is also a character known only as "the
professor" – an attractive young woman who tells the story
of the Jewish people and answers questions from her "students"
along the way.
"The professor addresses some of the toughest questions about
Israel and essentially acts as our voice in the effort," said
Rubin. "Also, we needed someone to keep the objective narrative
of the work flowing and she looks like none of the traditional archetypes
of Judaic instructors that our students have ever seen. We sought
to create a brilliant woman, most probably in her late 20s-early
30s, that students of all ages and genders could relate to and who
would appeal to the general public."
Thus far, Homeland – which was three years in the making
- is Nachshon's only project. But Rubin promised there would be
other releases on the way - including, perhaps, an illustrated biography
of Ramon himself.
As for his hopes for Homeland, he said, "The work is
a very serious attempt to tell Israel's story to both the Jewish
people and the world. Those of us that worked on the project are
honored to have made the smallest of contributions to help fortify
and explain the Jewish state in a bold new way.
"Israel is the embodiment of the Jewish people. We of this
generation are blessed to live in a time that Israel exists. Support
of Israel is [not only] essential [but] our individual responsibility
today."
For more information on Homeland: The Illustrated History of
the State of Israel, visit www.nachshonpress.com.
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