OUR STORE IS CLOSED ON ANZAC DAY: THURSDAY 25 APRIL
Boaz Dvir is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker who produced and directed the PBS documentary A Wing and a Prayer, which tells this story and which won best feature documentary at the 2016 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and has screened around the world at such venues as the American Jewish Historical Society in New York, Columbia University's Global Center in Paris, and the Library Film Festival in India. Dvir teaches journalism at Penn State and has also produced and directed the documentaries Jessie's Dad, Discovering Gloria, and Cojot, about a French banker who sets out to kill former Nazi Klaus Barbie. His films have been covered by the Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Post, Haaretz, the Miami Herald, Stars and Stripes, and other publications. Dvir has written for Newsday, the Miami Herald, the Tampa Bay Times, the Jerusalem Post, the Times of Israel, and Explore magazine.
Saving Israel reveals the little-known story of the creation of the air force that defended the state of Israel in its earliest days in 1948. Enriched by numerous first-hand accounts of the participants, Boaz Dvir presents a compelling and highly readable story of people willing to risk all in defense of an ideal.--Richard Shryock, associate professor, Department of Modern and Classical Languages & Literatures, Virginia Tech With the world being turned on its head, the state of Israel faces some of its biggest challenges since its inception little more than a half century ago. To understand Israel's beginning, Boaz Dvir's beautifully written book, Saving Israel, offers a loving and unvarnished account of the men and women who risked everything to make sure Israel not only survived, but thrived. And it is a stark reminder of why Israel's survival and its place in the world is more important than ever.--Barbara Dury, former 60 Minutes producer How did Israel come to rely on Nazi-surplus weapons during its war for independence in 1948? How did a fledgling state that didn't yet have an air force manage to turn back a powerful Egyptian military column that was poised to march on Tel Aviv? In Saving Israel, Boaz Dvir answers these questions and more by recreating the relatively little-known story of a heroic band-of-brothers--a group of American WWII vets who risked their comfortable lives and freedom to answer a desperate call for help. Drawing on over two-dozen interviews, Dvir's book brings this incredible chapter in Israel's early history to life. What motivated these men to fly for Israel at a time when its survival hung in the balance? Saving Israel is a must read for anyone interested in military history and learning more about America's war heroes.--Miriam F. Elman, Executive Director, Academic Engagement Network, and Associate Professor of Political Science, Syracuse University The American Jewish and Christian role in helping Israel win its War of Independence in 1948 is little known in the US or Israel. Saving Israel is a revelation.--Ralph Lowenstein, dean emeritus, University of Florida College of Journalism
