Operation Joktan by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn

When I heard that Amir Tsarfati had co-written a novel with Steve Yohn, I was surprised. He's written many nonfiction books, but not many writers can make the transition between nonfiction writer and novelist. So I was a bit skeptical.

Operation Joktan did not disappoint.

The first of a trilogy, Operation Joktan takes the reader into the world of a Mossad agent. Through a complex and thrilling adventure, we follow Nir from South Africa to the Middle East, and Europe, with a final adventure in the United Arab Emirates. 

What's so fun is that Amir was a major in the IDF, so these events are based off of real events that the general public doesn't know about.

BUT, what has been shocking is that this book, released November 2021, seems almost prophetic, as in early 2022 there were terrorist attacks in the UAE. 

I'm always a little skeptical of writers who cross genres, and Amir did this well. Couple this with the fact that English isn't his first language, (he speaks it excellently, it's just that speaking and writing are very different mediums to excel in), and it's even more impressive.

If you love thrillers that literally could be pulled from the front pages, then I recommend this book.

Click here or on the links or image above to find it on Amazon, and come back next week for book 2 in this series!

The Golan: Syrian bunkers and views for days (Part 4 of 4)

Once you leave the Peace Vista, it's not too long before you find yourself on a steep switchback road, winding down along the ridge line. There are barbed wire fences with yellow signs warning of landmines all along the road, and the views go on for days...

Beautiful, magnificent... and dangerous.

The opposite ridge is Jordan!

A bunker from the Six Day War in 1967.

While on the drive through the Golan, you looked over and saw Syria. Then at some point, you passed the border and that from point, were looking at Jordan:

The border between Israel and Jordan is near this building. Below it are remains of the old Palestine railways.

You park the car, get out, and find an old Syrian bunker from the Six Day War. It supposedly goes several stories underground. Despite wanting to get out the heat, you remember that your Mama didn't raise a fool who wants tetnus... So you just take pictures of it instead:

Pretty incredible!

The Golan: Peace Vista (Part 3 of 4)

Driving south along the Golan, past the entrance to Gamla National Park and you'll find the Kfar Haruv Kibbutz and one of the most spectacular views of the Sea of Galilee that I've never seen: The Peace Vista.

It was windy that day we were up here, but I was so glad for that because it was late June and a documented 103 degrees Fahrenheit. The view did not disappoint!

It was so vast (and we were so close) that I couldn't fit the whole lake in the photo. WOW! 

Built on the stones of a 1,700 Talmudic village, the view point offers and incredible view to not only appreciate the beauty of the area but also to understand its history. From above, you can see much of the Golan. And if you're with a tour guide like I was, from there, you get to get about the history of the area, most recently in the Six Day War of 1967, with him pointing to and fro.

And, there was a bonus. It's hard to tell unless you zoom in, but beyond the taller trees on the mid-right of the photo is a ridge and some more ruins: Susita (Hippos)! You can almost see Kursi National Park as well. So cool!

Shalom for Israel, Shalom for Jerusalem, Shalom for all.

The Golan: the ancient synagogue of Afik (Part 2 of 4)

I had never heard of Afik until I still in its ancient synagogue, staring out at the incredible view over the Golan. 

That was an epic day. 

But when I started writing this series, I learned something interesting: somewhere near here is where King Ahab defeated Ben Hadad I of Damascus in 1 Kings 26-30. That's pretty cool!

Okay, back to the synagogue (also cool)!

As I stated in the last post, during the Talmudic era, there were 27 different villages along the Golan, all with a synagogue. Katzrin was one, and Afik was another. This is one of the synagogues. (There's one not too far away that they were able to put back together by numbering the stones and using a computer program, which is JUST INCREDIBLE and I can't stop dorking out about it. I definitely need to go there). 

Anywho, what's interesting about this one is that while synagogues are supposed to be facing Jerusalem when they are built, this one isn't. It faces west instead of south. 

Why? Because the topography of the area, with its many ridges, and the fact that it lies on the longest fault line in the world (think 363 AD, 749 AD, etc). However, despite this anomaly, the Torah room still faces Jerusalem.

Pretty cool, huh?

See the carving on the stone? It's another example of using found materials in building... it was originally used somewhere else.

Seriously, can we talk about this view? INCREDIBLE!

The Golan: Ancient Katzrin (Part 1 of 4)

The Golan Heights is a place of incredible Israel history, filled with conquests, epic battles, and important lessons. 

"Golan" is mentioned in Deuteronomy 4:43, Joshua 20:8, and 1 Chronicles 6:71 as a city of refuge in Bashan. Throughout Biblical times, the Golan was a focus of a power struggle between the Israelites and the ancient Arameans from near Damascus.

King Ahab of Israel defeated Ben Hadad I of Damascus near Afik (pictured above) and years later, Elisha prophesied the victory of King Jehoash of Israel over Ben Hadad III of Damascus.

Jewish exiles from the Babylonia settled here in the 5th and 6th centuries BC, and during the inter-Testamental period, Judah Maccabee and his brothers came to the aid of Jewish settlements there (above info found here). 

By 1st century AD, Gamla was the capital of the Golan, and fell as the last Jewish stronghold to resist the Romans in 67 AD.

Despite the fall of Gamla, Jewish settlement continued to grow in the Golan, and during the Byzantine Era (4th-7th centuries AD), Jewish settlement in the Golan Heights reached its peak. During that time, 27 different towns (with synagogues) were built up along the area. And after the Six Day War in 1967, excavation began. Over the next few weeks, we'll look at a series of locations throughout the Golan that tell part of its incredible story.

First of all, the meaning of the Talmudic Era. The Talmud is a set of teachings and commentaries on the Torah that form the basis for Jewish law. It was written during the time of the Byzantine Era, hence the name

In the city of Katzrin is lies the ancient Talmudic village of Katzrin. It's a really cool interactive park where people can go, learn about things like the olive press, wine press, and threshing grain, while also touring ruins from the Talmudic era. There's a village and the remains of a synagogue!

this isn't the olive press; I didn't get a good picture of it.

I could totally picture Eden from The Chosen smushing grapes in here!

grain sifter

These areas were fun, but I enjoyed most walking through the ruins (of course):

And we got a surprise at the synagogue—a modern day ceremony!

These children were being given their very own copies of the Torah!

the carving of the menorah is interesting here... I'll explain more in a future post.

Walking through the Rabbi's house was also really neat:

can you guess where the refrigerator is?

here it is! keeps out the critters

This was a really cool place. As a BIG fan of HGTV in the States, the house was the most interesting thing to me. What was your favorite part?

Stay tuned for next week—Afik!

The J.B. Collins Collection by Joel C. Rosenberg

This J.B. Collins collection left me speechless. 

This was only my 2nd time reading a series by American-Israeli author Joel C. Rosenberg, and so far, it's my favorite. So real, so thrilling, so full of rich detail and insight into the Middle East. It felt like I was reading events that could have been ripped from the headlines of a slightly alternate reality, especially considering all that has happened in the real world since the first book's publication in 2015.

I don't want to go too in depth into the series in this review because I want to leave it for you to discover yourself. But, here is a quote that stood out to me from the first 1st book, The Third Target. In it, the main character, J.B. Collins, a reporter for the New York Times, is speaking with the King of Jordan. The main reason why I want to highlight it isn't really because of the story, but because of something new I learned about Jordan: 

"It is not widely known in the West, but we have in Jordan a small but thriving Christian community that is perhaps the oldest in the world. The place where Jesus was baptized is Jordan's most important Christian site. It is here on the east bank of the Jordan River. This is where Jesus' mission started. This is where Christianity began. Jordan is also where Moses lived and died. This is where Elijah the prophet was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. There is so much rich history here...." page 334.

Basically, now I want to go to Jordan to see these places myself!

But, back to the point of this post: this 3-book series. If you love military-action thriller series', it will not disappoint! Click here to find it on Amazon!