An extraordinary book. Yossi Klein Halevy is a deeply religious American-born Jewish journalist and Israeli citizen who has lived in Israel for almost twenty years. This book is written as a personal spiritual journey, in which Halevy attempts to experience and understand Islam and Christianity by joining in their rituals of worship. Despite the personal nature of the subject, his historical, political and social commentary are invaluable for those who wish to understand the Middle East conflict today. In a world where hatred is running rampant, he sends a message that solutions can only come through understanding, not violence.

I work on promoting Mideast peace at an organization called Israel Policy Forum in Washington, DC. So I see all the literature. And I'm not easily impressed.
But this book approaches perfection. And I'm not just talking about the writing, which is superb.
I am talking about a book which miraculously appeared at a time we most need it. Following the 911 attack, an atack committed in the name of Islam, we have Yossi Klein Halevi, writing from Jerusalem, who explains, who shows, Islam's other face. This author, a devout Jew, demonstrates that Judaism/Christianity and Islam, at their best, are the same and that to fill one's heart with the true message of one, is to know and be all three.
(The corollary, of course, is that the fanatics in all three faiths are the same as well. Isn't it amusing how a Jewish extremist, clothed in black, disdaining women and all who represent the "other" does not recognize his twin in the other faiths, and vice versa. If the extremists would meet each other, they would realize that they are one and the same. Maybe we can get to peace that way!)
This book shows that there is a way out of the current horrors by reaching out and finding those aspects of each faith community that are common to all three. It understands that, in the Mideast, the seculars cannot make peace without the people of faith. Halevi shows the way. This book is a gift to us all.

I just finished reading At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden by Yossi Klein Halevi. I couldn't put it down. In his search for Muslims and Christians who would let him share in their spiritual lives, Halevi tries to find a way to connect with his erstwhile enemies outside of politics. He takes us along on his journey and what an astounding array of people we meet: Sufi sheikhs and French nuns and Armenian monks.

And most of all, we get to know Halevi, an American-born Israeli, sensitive and conflicted , who wants to participate in the rebirth of the Jewish people in its own land without harming other peoples, and understanding the tragedy that these two desires are in conflict.

It's a sad book because it ends with the resumption of armed conflict that began in 2000. But it's also a hopeful book because of all of the people Halevi meets who are willing to clasp hands across the divide. In one beautiful scene, Halevi attends a Moslem Sufi zikr, a session of mystical dancing which allows the participants to connect with each other and with God. Despite initial hostility, the experience brings home Halevy and his hosts together in mutual understanding and respect. It's a scrap of hope we can all use in these difficult times.

one of the best books i hav ever read.touching and easy to relait to.very good.

This is a most unique subject matter - I know no other book on it - about a former member of the inner circle of the JDL (Jewish Defense League). On that note, HaLevi offers invaluable information about why he (and others) joined, and their activities. Most poignant is their work on behalf of the Jews in (what was then) the Soviet Union; Halevi and his "friends" not only pulled guerilla theatre-type stunts on traditional Jewish organizations here in the U.S., "commanding" them to help these forgotten Jews, but the JDL also travelled to the Soviet Union to try to "free" the Soviet Jews (it didn't work, however). The other most compelling piece in his book is his writing about being a child of Holocaust Survivors - his father, a Hungarian Jew, hid in the woods for years during WWII and was saved by a kind non-Jew. As my parents are also Holocaust Survivors, I can attest that HaLevi writes incredibly well on his background. He explains his own personal story, how he came to hate Gentiles, and felt that another Holocaust was inevitable. However, when he fell in love with a non-Jewish woman, this part of his life was drastically altered. A remarkable book; you won't find another one like it.