JL;DR SUMMARY In his book "Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders Dreams?", Daniel Gordis argues that despite the challenges and pain Israel has faced, it has fundamentally changed the condition of the Jewish people and should provide a case for optimism. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.