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REVIEW: ‘Bethlehem Road’

JL;DR SUMMARY Bethlehem Road by Judy Lev is a collection of 12 short stories capturing the essence of the Baka neighborhood in Jerusalem from the 1960s to the 1990s. 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'.

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Tags

IdentityJerusalemIsraeli CultureImmigrant ExperienceShort StoriesNostalgiaBethlehem RoadJudy LevBaka1960s 1990s

Places mentioned

Jerusalem, Israel
"Bethlehem Road in Jerusalem today draws visitors with its falafel stands, bakeries, sidewalk cafes, abundant greenery and magnificent Ottoman-era buildings."
Israel
"Most of the characters in Bethlehem Road are new not only to the neighborhood, but to the country, too."
Chicago, Illinois, United States
"In Ingathering of an Exile, John, originally from Chicago, accepts a strangers decree that he become Yonatan."
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
"For example, some characters yearn for former homes in Cleveland or Baghdad or Marrakesh."
Baghdad, Iraq
"For example, some characters yearn for former homes in Cleveland or Baghdad or Marrakesh."
Marrakesh, Marrakech, Morocco
"For example, some characters yearn for former homes in Cleveland or Baghdad or Marrakesh."

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Retrieved 2025-12-18 05:30:44 UTC
Curated 2025-12-18 08:31:41 UTC