Elsa M. Van Der Laaken

1960 Destination Israel Elsa M. Van Der Laaken

1960 - DESTINATION ISRAEL The story is an account of Elsa van der Laaken's journey from The Netherlands to Israel and her life in Israel from February 1960 until October 1962. An Israeli woman who studied in The Netherlands had invited her. At that time Israel was not a tourist destination. Instead, the country was going through a fascinating influx of Jewish immigrants from all over the world. The writer found employment in Israel and stayed longer than her visa allowed. She explored the country and kept journals of her experiences in her native language. She sent them home and later translated them into English. Copies of documents, photographs and historical notes have been added to make this book.. The book stays close to her three original handwritten journals in "spiral notebooks." The first was about her preparation for the trip with the limited means she had in the late fifties. The second and third journals dealt with the writer's work, tourism and marriage in Israel. There is no plot. The book is a series of "happenings" experienced by a young adult who was ready to grow up and leave home. www.vanderlaaken.com elsa@vanderlaaken.com