Jessica Fishman’s memoir, Chutzpah & High Heels: The Search for Love and Identity in the Holy Land, has been signed by Yotzeret Publishing, which publishes books written from a Jewish perspective with a specialty in those written by women authors.
With self-deprecating wit, Jessica’s memoir takes the reader through her move and acclimation to Israel. From being an American living in Israel to becoming an Israeli with an American accent, she overcomes many obstacles: navigating a notorious Israeli bureaucracy that is worse than FEMA’s; making embarrassing mistakes in kindergarten-level Hebrew; serving in an army in which she could babysit her officers; working under bosses who make Ahmadinejad seem like a peacemaker and dating cocky Israelis who make Hamas terrorists seem like good husband material.
However, she meets one obstacle that tests the core of her identity and nearly destroys the very ideology that brought her to Israel and reveals the devastation caused by the ultra-Orthodox monopoly in Israel. Not just a Jewish story, Jessica’s memoir is a universal story about a young, contemporary woman losing and searching for identity, overcoming heartbreak, and finding her place in the world.
“Following a life-changing event, I was inspired to write Chutzpah and High Heels: The Search for Love and Identity in the Holy Land in order to share my experiences and inspire social change,” says Jessica. “I am pleased to be working with Yotzeret Publishing and am thankful that Sheyna Galyan has given me the opportunity to share my memoir with the public, which is the beginning step in the bumpy path towards that goal.”
Jessica has written a number of articles on Israel and Zionism and been interviewed in leading Israeli media about her experience as an immigrant in Israel. After developing the popular Aliyah Survival Blog, an irreverent portrayal of an American immigrant’s first years in Israel, she has written a deeply-personal, witty memoir about the difficulties, absurdities, and excitement of making a home in a new country.
“We are delighted to add Chutzpah & High Heels to our catalog, making it our first nonfiction title. The book’s message of Jewish pluralism and equality fit perfectly with Yotzeret’s mission to reflect Jewish diversity and the under-represented,” says Sheyna Galyan, Owner of Yotzeret Publishing. “Chutzpah & High Heels is simultaneously funny and heartbreaking, and holds no punches with its seldom-before-seen snapshot into Israeli culture.”
