Some critics have sarcastically referred to Birthright Israel, the free Jewish youth trip to Israel, as “Brainwash Israel.” That typifies the questioning mentality of writer and illustrator Sarah Glidden, who packs her bags and also carries a set of left-wing beliefs about Israel’s policies, as she embarks on a Birthright tour. Her memoir, packed with honest, engaging reflections about the Jewish state, takes the form of a graphic novel, How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less (Vertigo). The narrative, a continual argument, is very Jewish. — M.S.
