MY GRATITUDE FIRST of all belongs to the men of the 55th Brigade. I had the privilege of extensively interviewing all of the book’s main protagonists, except for Meir Ariel, who died before I began this project.
No one contributed more time, energy, and wisdom to this book than Arik Achmon. I had the extraordinary good fortune to meet Arik as he was about to turn seventy and beginning to reflect on his life. There was no request that I made of him—and my requests became increasingly demanding over the years—that he didn’t do his best to meet. Our working relationship became a close friendship. Arik tried mightily to protect me from errors in fact and judgment; the errors that remain are mine alone.
I am deeply grateful to my editor and friend, Claire Wachtel, who stuck by this book even when I violated every deadline.
Two institutions successively gave me a home and made it possible for me to write this book. The first was the Shalem Center, where I was a senior fellow from 2003 to 2010. Shalem’s generosity and support gave me what every writer longs for, the gift of time. My gratitude to Shalem’s Daniel Gordis, Yishai Haetzni, David Hazony, Yoram Hazony, Roger Hertog, Daniel Polisar, an especially devoted friend to this book. Natan Sharansky and Vera Golovensky, who were at Shalem during my time there, provided generous friendship and support.
The Shalom Hartman Institute, where I am currently a senior fellow, has provided the intellectual and spiritual environment in which I could complete this book and move to the next phase of my work. My gratitude to Rabbi Donniel Hartman, who has been at once mentor, colleague, and friend. And thanks to my colleagues and friends at Hartman who provided useful editorial feedback and other help: Alan Abbey, Tal Becker, Stuart Schoffman, Hana Gilat, Laura Galinski, Yehuda Kurtzer, Gil Troy, and Noam Zion.
The following friends provided generous financial support: Mark Gerson, Harold Grinspoon and Diane Troderman, Seth Klarman, Rabbi John Moscowitz, Joe Nadler, Julie Sandorf and Nessa Rapoport of the Revson Foundation, Shoel Silver, Larry and Judy Tanenbaum, Phil Wachs. Thanks also to Michael and Laurie Davis, Michael Diamond, Wendy Eisen, Michael Granoff, Jim Moscowitz, Judy Nyman, and Orna Shulman.
I was blessed with a succession of superb research assistants. Rivki Rosner and Devora Liss saw the book through its final years; their devotion to and deep understanding of this project, along with their friendship and wonderful humor, helped me persevere. Rona Yona, Itiel Ben-Haim, and Avishai Ivri helped define and solidify the project in its earlier stages. I am profoundly grateful to them all.
As for my gratitude to my wife, Sarah, for all she put up with during these interminable years of “the book”: ein milim.
Michael Oren encouraged me to write this book and continued encouraging me as I struggled to make sense of the material. I could not have seen this through without his love and friendship.
Sam Freedman and Jonathan Rosen provided the camaraderie of writers. They were devoted readers of repeated drafts and generously offered their wisdom.
Rabbi John Moscowitz, one of the most courageous Jewish leaders I know, helped nurture this project from the beginning.
David Suissa, for whom no favor is ever too much, has been a friend in all ways.
Julie Sandorf embraced me with her generous friendship and encouragement.
Carolyn Hessel of the Jewish Book Council has, once again, been a devoted friend.
And gratitude to: Esteban Alterman, for his help with the photographs but most of all for his courage and inspiration; Frédéric Brenner, for his great images; David Brumer, beloved friend who died too soon; Zev Chafets, for everything; Edoe Cohen, whose enthusiasm for this project helped get me going; Tim Cowles, who helped inspire me to write this book when, at a providential moment, he sent me as a gift his collection of Life magazines from the Six-Day War; Rabbi Yoel Glick, for his love and guidance and extraordinary friendship; Jonathan Kessler, Linda Frum, and J. J. Schneiderman, devoted friends of this project.
A succession of interns, working through the Shalem Center and the Shalom Hartman Institute, provided valuable assistance: Rachel Adams, Benji Davis, Zach Fenster, Josh Freedman, Ariel Futter, Rachel Greenspan, Asaf Hadani, Elad Kimelman, Nicky Kolios, Candace Mittel, Valerie Oved, Nathaniel Rabkin, Adam Sadinsky, Clara Scheinmann, Davida Schiff, Maya Tapiero, Josh Wertheimer, and Jonathan Yudelman.
Yossi Alpher provided a copy of the English translation of his book on the Palestinian-settler dialogue, published in Hebrew as Vegar Ze’ev Im Ze’ev (And the Wolf Shall Dwell with the Wolf). Menachem Regev provided a copy of Meir Ariel’s diary of his daily Torah study.
Nissim Calderon generously shared with me his research for a biography he is completing on Meir Ariel. The time we spent together sharing our love for Meir was one of the joys of this project.
The following graciously permitted me to quote from their songs, poems, books, articles, and films: Alut (the Association for Autistic Children), Uri Elitzur, Haim Gouri, Haim Hefer, Aviv Havron, the Hitman family, Arnon Lapid, Didi Manusi, Baruch Nevo and Nurit Ashkenazi, Gideon Ofrat, Talma Aligon-Roz, Yitzhak Rubin, Hemi Sal, Yisrael Shadiel, Hemdat Shani, Yoram Taharlev, Gidi Weitz, and Tamar Ze’evi.
Special thanks to Tirza Ariel for permission to quote from Meir’s work, and for all she does to keep alive Meir’s memory and spirit.
The following publishing companies graciously allowed me to quote from their works: Sifriyat Beit El, Hakibbutz Hameuhad, Keter, Ma’arakhot, and Yediot Aharonot.
Also thanks to Channel 1 Israel TV and Israel’s Channel 2 for the use of archival material.
Along with interviews with the main protagonists, Like Dreamers is based on interviews with their family, friends, comrades-in-arms, and associates. My gratitude to the following interviewees:
VETERANS OF THE 55TH RESERVIST PARATROOPER BRIGADE
MOSHE AMIRAV, MEIR ARAD, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Yossi Asaf, David Atid, Menachem Amit Balu, Naftali Bar-Ilan, Yaakov “Vaksi” Barnea, Uri Ben-Noon, Amikam Berman, Shmuel Biran, Nadav Briner, Uzi Chaplin, Miki Cohen, Yechiel Cohen, Yitzhak Deri, Shlomo Dror, Ori Dvir, Haviv Elhanani, Eshed Eliezer, Yoel Elitzur, Hanan Erez, Haggai Erlichman, Yossi Fradkin, Yaakov Gafni, Gabi Garbiyeh, Matti Greenberg, Yiftah Gutman, Ran Hakim, David Harris, Amnon Horev, Yaakov Ingmar, Shimon “Kacha” Kahaner, Yehudah Kandel, Karni Kav, Menachem Kendelstein, Ofer Kolker, Moshe Natan Landau, Eran Levizon, Danny Matt, Reuven Michael, Zvi Mina, Itzik Nadan, Rabbi Gil Nativ, Meir Nitzan, Zviki Nur, Michael Odem, Shlomo Ofek, Yishai Peleg, Reuven Polechik, Noach Rabinovich, Moisheleh Rabinovitch, Yoram Ronen, Ido Rosen, Yosef “Yoske Balagan” Schwartz, Avraham Sela, Shmuel Shaked, Uri Shapira, Eliezer Shefer, Azriel Sorek, Nachman Syrkin, Danny Valeh, Yosef Vilchik, Aryeh Weiner, Itzik Yifat, Uzi Yitzhakov, Yoram Zamosh, and Dan Ziv.
SETTLERS AND RELIGIOUS ZIONISTS
SHIYA ALTMAN, Rabbi Yehudah Amital, Yehudit Amir, Vardina Bardugo, Avraham Bar-Ilan, Moni Ben-Ari, Michael Ben-Horin, Yohanan Ben-Yaakov, Shifra Blass, Eliaz Cohen, Rabbi Sha’ar Yashuv Cohen, Esti and Ronny Columbus, Yossi Faber, Uri Elitzur, Yehudah Etzion, Haim Falk, Avi Farhan, Ella Florsheim, Rabbi Yochanan Fried, Rabbi Menachem Froman, Haya Ganiram, Sima Gillis, Rabbi Avi Giser, Elchanan Glatt, Rabbi Shimon Golan, Hannah Grajouer, Rabbi Menahem Hacohen, Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein, Elyakim Haetzni, Ze’ev “Zambish” Haver, Aliza Hart, Arieh Horowitz, Mira Kedar, Shalom Keinar, Yigal Kirshenfest, Benny Katsover, Rabbi Isser Klonsky, Miriam Levinger, Menachem Loberbaum, Tzipi Luria, Miri Maas, Baruch Marzel, Yisrael “Winki” Medad, Rabbi Yaakov Meidan, Gil Mezuman, Brigitte Milo, Moshe “Moshko” Moskowitz, Moshe Nahaloni, Yehudah Neuman, Rabbi Ze’ev Neuman, Yaakov Oppenheim, Henia Oppenheimer, Yochai Rodik, Motti Ronen, Varda Rosen, Amos Safrai, Dudi Bar-Selah, Bambi and Yair Sheleg, Sarah Shpitz, Haggai Segal, Hemdat Shani, Ze’ev Valk, Ruth Waldman, Pinchas Wallerstein, Rafi Yanai, Baruch Yefeh-Nof, and Vardit Zik.
KIBBUTZNIKS AND PEACE ACTIVISTS
ELI ALON, MANU ALON, Ruth Atzmon, Janet Aviad, Rivkaleh Avidor, Rina Ben-Nachshon, Yehudit Tidor Baumel, Lea Berenstein, Ilana Carmi, Shlomit Canaan, Ran Cohen, Yuval Danieli, Shlomit Dekel, Ruth Eitzman, Avraham “Avremel” Frank, Lea Gilboa, Avishai Grossman, Batsheva Gurevitch, Uzi Hagi, Milca Har-Tal, Amos Kayatzky, Rachel Marder, Tami Mor, Ilana Neuman, Haggit Ofran, Amnon and Yael Peltin, Ilana Peltin, Dodik Por, Tamar Reiner, Tzali Reshef, Hemi Sal, Moishe Shachvitz, Yoav Shachvitz, Hedva Shain, Yehudah Sagi, Avraham “Pachi” Shapira, Rafi Shapira, Gidi Sivan, Doron Spector, Shlomo Svirsky, Avshalom “Abu” Vilan, Yehudit Zaidenberg, Adam Zartal, Haim Zeligman, and Miraleh Ziv.
FAMILY MEMBERS
OFRA AND MOSHE ACHMON, Yehudit Achmon, Tova and Uri Adiv, Tirza Ariel, Shahar Ariel, Shiraz Ariel, Udi Ariel, Aya Atid, Dror Bareket, Esther Bin-Nun, Enya Fast, Ada Geva, Rita Gur, Sarah Harel, Mona Hershkovitz, and Rachel Porat.
FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES
EHUD BANAI, Ro’i Bar-Zakai, Dori Ben-Zeev, Naor Carmi, Gil Dor, Hanna Dvir, Yehudah Eder, Ari Elon, Eitan Haber, Issa Halaf, Lihi Hanoch, Shalom Hanoch, Haim Kessler, Yoav Kutner, Asher Levy, Mark Linton, Avihu Medina, Aharon Megged, Naomi Mizrahi, Yosifa Nachshon, Micha Odenheimer, Atara Ofek, Hava Pinhas-Cohen, Menachem Regev, Micha Shagrir, Miki Shaviv, Yizhar Shabi, Alona Turel, Micha Ullman, Meir Uziel, Hanan Yovel, and Ariel Zilber.
And thanks to the following for help in various ways:
Stefanie Pearson Argamon, Tikva Armon, Josh Block, Karen Brunwasser, Aaron Cohen, Ami Cohen, Florence Cohen, David Ehrlich, Leibel Fein, Jonathan Fong, Toby Perl Freilich, Ella Gadasi, Zach Gelman, Rabbi Steve Gutow, Maria Reis Habito, Alvin Hoffman, Toby Kahn, Michael Kotzin, Charley Levine, Jonathan Mark, Paul Michaels, Alicia Mog, Hava Na’eh, Lynn Pelkey, Martin Raffel, Asaf Rahmani, Nessa Rapoport, Matt Ronen, Rachel and Shlomo Rosner, Shmuel Rosner, Amos Sabah, Yehudah Shohat, Ruth Wheat, and Hannah Wood.