Heritage is “the story of a small people with a large place in the destiny of mankind…There is virtually no civilization that does not have a Jewish component, just as there is no Jewish civilization that does not bear the mark of another culture.” Thus states Abba Eban in this magnificently illustrated and superbly written book, the companion volume to the PBS television series, “Heritage.”
With the characteristic eloquence that has made him an international spokesman for his country and his people, Mr. Eban charts the 5,000 year old Jewish encounter with civilization, from its birth in the Mesopotamian desert to the rebirth of independence in the modern State of Israel. With paintings, statues, sculpture, drawings, and decorative arts, drawn from the collections of the finest museums in the world, Heritage throws new light on the mystery of how so small a people-there are only 14 million Jews in the world today-could have had such a profound impact on all aspects of civilization-religion, philosophy, law, drama, science, art, political systems, ethics-and yet manage to preserve its own identity in dispersion and exile without a territorial base or political institution, conditions under which no other people has survived.

Mr Eban said, “The Jewish future is uncharted, there are no certainties ahead. But a people that takes its past and its future with such intensity of recollection, such poignancy of affliction, and such creative vitality will not easily renounce its hope of planting its seed in future civilizations and taking its share of the common harvest from their midst.”

Statesman, diplomat, scholar, and writer, Abba Eban was elected to Israel’s parliament in 1959. During his long career, he has held many cabinet level positions, including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador to the United States, and Ambassador to the United Nations.

Educated at Queen’s College at Cambridge University, where he distinguished himself for academic excellence, Mr. Eban was a research fellow and lecturer at Pembroke College for Persian Studies at Cambridge. From 1959 to 1966 he served as President of the Weizmann Institute in Israel. He is the author of many books, including, My People, and his Autobiography.

deletereply starfishred wrote on Jan 27, ’09 I have the book and I have great respect for Abba Eban

deletereply darlene57 wrote on Jan 27, ’09 Interesting, thanks for the teaching~smilies~d :~)

deletereply skeezicks1957 wrote on Jan 27, ’09 Is this book is a supplement to the PBS series by the same name or is it the book that the series is based on?  I have not seen the series nor read the book.  But they look like must reads/sees to me.

deletereply philsgal7759 wrote on Jan 27, ’09 This looks great and I think I might try to pick it up

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Jan 27, ’09 skeezicks1957 said Is this book is a supplement to the PBS series by the same name or is it the book that the series is based on? The book is referred to as the companion to the PBS series.