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Out of Jordan: A Sabra in the Peace Corps Tells Her Story
A riveting memoir of the first Israeli-born Jewish American to be sent as a Peace Corps volunteer to a closed Arab society.
A good memoir is a survivor’s tale—the story of a person who has faced obstacles and made it through well enough to tell it. Dalya Cohen-Mor, a Sabra-born American woman, volunteered to serve in the Peace Corps, went through a lengthy and highly competitive application process, was accepted, and was sent to serve in the predominantly Palestinian country Jordan, of all countries. Upon arrival in Jordan, Cohen-Mor was instructed by Peace Corps supervisors to conceal her Jewish identity, use an alias instead of her real last name, and pretend that she was Christian so as not to compromise her safety and efficacy as a Peace Corps volunteer.
As a single woman, a Sabra, and an American Peace Corps volunteer in a conservative Arab society, Cohen-Mor was forced to navigate unchartered territory, redefine her values and attitudes, and discover what it means to be perceived as the Other. She lived in the household of a Bedouin host family in a remote village in the eastern desert of Jordan, teaching English at the village girls’ elementary school. As she traveled around the Kingdom, she often found herself in delicate, complicated, and dangerous situations. After three months of hard work in the Peace Corps, she was accused of being involved in intelligence activities and unceremoniously sent back home. Although she lost her dream to serve in the Peace Corps, she found something more precious in the her core identity and sense of self.
Out of Jordan paints a penetrating portrait of contemporary life in Jordan, with insight into the complexities of a closed Arab society—family life, women’s roles, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the perception of America in the minds of ordinary people. With relentless honesty and unflinching courage, Cohen-Mor recounts her personal journey across borders and cultures into the living realities of two peoples—Arabs and Jews—with conflicting national identities but a common humanity.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
A good memoir is a survivor’s tale—the story of a person who has faced obstacles and made it through well enough to tell it. Dalya Cohen-Mor, a Sabra-born American woman, volunteered to serve in the Peace Corps, went through a lengthy and highly competitive application process, was accepted, and was sent to serve in the predominantly Palestinian country Jordan, of all countries. Upon arrival in Jordan, Cohen-Mor was instructed by Peace Corps supervisors to conceal her Jewish identity, use an alias instead of her real last name, and pretend that she was Christian so as not to compromise her safety and efficacy as a Peace Corps volunteer.
As a single woman, a Sabra, and an American Peace Corps volunteer in a conservative Arab society, Cohen-Mor was forced to navigate unchartered territory, redefine her values and attitudes, and discover what it means to be perceived as the Other. She lived in the household of a Bedouin host family in a remote village in the eastern desert of Jordan, teaching English at the village girls’ elementary school. As she traveled around the Kingdom, she often found herself in delicate, complicated, and dangerous situations. After three months of hard work in the Peace Corps, she was accused of being involved in intelligence activities and unceremoniously sent back home. Although she lost her dream to serve in the Peace Corps, she found something more precious in the her core identity and sense of self.
Out of Jordan paints a penetrating portrait of contemporary life in Jordan, with insight into the complexities of a closed Arab society—family life, women’s roles, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the perception of America in the minds of ordinary people. With relentless honesty and unflinching courage, Cohen-Mor recounts her personal journey across borders and cultures into the living realities of two peoples—Arabs and Jews—with conflicting national identities but a common humanity.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
- GenresMemoir
372 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2015
17 people want to read
About the author
Dalya Cohen-Mor
13 books2 followersDalya Cohen-Mor is a literary scholar of Middle Eastern background educated in the Netherlands and the United States. She earned her PhD in Arabic language and literature from Georgetown University. An award-winning author, she has published several books on Arab culture and society, among them A Matter of Fate: The Concept of Fate in the Arab World as Reflected
in Modern Arabic Literature (2001), Arab Women Writers: An Anthology of Short Stories (2005), Mothers and Daughters in Arab Women’s Literature: The Family Frontier (2011), and Fathers and Sons in the Arab Middle East (2013).
in Modern Arabic Literature (2001), Arab Women Writers: An Anthology of Short Stories (2005), Mothers and Daughters in Arab Women’s Literature: The Family Frontier (2011), and Fathers and Sons in the Arab Middle East (2013).
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 21, 2017
Many misconceptions about Jordan, the people, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Her description of the culture based on experience (short) in two remote villages is inaccurate and maybe prejudice at best. I seen this before where "westerners" in order to advance an agenda about the Arabs or Arab world choose a very discrete and small part to focus on. Also I was offended on her softly brushing the atrocities committed by Israel toward the "native" Palestinians and just have a dreamy wishing for them to live peacefully along side those who took their land and continue to expel and harass them. she herself was in the Israeli army, so she participated in some of these atrocities somehow. More offensive is her invitation for neighboring Arabs to combine their "petrol dollars" with Israeli technical know hows and advanced sciences, so all what the Arabs can provide is the "petrol" ...not much of a contribution!!
On top of that it was not a great literary book.
On top of that it was not a great literary book.
May 21, 2021
I find the peace corp fascinating, mainly for the culturally mythical spot it holds in American culture. Peace corp people are a very specific type of person, of which I am not one. And specifically because I do not hold the same belief’s as peace corp people makes me WANT to do it. I am a masochist like that. I like to do auto-ethnographic studies, what can I say?
Just like I find peace corp people fascinating, I found the reactions to this book fascinating. Goodreads had fewer reviews than Amazon, so it might not be obvious to everyone: but this book generates some vitriolic hatred amongst peace corp people.
Many of them “review” the book while also openly saying they have never read it or merely skimmed it. People’s main complaints are that this woman seems prissy and self centered. Personally, I agree the author does herself no favors in her portrayal of herself. She seems unlikeable. Some people say she barely had information or observations about Jordan or Jordanian people. That is true.
But this books isn’t actually about the author, or Jordan. Instead, it’s about how disorganized and dysfunctional the peace corp is, and how peace corp members who are unhappy are routinely silenced, abused, vilified, and shamed. This happens mainly because peace corp staff are usually “returnees” and to succeed in their jobs they must be “true believers” in the cause (a’la Eric Hoffer’s True Believers).
This book is a must-read for anyone considering the peace corp, or non-profit/charity work in general. Try not to distracted by the details: this book is about how the peace corp can and will fail you, could kill you through their failure, then pat themselves on the back for all the ways you helped poor people before you died.
Just like I find peace corp people fascinating, I found the reactions to this book fascinating. Goodreads had fewer reviews than Amazon, so it might not be obvious to everyone: but this book generates some vitriolic hatred amongst peace corp people.
Many of them “review” the book while also openly saying they have never read it or merely skimmed it. People’s main complaints are that this woman seems prissy and self centered. Personally, I agree the author does herself no favors in her portrayal of herself. She seems unlikeable. Some people say she barely had information or observations about Jordan or Jordanian people. That is true.
But this books isn’t actually about the author, or Jordan. Instead, it’s about how disorganized and dysfunctional the peace corp is, and how peace corp members who are unhappy are routinely silenced, abused, vilified, and shamed. This happens mainly because peace corp staff are usually “returnees” and to succeed in their jobs they must be “true believers” in the cause (a’la Eric Hoffer’s True Believers).
This book is a must-read for anyone considering the peace corp, or non-profit/charity work in general. Try not to distracted by the details: this book is about how the peace corp can and will fail you, could kill you through their failure, then pat themselves on the back for all the ways you helped poor people before you died.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews