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  • Out of Jordan

  • A Sabra in the Peace Corps Tells Her Story
  • Written by: Dalya Cohen-Mor
  • Narrated by: Judith West
  • Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
  • 3.0 out of 5 stars (1 rating)

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Out of Jordan

Written by: Dalya Cohen-Mor
Narrated by: Judith West
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Publisher's Summary

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 of 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 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 process: 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.

©2015 Dalya Cohen-Mor (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

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Oy vey

Tl;dr - Detailed account of nothing of substance by a self involved person with perpetual victim and people pleasing mentality who has a hard time speaking up for herself and makes a lot of assumptions of what others think.

As an Israeli born and raised Sabra, the author should really have had more presence of mind and smarts to expect the treatment she received and risk she exposed herself to in Jordan. She keeps putting it on the Peace Corps, how they shouldn’t have sent her there, how they should’ve known better, how she wanted to make a good impression so she didn’t speak up, how they didn’t protect her name properly. Seriously. As an adult, you could’ve known better. Such entitlement and moaning is throughout the book.

Someone who doesn’t have children, the author has the audacity to pass judgement repeatedly on small kids in the book, calling them spoiled brats, and judging their parents for not disciplining them better. Um.. excuse me? I don’t believe your doctorate in Arab studies qualifies you to make such judgements on people’s parenting choices. Especially in a third world country with limited access to child care. I thought it was amazing that women were able to have their children with them in their workplace. And if the kids misbehaved a bit - so be it. They are young and will learn better eventually.

I didn’t have very night hopes for this book but thought it would be an interesting account of something I know nothing about. It started out well enough, the drawn out application process and training was interesting. But then I started getting a feeling that the author is not that fun to be around. Her sisters and sister in law were not that interested in being close, she was continually mistreated by her fellow volunteers and supervisors, and she kept trying to please everyone by just pretending everything was fine and not saying anything, but obviously harbouring resentment. At some point I will Ben said out loud, as I was driving in my car, “Dalya, I don’t think it’s them, I think it’s you”.

The author is constantly pointing out how she is more special than everyone else, more experienced, better educated. I have a feeling that if we heard this story from the other side, we’d quickly find out that the background check was just an excuse to get her off the program for being a poor fit. And maybe it’s the Peace Corps’ fault for not figuring it out sooner, it’s possible.

Anyway, the book is sort of informative, although nothing Earth shattering. Maybe a bit of a cautionary tale to other idealistically inclined Americans, especially if Jewish descent, thinking they will be welcome with open arms in places they have no business being. Don’t be naive. Assess risks with your eyes open and don’t trust anyone else with your own safety and security.

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