Why I Write About Israel and Jackson Hole
(see my new article about a map marvel in Northern Israel)
In 2020 I established Lean Forward Publishing, my publishing imprint for writing about the people and history of Israel and the splendor of Jackson Hole because both contain strong, determined people who inspire me and remind us we can always do more than we think.
Israel is the fulfillment of the Zionist mission and a testament to the willpower and sacrifice of common people in extraordinary times. Jackson Hole reminds us of the beauty of nature, the joy of the wild, and life stripped of complications. Together, they teach us much about what is important and what we can accomplish.
My most recent book is Living in Heaven, Coping with Hell: Israel’s Northern Borders—Where Zionism Triumphed, the Kibbutz is Evolving, and the Pioneering Spirit Prevails. It chronicles how Jews settled Israel’s northern borders, illuminates the challenges they face, and 
explores why they remain despite the danger. There, along those borders, I found the soul of a nation. It is where I rediscovered the Israel I grew up loving, and an Israel that binds rather than divides.
David Leach, author of Chasing Utopia, the Future of the Kibbutz in a Divided Israel), wrote about the book:
Clifford Sobin seamlessly combines the big picture about the region’s history, politics, economics and culture with detailed profiles of individual Israelis who have built their homes and lives on the nation’s “periphery”. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the transformation of the legendary kibbutz movement, or about this often-misunderstood region of Israel in general.