The goals and challenges that face the people of Israel are vividly illustrated by the country's many folk stories. Here Haya Bar-Itzhak presents these tales-gathered from the early settlers of the kibbutz, from immigrants who arrived in Israel after independence, and from ethnic groups-to create a panoramic view of a fascinatingly complex society.

Creating stories set in the past, even the recent past, is a way for societies to express their problems, adversities, yearnings, and hopes. Bar-Itzhak finds this true among inhabitants of the kibbutz, who find their society at a...