As Figs in Autumn

A devastating loss turns into a quest for identity in this debut memoir of an American coming of age in the Israel Defense Forces.

On the verge of graduating from college, Ben Bastomski is sent reeling by the tragic death of his childhood friend and classmate Avi, the victim of a drunk driving accident. The shocking event forces Ben to question everything about the randomness and meaning of life for the first time.

In the fall of 2010, Ben begins his journey from student to sharpshooter when he flies to the Middle East and joins the Mahal, the Israel Defense Forces’ program for overseas Jewish volunteers. As his service takes him from the Negev Desert to the Occupied Territories and the Gazan border, he makes his home on a southern kibbutz where he is accepted as family. Ben’s military service and life in Israel will shape his future in ways that are still being realized.

As Figs in Autumn is one man’s account of a life-changing quest to find his true potential in the land of his heritage, where both body and soul are sustained by courage and community.