Joel Chasnoff is twenty-four years old, an American, and the graduate of an Ivy League university. But when his career as a stand-up comic fails to get off the ground, Chasnoff decides it's time for a serious change of pace. Leaving behind his amenity-laden Brooklyn apartment for a plane ticket to Israel, Joel trades in the comforts of being a stereotypical American Jewish male for an Uzi, dog tags (with his name misspelled), and serious mental and physical abuse at the hands of the Israeli Army.

The Russian -- Hero of the Jews -- Mr. Bay City High School -- Fifty-eight soldiers in formation, one soldier guarding the bunk, and Clemente's taking a shit -- Aviva -- Our fathers -- Cub Scouts -- Buttons and snaps -- Cardboard Arabs -- Tim Bailey -- Glory -- Walking miracles -- Daniel and Bernard -- Captain Bad News -- Hard-core Jews -- The 188th Crybaby Brigade -- Sons -- The armored corps sing-along jamboree -- Funeral dreams -- The march for the black beret -- Beautiful children -- I! Love! Tanks! -- Fuck sheets -- Work makes free -- Spoiled American -- Snow -- Game over -- The gayest tank on Earth -- Starbucks of Lebanon -- Cat and mouse -- Three-peat -- House of mirrors -- The farm -- Hard-core Jews, part II -- Thirty-nine days -- The unluckiest dog in Lebanon -- Son of David -- Epilogue -- Appendix A: South Lebanon security zone recipes -- Appendix B: Glossary of Israeli military slang.