At age 26, Sarah Glidden never thought of herself as someone who would do a Birthright trip.
The program that sponsors first visits to Israel for young adults “was something I’d avoided for much of my life because I had always figured, it’s a free trip — there’s got to be a catch,” says Glidden, now 31. “I thought it would be propagandist, one-sided.”
Five years later, the Brooklyn-based artist and writer who created the graphic novel “How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less” is so glad she decided to make the journey. The Peninsula JCC art gallery this week opened an exhibit of her work, and Glidden will speak there on Nov. 9.
“One of the most surprising things for me was how normal so much of the country really is,” says Glidden. “When you’re looking at Israel as a conflict zone in the framework of the news, you don’t see normal life, the day-to-day grind that people go through.”
A progressive Jew who had long been critical of Israel’s policies in the territories, Glidden recalls arguing with her mother, who had lived and worked on a kibbutz as a young woman, about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“My mom just said, ‘Why don’t you go there and actually see it before you decide you know everything?’ ” says Glidden, a Massachusetts native. A few months later, with a close girlfriend and a notebook in tow, the artist arrived in Israel with Birthright, determined to get at “the truth” about the country and the conflict.
The result is an earnest, relatable and often funny chronicle of Glidden’s 2007 visit, a search for answers in a place where, she soon discovered, each new encounter only led to more questions. (The book’s title is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the complexity of the nation’s history, culture and divisions.)
She tours cities, deserts and contested borders and meets Israelis and Palestinians of every political and religious stripe, seeking to reconcile the realities of the Jewish state with her American Jewish identity. Vibrant watercolor illustrations, which Glidden based on her photographs, bring her experiences vividly to life.
The artist’s rich imagination is evident in scenes that incorporate characters from both her childhood and Israel’s past. The ghosts of her deceased younger brother and David Ben-Gurion appear at times, accompanying Glidden and offering commentary that adds depth to her quickly broadening worldview.
Inspired by the work of artists such as Art Spiegelman — whose award-winning graphic novel “Maus” tells the story of the Holocaust — Glidden was relatively new to drawing comics when she went on the trip, though she’d known from a young age that she wanted to be an artist.
In school she studied painting, then tried her hand at photography, graphic design and other mediums before realizing that comics “just fit.” She says comics can be a powerful, intimate medium for discussing complex topics like political conflict.
“I think text can kind of mechanically separate a reader from an author,” she says. “But when you’re looking at a drawing, you’re really seeing the hand of the person who was there, you can see the humanity in it. That makes it a lot more personal.”
Glidden says the response from the American Jewish community has been surprisingly positive.
“I was actually afraid [of the response], because I’d grown up with the understanding that if you criticize Israel, or talk about questions you have, you’d be called a self-hating Jew, or worse. That seemed to be the environment for a while,” she says.
“But I think with my generation coming up, with things like J Street forming, we’re demanding a bigger space for our voice. I’m hearing more people saying, ‘I’m Jewish, and I want Israel to be a great place. I’m disturbed by some of the things it does, and I want it to be better than that.’ ”
In the five years since her Birthright trip, Glidden has gained recognition for the thoughtful way she approaches the conflict, with regular contributions to the U.K.-based Jewish Quarterly, among other publications.
She’s also been visiting Hillels and Jewish community centers to discuss her book and says she’s been impressed by audiences’ willingness to hear different viewpoints.
“I’ve been many places where people might not necessarily agree with my point of view, but they’re not shutting down the dialogue,” Glidden says. “That makes me really proud, to be part of a Jewish community where people are always eager to engage in the conversation.”
Sarah Glidden will talk about “How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less” Nov. 9 at the Peninsula JCC, 800 Foster City Blvd., Foster City. Free. (650) 378-2751.