To fully understand cookbooks and their origins, it is important to take a look at the historical influence behind them and why they were written in the first place. In the case of this cookbook, The Joy of Israel, it was published in the 1970s in Israel. During the time of the 1960s and 1970s, Israel was going through various changes in terms of demographic, economic, political and cultural transformations. This was connected to the war in Israel that ended in the late 1960s which allowed for Israel to triple in size and have a bigger. It was especially important as it not only brought in many areas with all sorts of people, but it allowed for a possible expansion in terms of diversification in lifestyles and food. This allowed for Israel to develop a more consumer-based approach when it came to food as well as experimenting with new cosmopolitan tastes which were reflected in their cookbooks and the foods on their plates. It was known to be the time in Israel where according to the Israeli historian Tom Segev, “it was the beginning of the Americanization of Israeli society and culture”. Moreover, cookbooks became an important and fundamental tool as it allowed for them to change the diets of the Jewish population.

Looking at another aspect of the rise of cookbooks in Israel during the 1970s came from the idea that it allowed for women to fulfill their role not only in the household, but in Israel. Cookbooks in Israel were published from the 1920s but grew in popularity from the 1950s to the 1970s. According to Rullo, it was part of the culture of the 20^th-century Jewish communities where women’s groups within congregations were looking for community building and believed it was an interesting and authentic idea to produce something that people wanted. Furthermore, cookbooks that were written during this period of time were not only based on the Zionist institutions or the diet they wanted to promote, but to the way they wanted women to contribute to their nation in their lives. This also meant that cookbooks were targeted for female audiences in order to properly instruct them on how to nurture their children, as well as learning to cook with local ingredients and introducing fresh vegetables in their diets as well as recipes. These cookbooks became an instrument to nationalize domestic space as well as to transform women to the agent of change that was happening in Israel at the time.

The 1970’s also adopted new food trends which set the path for different cuisines and cookbooks to be written. As dining became more popular in the 1970s, Israeli chef’s felt the need to create some of their own and this was known as the Israeli haute cuisine. They applied French techniques to iconic Israeli foods like oranges, avocados, and bananas. This new practice continued throughout Israel for years and inspired new recipes and dishes to be created. The peace treaty signed with Egypt in 1979 brought hope and optimism as well as economic changes which allowed for restaurants and writers to expand and put out new recipes. The 1970s and the years before it were very important and impactful for Israel as a nation as it built a new foundation for life and cooking. Women were able to find new ways to express their cooking and roles at the time. This allowed for cookbooks to pave their way throughout Israel and make their ways around the world.