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Carmit Delman writes, "no matter where Jews have found themselves wandering, stopping, wandering again throughout history in the world, they have carried words with them. A Torah scroll. A holy book. Scribbled notes of commentary. Or, for lack of these, at least a few jagged memories of the words. Words, in some form or another, were depended upon to pass down tradition."
In celebration of Jewish History Month, Bookreporter takes a look at six of the most recent additions to the vast canon of Jewish literature.
SLOAN-KETTERING: Poems
(Poetry)
Abba Kovner
Schocken
ISBN: 0805241981
Even the title, SLOAN-KETTERING, evokes the sorrow, pain and finality that those who have entered the doors of Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York City know to reside there. The title of Kovner's last collection of poetry captures the emotions contained in the poems. Kovner was a patient at Sloan-Kettering being treated for throat cancer --- his vocal chords were eventually removed --- when he penned most of this collection. Short, powerful and economic of words, Kovner's poems tell of his stay at the hospital, his resultant voicelessness, his memories of both Israel and Europe and his love of family.
Abba Kovner's life was dramatic, to say the least. A hero of both the Jewish resistance during World War II and Israel's war for independence, he is cherished as a poet in Israel today. While his poems speak to this history and his Judaism, they transcend religion and culture and speak to common sufferings, strength of spirit and a love of life. And, despite the world events he experienced, the poems in this collection are more concerned with the quiet final moments in life: swinging between angry frustration and peaceful acceptance.
Beautiful, spiritual and moving, these poems are quickly read but lasting in their power. Neither depressing nor exactly uplifting, they are honest and dignified, intimate and unforgiving in detail. These are not really poems of cancer and death but poems on a life reflected on --- its victories both daily and monumental. A masterful contribution to, not only to Hebrew and Jewish literature, but, now in translation, to world literature.
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ABRAHAM: A JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF THREE FAITHS
(Non-Fiction)
Bruce Feiler
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0380977761
Timely and thought provoking, Bruce Feiler's ABRAHAM explores not only the person of Abraham but his role in the history, theology and contemporary thought in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. If Abraham is the heart of the three faiths, then, Feiler asserts, it is helpful and perhaps necessary to examine how his life and relationship to God is interpreted in each. This examination can illuminate the current religious, cultural and political situation of these religions and their relationships to each other. Feiler demonstrates just what he means by calling Abraham the heart of the Western religions, both historically and contemporarily, by travelling far and wide, and discussing Abraham with leaders and lay people of each tradition and perhaps most importantly, by honestly questioning all of them and the scriptures which are the tales of the life of Abraham. Feiler brings to life the emotion, the mystery, the contradictions and the faith which Abraham exemplifies.
Feiler divides the book into five sections, each dealing with a broad idea concerning Abraham and each examining how Judaism, Christianity and Islam understand this aspect of the story of Abraham. For example, "God of Abraham" explores Abraham's life according to scripture and scriptural interpretation. Feiler's conversations are with experts or with any thoughtful person he can strike up a conversation with, from rabbis to taxi drivers. These conversations are intimate and emotional, and, in the post 9/11 landscape, often uncomfortable. But it is this occasional discomfort that makes ABRAHAM so poignant. Feiler does not downplay or exaggerate the tensions that exist between the religions (and their often disparate understanding of Abraham is just one point of contention). However, it is the book's hopefulness that makes it so inspiring. Feiler is a realist balancing negatives and positives, but still an optimist in his belief in the human spirit and in faith to be an ultimately powerful force for the good. Feiler captures the spectrum of religiosity: deep intellectual conversations are balanced here with moments of quiet faith.
Feiler's ideas about Abraham are interesting, if not always profound, and they are easily understandable for those with little or no religious background. Full of broad political and cultural implications, history and good conversations, ABRAHAM is both well-written and well-timed. Without preaching or promoting any political agenda, the book provides opportunity for reflection on differences that seem insurmountable at times. As a comparative exercise, Feiler's work is fair and balanced. Recommended for those interested in religion, culture, history and world affairs, ABRAHAM is quite unique in its scope and readability. Yet, it is also a very personal tale of one man's spiritual journey delving further into the origins and meaning of his own religion. Feiler's journey, like the story of Abraham himself, has no clear beginning and no discernable end; it is an ongoing search for both commonality and personal and cultural identity.
• ABRAHAM Reading Group Guide
• AuthorsOneTheWeb.com Roundtable: Books That Changed After 9/11
• Reading Group Guide
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REKINDLING THE FLAME: How Jews Are Coming Back to Their Faith
(Non-Fiction)
Samuel Osherson
Harcourt
ISBN:0156027038
Although marketed as a book on religion, REKINDLING THE FLAME reads more like a self-help book. Intended for Jews who are unaffiliated or disaffected with traditional or institutional Judaism, it posits that there are many ways to find fulfillment and a sense of connection to Judaism. Osherson uses the stories of Jews who have drifted away from the Judaism of their youth only to drift back later in life ---the catalyst usually an aging or dying parent or the natural curiosity of their children. Osherson has compiled an emotional and creative guide for Jews interested in bringing a larger element of Judaism into their lives.
An assumption throughout the book (articulated repeatedly) is a "psychological resistance to being Jewish." This psychology is most likely not applicable to many Jews who are seeking ways to become more observant or more aware of Judaism's role in their lives. However, for those struggling with issues of guilt, bad childhood experiences, poor family relationships or even intermarriage this book offers many helpful insights and suggestions.
Osherson is the voice of the supportive friend, the trusted psychologist, gently guiding his readers. He first examines the above mentioned psychological resistance, and then attempts to move his readers past it by looking at several issues facing unaffiliated Jews as well as proposing creative and practical solutions. Drawing on personal experience, research and extensive dialogue with those willing to share, Osherson demonstrates how some Jews are seeking and finding new ways to approach Judaism and find comfort in its rituals, holidays and teachings.
Osherson's definition of Jews and Judaism is open and inclusive, which will find resonance with many concerned with conversion and interfaith issues. However, the assumption of negative Jewish childhood experiences as a force moving people away from the religion and culture is often heavy handed and won't apply or appeal to everyone. REKINDLING THE FLAME is inspiring in its optimism for the future of Judaism and creative in its solutions, promoting involvement in charitable and cultural activities as a means to connect without committing to a particular faith perspective. Those wrestling with their relationship to Judaism will find this an enriching read.
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A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE UNDER HEAVEN: The Jewish Life-Spiral as a Spiritual Path
(Non-Fiction/Religion)
Arthur Ocean Waskow and Phyllis Ocean Berman
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374277796
Another guide to exploring and embracing Judaism is Waskow and Berman's A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE UNDER HEAVEN. However, this perspective, like Samuel Osherson's open-minded and creative one, is quite different. Concerned with injecting vitality, meaning and gender equality into Jewish observance, Waskow and Berman, as pioneers of the Jewish Renewal movement, examine rituals and traditions of the Jewish life cycle. Husband and wife, the authors share the joys they have found in exploring ancient traditions and infusing them with contemporary values. Their attention to gender roles in Judaism is a prime example. This book is a great resource for those looking to re-examine the history and meaning of certain rituals and plan for life cycle events.
The book is arranged by times of life and addresses general issues presenting at that time and then offers specific suggestions for rituals, celebrations and observances. A TIME should be valuable for observant Jews wanting to explore innovative approaches to the life cycle and to Jews looking to re-connect with Judaism. Waskow and Berman's book is insightful, personal, moving and beautifully written. It should be a welcome addition to a Jewish library.
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BURNT BREAD AND CHUTNEY: Growing Up Between Cultures-A Memoir of an Indian Jewish Girl
(Memoir)
Carmit Delman
Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345445937
As much as it is about history, practice, faith and observances, Judaism is about individuals. In negotiating observance, belief and questions of tradition, a person occasionally wrestles with their place in the larger community. The rise of interfaith families has presented an interesting and emotional opportunity to explore Jewish identity. However, it is not only Jews of interfaith background who wrestle with issues of identity. As Carmit Delman illustrates in her memoir BURNT BREAD AND CHUTNEY: GROWING UP BETWEEN CULTURES-A MEMOIR OF AN INDIAN JEWISH GIRL, the spectrum of Jewish families, ethnicity's and customs itself presents opportunity to examine the issue of identity within the history and community of Judaism.
Delman is descended, on her mother's side, from the Bene Israel, a small and ancient community of Jews in India. The Bene Israel were for many generations isolated from the developments of rabbinic Judaism and thus their cultural expressions are unique and reflective of the larger Indian context. On her father's side, Delman's family are Eastern European Jews who fled to the west to escape persecution. Carmit Delman herself embodies both these distinct Jewish cultures but identifies most strongly with her Bene Israel side. She grew up in Ohio and New York, spending summers in Israel. And, as her subtitle suggests, she grew up often feeling pulled between two cultures, both Jewish.
BURNT BREAD AND CHUTNEY is just as much the story of the author's grandmother as it is a memoir. In paying tribute to her grandmother, Delman pays tribute to her Bene Israel heritage. Hannah, or Nana-bai as she is called by her granddaughter, is an interesting woman whose life story is worthy of the attention paid it in this book. Through the story of Nana-bai, and the relationship between her and the author, the reader is privy to both cultural and personal politics.
Delman's literary debut is rich in its breadth: covering history, identity issues, gender roles, responsibility to family and tradition and the politics of skin color. But, it is lacking in depth and would have been improved with some focus on a few of these issues, especially gender and skin color which seem the most crucial for the author and thus the most enthralling for the reader. Perhaps the youth of the author, especially given the genre of memoir, accounts for some of the lack of focus or cohesion in the book. More a collection of musing and personal tales, and despite its abrupt ending, BURNT BREAD AND CHUTNEY is still a recommendable book. It is an honest and well-written account of issues often ignored within the vast spectrum of Jewish cultures. Delman's is a promising voice.
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ONE PEOPLE, TWO WORLDS: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them
(Judaica/Religion)
Ammiel Hirsch and Yosef Reinman
Schocken
ISBN: 0805241914
There is an old saying, "two Jews, three opinions." That is to say that Judaism as a religion and as a distinct culture values discussion and intellectual exchange, even if at the cost of agreement. That exchange is often, traditionally and socially expressed in debate. For those unaccustomed to this style of learning and conversation, it can be intense to witness and it can seem rude or overly argumentative. The authors of ONE PEOPLE, TWO WORLDS may also seem overly rude or even mean-spirited towards one another. But, this book is, in fact, quite in line with traditional Jewish dialogue. For this book, two rabbis, one Reform rabbi, Ammiel Hirsch, and one Orthodox rabbi, Yosef Reinman, agreed to email each other for a little over a year to discuss and debate several issues of concern to Judaism today.
Both Hirsch and Reinman are knowledgeable and committed to strengthening the Jewish people and ensuring the future of the religion. However, each represents a different position, a different interpretation of Torah and thus their Judaism seems different, and, is in many ways. Looking closely at issues which are divisive in Judaism such as the role of women, acculturation, the Oral Torah and others, the rabbis used scriptural and Talmudic evidence and personal accounts to support their positions.
Sometimes they find grounds for agreement, but often they do not. The tone of the book is of heated debate and is occasionally accusatory and verging on personal attack. Their inability to agree on many fundamentals is frustrating. Yet, this book is an incredibly honest reflection of contemporary Judaism and its important cultural and religious issues. The respect these two men have for each other, though seldom explicitly expressed, is essential to keep in mind-without that respect, this exercise would have been impossible.
Of the books reviewed for this feature, ONE PEOPLE, TWO WORLDS is the most difficult to read and requires the most Jewish knowledge. Furthermore, it is no easy task to listen in on a debate without adding your own points and counterpoints. It is even more difficult when you are reading the debate, and thus so far removed from the debaters. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this book is the high degree of personal investment most anyone who reads it would have in the subject matter, making the book incredibly emotional and evocative. It is unlikely that those not either Jewish or well versed in the religion would find anything of interest in this book. But for those who it speaks to, it speaks loudly and with much intensity.
ONE PEOPLE, TWO WORLDS could have been titled "One People, Three Worlds," or even "One People, Four Worlds," as there is much diversity in contemporary Judaism. The book is a poignant and important contribution to the ongoing dialogue between the different Jewish "worlds." Hirsch and Reinman both particulately represent their point of view. In exploring the issues that divide them, they are really exploring what unites them: love of God, Israel and Torah, in all the many possible understandings of each.
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--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
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