Friday News-Book Review: Children of the Ghetto: A Study of a Peculiar People

The Anglo-Jewish situation is depicted with extreme precision and accuracy in the novel, Children of the Ghetto: A Study of a Peculiar People, by Israel Zangwill. Being a second-generation Jew of Polish and Latvian heritage, he grew up the midst of the Anglo-Jewish economic and social scene in Victorian England. As both a child and an adult he lived in the Whitechapel Ghetto of London. Through life experiences, he was involved in the social situations portrayed in Children of the Ghetto, first published in 1892.

Petticoat Lane and surrounding streets in the area known as the Whitechapel Ghetto are given illumination that fills the reader’s senses. From the food stalls and carts, to the shops, clothes, and daily goings-on, Jewish life and its hardships take on new meaning through Zangwill’s exacting descriptions and vivid word-paintings. He leaves nothing unturned, and his descriptions resound with vivid clarity.

Food takes on new meaning, as the majority of the immigrant Jews live day to day in a hand to mouth situation. They have “fast days”, not associated with Jewish holidays. These are the days that they don’t have food to eat. They get free food three times a week, and try to make it through to the next handout by fasting. Life is harsh and difficult, and within the social stratum of it, the Jewish factors illuminate.

Esther Ansell is a young girl whose mother died. She is left to be a surrogate mother to her siblings, and is still a child, herself. She is confronted with all of the challenges of raising children, including feeding them and clothing them. She is an avid reader, loves books, and has goals of becoming a writer. Her father is constantly studying Torah, and when he isn’t doing that he is praying. He does try to earn an income, but never seems to entirely succeed. This reinforces the family’s strife and keeps them in a constant state of poverty.

Raphael Leon is a man torn between two worlds, the ever-changing societal politics and economics, and the traditions of old. Character after character take on the burdens of the past in their attempt to move forward. Some characters manage to unload the baggage, others are caught in the folds of tradition, and can not let go. Retaining strong traditions within a modern environment is difficult for some, less difficult for others. Within the movement of secularism, many Jews practiced their traditions behind closed doors, illuminating a sign of the times externally.

The younger generation, born inside the Ghetto, find themselves in a disparate situation. They go to school, the Jews Free School, established for children of penniless Jewish immigrants. Their primary language is English, and they have adapted to secular standards. This generation of Jews is in transition between the traditions and mores of their Ashkenazi and Sephardi parents and grandparents, and between the modern society of their time period. They are in a quandary of sorts.

The forces of the old homeland and its traditions versus the modern day society are sharp and concise, and the reader is taken back to an era in transition. It is a time when the Orthodox Jews of the “old country” find it difficult to assimilate into modern English society. Yiddish is the language they speak, and their children speak English outside the house, but speak Yiddish inside. Even at that, some of the children are reluctant to continue speaking it, even inside the house. They are Anglo-Jews, and they are the individuals who will mold future generations of English Jews.

Many of the characters portrayed are in double-bind between the past and here and now. Hannah Jacobs, for instance, has a chance at love and marriage. Due to a legality that dates back to the existence of the Jerusalem Temple, she is not able to marry the man of her choice, David Brandon. Her father, Rabbi Shemuel, is insistent on that factor. Hannah and David dismiss that theory and plan to meet, run off, elope and marry in a civil ceremony.

Sam Levine believes in “muscular Judaism,” a movement that encourages both mental and physical strength in order to foster efforts to achieve a Zionist national state. Within his beliefs lies his parental roots, that never let him forget where he came from. Jewish transition and the Jewish homeland, although his goal, is restricted at times due to his ancestry.

Within the streets live a varied blend of Jews, and some with differing traditions and life styles. Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews and their customs and religious practices differed. Along with that, their common denominator, Judaism, did not necessarily bring them together in a harmonious way. The Orthodoxy and the Heterodoxy are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Some Jews felt superior to others, and some exhibited charitable tendencies to the less fortunate Jews in order to gain status within the Jewish community and within English society.

Zangwill’s historical novel is an intense read, yet one that exhibits humor within the pages. Jewish humor is like no other, and through euphemisms filled with humor, and through humorous moments during gatherings, the Jews often get through their days, days of a life of hardship. Zangwill is forthright in his descriptions, describing every minute particle of Jewish life. His portrayal of the Ghetto streets, Ghetto homes, Ghetto life, Ghetto amusements, Ghetto Jews, and Jewish traditions is masterful. His own upbringing gave him the foundation to write the novel, and he filled the pages with brilliant scenarios, taken straight from his own background.

Children of the Ghetto: A Study of a Peculiar People is an incredible read. I felt the characters were realized, and found them to be credible. The novel is filled with societal, economic and political mutation. The comparison of “then and now” is astounding. The reader is taken to the heights of a changing Jewish England, a changing London, and a society fluctuating in constant transformation and metamorphosis. I gained so much from this historical novel, from the social journeys and searches, to the scenarios of the time period, it was as if I was physically there. I was infused with Victorian London in every aspect, due to Israel Zangwill’s mastery with his stunning prose.

June 14, 2013 – 6 Tamuz, 5773

© Copyright 2007 – 2013 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.

Lorri M. Book Review: Bearing the Body

Bearing the Body, by Ehud Havazelet, is an intense look at family dynamics and the after-effects of the Holocaust in relation to the silence of the survivors, survivors trying to quietly assimilate in a new environment. Often times the events of the past are so horrific and traumatic, that they are difficult for one to bear. Havazelet has an deep comprehension of this.

Dysfunction reigns, and rains, heavily, through the clouds of family dynamics. Silence resounds loudly, echoing fragments of the past, of the Holocaust. Assimilation and trying to forget one’s past affects the children of survivors, in more ways than one can imagine. This novel depicts that dilemma. It is a story of survivors passing their burdens to the next generation to bear, within their bodies, both emotionally and mentally, not to mention the physical consequences of that decision. Secrets are kept, yet those very secrets are what has caused family rift, family anger, family emotional separation and lack of unity.

Sol, the father, is a Holocaust survivor, and a man who is silently carrying the burdens of the past. Due to his silence he is subject to strange behavior. Daniel, the eldest son, has unexpectedly died. Nathan, the youngest son, is a boy in a man’s body. Nathan is stuck in time, and can’t seem to evolve from his childhood. He has hang-ups, including use of marijuana, alcohol, and has sexually obsessive issues. He is a womanizer, and his life revolves around his sexual urges and impulses, and his desire for immediate gratification, no matter the cost. One despicable act, in the first few pages of the book, cost him his relationship with his girlfriend. He doesn’t seem to get the reasoning, though, and keeps phoning her to try to win her back. He is in denial, and won’t face the truth of the situation, and the resulting consequences of his actions.

Sol writes to strangers, family members of those murdered in the Holocaust, in order to express to them some form of sympathy and condolence. Yet, he bore the burden of silence, choosing not to reveal to his sons the facts of his surviving the Holocaust. He keeps a constant foot in his old world, while simultaneously keeping his other foot rooted in Queens. He is a man constricted and restricted, emotionally and verbally. He is unable to tell his sons that he loves them, much to the chagrin of his wife. His silence has kept him from moving forward, causing disharmony within the family unit.

Sol and Nathan have traveled to San Francisco to find out what caused Daniel’s death. While there, Sol becomes hospitalized. Nathan resorts to alcohol, denying and pushing his father’s illness to the background of his mind. Sol eventually leaves the hospital, alone, due to Nathan’s drinking binge.

During one scene in the novel, Sol carries Daniel’s ashes up the steep and hilly streets of San Francisco. Bearing the body of his son, bearing the bodies of his family members who were Holocaust victims, bearing the bodies of so many souls, bearing his own body with its aging medical problems, bearing the burden of loss, bearing the lack of verbalizing his love for his sons. So much to bear in one human body.

There are no right answers to the questions that the Havazelet’s writing evokes. He writes with sensitivity, ever aware of the frailty of humans, ever conscious of the Holocaust and of the repercussions and consequences of the survivors’ choices. Havazelet has written a novel of family dynamics, a sobering and serious-toned novel, and one not to be taken lightly. Many readers might not like the tone, like the realistic portrayal of a family on the verge of disassociation, not only from each other, but from life in general. It is a difficult story to become involved in, and the content might be misconstrued by some readers. It is a dreary book, a book that is burdensome. In my opinion, that is what Havazelet is trying to convey…the burdens of the body, carried by not only Holocaust survivors, but the generations to follow. History has colored the lenses and emotions of the Nathan and his brother, filtered by the lack of communication from the parents. Havazelet dramatically makes the reader aware that the cycle continues, and will continue, unless it is somehow broken.

Havazelet is definite in the fact that one should not be silent. Yet he isn’t judging those who are. He is aware of man’s faults, and of man’s weaknesses, and it is apparent in his writing. He is emphasizing that one must bear witness, because it is extremely necessary for family members to realize their familial history. It is necessary for them to try to come to terms with the past, in order for them to move forward. Grandparents and parents must find a way to tell their grandchildren and children about the Holocaust. Their experiences must be carried down through the generations. Their stories shouldn’t be left in the caves within the mind and soul to fester, causing unhealthy and extreme emotional outlets. In my opinion, that is Ahud Havazelet’s message, and he delivers it through intense word images, and through masterful writing, in the pages of Bearing the Body.

May 2, 2013 – 22 Iyyar, 5773

All rights reserved © Copyright 2007 – 2013 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.

Lorri M. Book Review: In Case We’re Separated

In Case We’re Separated: Connected Stories, by Alice Mattison, gives the reader thirteen stories that delve into family dynamics. From immediate family members to extended family members the book is relayed in stanzas.

Each person within the familial realm is depicted and connected through specifics. That these specifics are basically ordinary can be deceiving to the reader. From decade to decade they carry these with them. The fact the characters are all Jewish immigrants connects them, but that is the primary connection that the reader can readily identify. There is more to their bonding, their caring for each other, than the eye can see.

Bobbie Kaplowitz along with her parents, sisters, and other family members demonstrate the emotional roller coaster within the family unit. Logic does not necessarily work within the infrastructure, and her sisters, Sylvia and Fanny are prime examples of that, along with the other members of the clan. Time and place might lead them in different directions, but in the end, they depend on each other, no matter what dire situations arise.

One feature that had me a bit frustrated was the fact that the stories bounce back and forth, and are not in chronological order. That said, I feel it worked within the pages of In Case We’re Separated: Connected Stories. The movement back, and then forward, through the decades demonstrates family individuals and their floundering moments, and represents life itself. Problems exist, often without a solution. Family units are often in a state of disconnection, upheaval and dysfunction.

Familial dynamics are not set in concrete, and neither is life. Emotions and thoughts run the gamut from one day to the next. Events, communications and connections take us from one extreme to another, often spanning several years. Yet, within the framework of time and separation, self-identity and acceptance of each other creates bonds that can not be broken.

In my opinion, that is the point of the thirteen stories contained in Alice Mattison’s book, In Case We’re Separated: Connected Stories.

Lorri M. Review: Bread Givers

Bread Givers, by Anzia Yezierska is a compelling book, not only in its vivid descriptions of life in Manhattan during the 1910s-1920s, but also its look into an Orthodox Jewish family, and its standards. It is a coming of age story, of the youngest of three children.

The familial patriarch is Rabbi Smolinksy, and his wife is Shenah, who is in awe of him, despite her nagging manner. His interactions, decisions and doctrine influence his daughters, Fania, Bessie, Mashah, and Sara in ways that mold their lives, in a negative manner. The three older daughters go along with his dogmatic and fanatical whims and attitude. His manipulations, rants and raves eventually cause them to give in to his dictates. The youngest daughter, Sara, learns at the age of ten, about the family dynamics, and how each daughter was expected to turn over their entire income to support the family. She learns what she wants early in life, due to her father’s looming presence and demands. She is very strong-willed. Family life is seen through her eyes, and they are the eyes of a three-dimensional person, a person of substance and depth.

She begins to sell herring at the age of ten in order to help support the family. In the back of her mind she is determined to be independent, and not to be lead through life by her father’s decisions. His decisions are often determined due to the fact that he does not want to even partially try to assimilate into American life. Rabbi Smolinsky is ignorant in the area of business dealings, and the dealings of life in general. He is bound by Eastern European tradition, and religious tradition, which he enforces with his harsh vocalizations. No man is good enough for his older daughters, despite the fact that they want to marry particular individuals. He finds fault with all of them, and he ends up choosing who they marry, and they do not live happily ever after. His determinations and final edicts are not necessarily positive ones for his daughters, but somehow decisions that gain him some monetary dowry or enhancement.

Rabbi Smolinsky lives by the text of the Talmud, in every aspect (Don’t get me wrong, I believe the Talmud is an essential aspect of Judaism). In fact the Talmud is quoted through much of the book to justify why he acts the way he does. He uses religion to enhance his decisions, and is fanatical about vocalizing the teachings, to the extent that hourly and daily life is disrupted. He is a tyrant, a bully, a man of many words, words that are emotionally disgruntling. He hangs on tightly to every thread of his Eastern Europe culture and life style, unable and unwilling to adjust to change. While his wife and four daughters struggle to earn money to survive with the basics, he deals with his studies, unaware of the reality of life. They beg him to work, even part time, he refuses, and goes back to his studies, even if it means they go hungry. He is a pampered individual, and his every desire is what rules the family. He is not a responsible person, and his family suffers greatly. I found him to be pathetic, in the way he used and manipulated his daughters for his own benefit.

Sara, meanwhile, has decided she will not succumb to her father’s domination, and his demands. She will not let him marry her off to someone she doesn’t love. She leaves home at the age of 17, finds a dark room to rent, works, saves money, and puts herself through college. She is a woman of strength and determination, which is what allows her to reach her goals. She has an identity, at a young age, and is discontent with the way the females of the family are treated. Yet, with her independence, she is often bound to her familial ties. Love hate relationships were strong within the pages.

Yezierska is brilliant in her writing, strong in her ability to depict tradition and assimilation into the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Tradition and modern America do not blend together in a positive fashion, in this novel. Sara is not the ideal of the Rabbi’s daughter.

Yezierska weaves a story that incorporates struggles, both emotional and mental, within the pages. Women are considered to be less than life, to be used, manipulated and abused for the gain of the family patriarch. Female identity and immigrant assimilation are major forces that Yezierska evokes within the pages. The conflicts are vividly written, and the reader feels the emotions behind the words. It is a gripping look into the early twentieth century, and Jewish life within the confines of immigration and steadfast ideals.

Anzia Yezierska’s Bread Givers is a masterpiece, and an inspiring one at that. Sara literally works her way through high school, and learns to speak correct English. Yezierska brings honor, determination and strength to Sara, and shows how through all of Sara’s sacrifices, she was able to reach her dream. She rose from poverty to a position of respect, and did it on her own. She was able to conquer her fears and accomplish her goals.

The masterful writing of Anzia Yezierska has given us an inspiring character to admire. The book has much historical value, giving the reader a perspective on the Jewish immigrant experience, and bringing the reader insight into the life of Jewish individuals trying to assimilate. The past is ever present, no matter how hard we try to leave it behind. One world was trying to compete with another, and not always successfully, as culture clashes were abundant.

I highly recommend Bread Givers. It is an extremely illuminating novel, on many levels.

February 21, 2013 – 11 Adar, 5773

All rights reserved © Copyright 2007 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.