Lorri M. Book Review: And You Shall Tell Your Children

And You Shall Tell Your Children: A Chronicle of Survival, by Dr. Ida Akerman-Tieder, is an inspirational book that sets the tone for living life positively.

As a psychoanalyst, Akerman-Tieder depicts the events in her life, especially those that took place during the Holocaust when her parents were murdered, with an attitude of hope for the future.

And You Shall Tell Your Children is filled with vivid word-imagery, paintings so strong that the reader’s senses are wrapped within them. Akerman-Tieder’s vivid thoughts and lessons on how to live life to its fullest is demonstrated by her own examples, both familial and personal.

Judaism played a major role in her family life as she was growing up. Traditions, holidays, celebrations, prayer, and everything that encompasses a strong Jewish life was of the utmost importance within the family unit.

I found the psychological aspects of the book to be very revealing. Guilt was often a predominant issue, especially when her parents were murdered. Her relationship with her father was a strong one. His opinions mattered and he reinforced the importance of Jewish education as being a tool for inner strength and avenues of escape from antisemitism and the injustices of persecution.

And You Shall Tell Your Children: A Chronicle of Survival is an incredible book on many levels. It is a compelling psychological study of human behavior at its worst. It is a study of behavior at its best and most positive, resulting from horrific wounds inflicted upon one family. The fact that she is able to relate her experiences with such a positive force is a testament to her family and how they raised her. It is a testament to her own undeniable, genuine attitude, an attitude that has inspired and helped others to overcome their fears and be able to move forward.

The lessons she evokes within the pages is powerful and offers guidance to others. I enjoyed reading some of Akerman-Tieder’s poetry throughout the book. It is forceful and filled with positivity.

And You Shall Tell Your Children: A Chronicle of Survival, by Dr. Ida Akerman-Tieder is a book I highly recommend.

March 21, 2013 – 10 Nisan, 5773

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Lorri M. Review: The Rarest Blue

Have you ever wondered how “Tekhelet” is created, or where it originated? Do you know the meaning of Tekhelet? Baruch Sterman, with Judy Taubes Sterman, have brilliantly written about “Tekhelet”, or Tyrian Blue in their book, The Rarest Blue: The Remarkable Story of an Ancient Color Lost to History and Rediscovered..

The story takes the reader on a journey, not only through time, but through thousands of miles, literally trekkiing to find sources of a particular snail, the murex snails. These snails are the foundation for the dyeing process that produces the particular Tyrian Blue color.

Think about it, where in nature do you normally find a blue color? The sky, certain seas or lakes take on a blue tone, and even a few flowers have blue tones to them, but it is not normally found in nature, never mind the particular Tyrian Blue used in Tekhelet. It was also used in the High Priest garments and in the Tabernacle’s tapestries, and a few other items. Blue, surprisingly, is not normally a color found in nature’s environments.

I enjoyed reading about the adventure that was undertaken in order to find the murex snails and in order to find documentation of the dyeing process. It was fascinating to read. It was also inspiring on several levels. For me, it was especially intriguing and inspiring concerning the precious Tzitzit threads, the knotted fringes that are attached to the corners of the Tallit/Jewish prayer shawl, and how Tekhelet, the biblical blue dye, is created and used in the shawls.

The authors are brilliant in their descriptions, and the word-paintings within the pages are masterfully depicted. Other than the scientific and the technical inclusions, I found the pages infused with beautiful prose, almost poetic at times. The scientific blends perfectly with the religious within the story line and the historical factors. Torah and science coexist on this adventure through time and place.

The biblical references that were mentioned reinforced the ancient use of Tekhelet, but also conveyed the deep-rooted Jewish tradition of using the color that was considered to be sacred.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Rarest Blue: The Remarkable Discovery of an Ancient Color Lost to History and Rediscovered. I learned so much about Tekhelet, and the historical factors that went into producing it centuries and centuries ago. I will look at my Tallit with more profoundness, and will never take Tyran Blue for granted.

Bravo to Baruch Sterman and Judy Taubes Sterman for their extreme endeavors and devotion to uncover the mystery of the ancient knowledge of Tekhelet.

March 18, 2013 – 7 Nisan, 5773

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Lorri M. Book Review: Nehama Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar

Nehama Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar, by Yael Unterman, is an extremely well-documented book encompassing the varied facets of the life of Nehama Leibowitz.

She was in the forefront of women Torah teachers, and influenced not only Jewish individuals worldwide, but also those who were not Jewish. People flocked to her, and could not get enough of her teachings. Whoever wanted to learn was given the opportunity to learn. In her eyes, everyone was equal.

From the cab drivers to the janitors to Rabbis and corporate heads, Nehama endeavored to instill her scholarship to all who wanted it, through her highly popular and unique teaching methods. Her gilyonot/worksheets were the foundation of learning for thousands of individuals. She mailed them out to those who requested them. In turn, they were mailed back to her, and she would review them and return them with comments and/or corrections. Students couldn’t get enough of those gilyonot, and their popularity rose from word-of-mouth throughout the world. Her Bible courses and Torah Portion teaching methods made her famous worldwide.

Nehama became an icon of sorts, and did not like being labeled as such. But, labeled she was, and Unterman details her dedication and work through extreme detail, encompassing correspondence, documents, photographs, interviews with students and her peers, friends and family, and analysis of her environment.

Nehama was extremely intelligent, forthright, had a strong work ethic, and was dedicated to the study of Torah. This dedication not only applied to her students and others interested in Torah, but also encompassed her own ideals and dedication. Her devotion also applied to Israel, itself. She believed in the state of Israel, believed in its contributions and roles to the Jewish community as a whole.

Although she was asked to lecture and teach in universities outside of Israel, she refused every invitation. The only time she traveled outside of Israel, was when she emigrated to Israel. Israel was her home, and she saw no need to travel outside of its borders.

Nehama was a very opinionated person, and her beliefs were strong as far as taking responsibility for actions, and taking responsibility for humanity. She evokes these ideals throughout her teachings, and lends credence to them through Torah study.

She held classes in her home often, and students were in disbelief when first entering her house. It was sparse, and furniture was old and worn. This was the world she thrived in, and simplicity was everywhere within her home. She didn’t have need for material things, and her furniture was used until it literally fell apart. The same went for her clothes.

One thing I learned from this incredible book is the fact that Nehama was married. She never had to change her surname, because she married her uncle, Yedidya Lipman Leibowitz. He was old enough to be her father. They had a wonderful relationship and marriage. Each adored the other, and their adoration was apparent to others. They shared much in common, and their values and ideals were synonymous. When he died, a part of her died, also. She threw herself into her work more than she had already done (which had already taken up the majority of her daily time).

Nehama became a world-recognized Jewish force. Her personality grasped individuals in a positive manner. She was a force like no other, when it came to Torah. Her adamancy regarding issues captivated her peers and her students, alike. She was a respected scholar during a time period when men were the more highly regarded scholars.

Unterman depicts almost every facet of Nehama’s life, including teaching, her methodology, opinions, feminism, approaches to learning, Jewish identity and Zionism, and so much more. Throughout the pages, the reader not only recognizes the fact that Nehama was a scholar, but also is shown the perspective of a woman of humility and simplicity. Despite her often authoritative manners, underneath the voice was a humble woman.

I could not put the book down. The story, itself, is almost 600 pages long, and I read it at every given opportunity. For me, it was not a tedious read, but a book I wanted to read. There is so much to learn within the pages, not only about Nehama, but about Jewish life, the Jewish religion, Torah, Jewish education and the Jewish community as a whole. It is a fascinating book on many levels.

I totally enjoyed reading Nehama Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar. In my opinion, it is a brilliant masterpiece. Yael Unterman’s own devotion to depicting Nehama with extreme accuracy is evident within the pages. The book is a masterful testament to her, and honors her with dignity through exemplary writing. I applaud Yael Unterman! I highly recommend Nehama Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar to everyone.

March 11, 2013 – 29 Adar I, 5773

Lorri M. Book Review: The Tin Horse

The Tin Horse, by Janice Steinberg, Is a book that involves two sisters and their interactions, beginning with their childhood in the Jewish neighborhood of Boyle Heights, CA, during the 1920s-1930s.

Elaine Greenstein relives that childhood, with its secrets, flaws and truths, after coming across a piece of paper in a box of her deceased mother’s belongings. The paper has only an address on it. Is it the last known address of her twin sister Barbara, who ran away from their home, sixty-years earlier?

The address not only sparks the need to search for the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her sister, but it also evokes memories of times past. Elaine begins tracing her immigrant family ancestry, and finds several surprises within her research.

The need for assimilation is often cause for ambition and for attributes that are forced upon us by societal mores and perspectives. Barbara, although Elaine’s twin, has different ideals and desires than Elaine. They are radically different goals. The Hollywood dream and all of its glamor and dazzle has gripped and enticed her.

Elaine, on the other hand, is more conservative, and doesn’t give in to the world of actors and actresses, and all that is involved within that realm. She is studious and has goals of going to college and becoming a lawyer. And, she did fulfill those goals.

The Tin Horse is filled with individuals who are genetically bound, yet often feel as if they are not a part of the whole. Assimilation takes its toll on the Greenstein family. Old customs don’t often blend with the new. Emotional baggage follows the family from their homeland to their new surroundings. Jewishness and its encompassing traditions are held together with barely any forcefulness, by the slight of few individuals. Family divisions end up in loss, yet also the yearning and love for answers is an ever present aspect of the story. Redemption can be had.

Assimilation is at the forefront of the novel. Along with that, Family dynamics family dynamics plays an important role, as the sisters’ lives are experienced differently within the Jewish family unit, and within the Boyle Heights environment. Along with familial interactions, the reader is taken to a time period that is somewhat tumultuous. The Jewish, Russian, Japanese, and Mexican immigrants were competing with native-born citizens in every arena of life. Decent paying jobs are difficult to come by.

I applaud Steinberg for her dedication to researching the time period. Her results are vividly depicted within the pages. The reader has their senses filled with the aromas of the delis, the clothes of the time, the household interiors, the city life with cultural mores and cultural differences. Daily life interactions, both inside the house and the external activities are portrayed with vibrant word-images. The reader can replay, in their mind, the settings with full details due to Steinberg’s masterful writing. I thought the historical aspect of The Tin Horse was well depicted. The Tin Horse, by Janice Steinberg, is almost like taking a trip back in time, a travelogue presented to us in full.

I highly recommend The Tin Horse, by Janice Steinberg, to everyone.

Lorri M. Book Review: Torah Conversations with Nechama Leibowitz

From the first page to the last page, I was totally fascinated with Nechama Leibowitz’s profound perspectives in Benjamin S. Yasgur’s book, “Torah Conversations with Nechama Leibowitz“.

Within some of the basic and well-known passages from the Bible, Leibowitz demonstrates, through her intimate viewpoints a more clear understanding of Torah. Her opinions motivate the reader to constantly question in order to seek possibilities and/or answers.

Her underlying ideals are apparent throughout the pages. Leibowitz was an extremely religious person, and one whose foundation was steeped in ethical and moral responsibility. Torah study was supreme in her life, and she believed it was the path to understanding and illumination of humanity, encompassing the satisfaction and rewards of learning.

From thoughts on Moses, Eliezer, Isaac, Esau, Jacob, Rebecca, and more, her teachings reveal a woman whose life was steeped in reflections regarding the Bible’s characters, including their human flaws, and their strengths. Idolizing these individuals was not in Leibowitz’s scheme of things, because each one of them had their own shortcomings.

Leibowitz’s own thoughts on Rebecca reveal that Leibowitz felt that she was a woman who eventually commanded Jacob to protect himself, stated firmly, as his mother, and spoken as a woman deserving parental respect.

I inhaled all of the questions, answers, thoughts and feelings within the pages of Torah Conversations with Nechama Leibowitz, by Benjamin S. Yasugr. I found it to be compelling, profound and filled with insight and filled with educational importance. It gave me a more in-depth understanding of the biblical individuals she encompassed within the conversations through telephone calls, correspondence exchanged, and visits undertaken by Benjamin S. Yasgur. The journey throughout the pages was enlightening and inspiring. I know I will refer to it often.

I highly recommend this thought-provoking book to everyone.

I thought this a fitting book review to coincide with Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom to everyone!

February 8, 2013 – 28 Sh’vat, 5773

Book Review: By Blood: A Novel

By Blood: A Novel, by Ellen Ullman is a novel that is filled with a unique perspective, as far as the narrator, who is one of the main characters, is concerned.

The narrator is a voyeur of sorts, not in the sense of being a visual “peeping Tom” type, but in the aspect of listening to a patient and her therapist from behind the wall of his office. The wall is on the other side of the shared wall in the therapist’s office. The narrator came upon the fact that he could hear their conversations when the therapist turned off the sound machine, because the patient was distracted by it. Both patient and therapist have no idea he is listening.

He ends up becoming obsessed with the patient and her story. She is adopted and wants to learn about her birth parents. She feels disconnected from her adopted family, and disconnected from life, and she thinks this might help her to feel more grounded. Her desire to know the foundations of her birth is strong, and she hopes it will bring her some answers and also some resemblance to another person. She is feeling the fact that she doesn’t look like anyone she knows.

The story takes place during the 1970s, in San Francisco. It is a time of protests, government scorn, and lifestyle issues. The patient (the second main character) is going through an identity crisis, ancestral, genetically, and lifestyle based (she is a lesbian). She is aware that she was born in Germany, and aware that the war and postwar had their affects on her being given up for adoption. She was finally able to find out where she was born and that she was given up through questioning her adoptive mother. She was brought to a Catholic organization in America, and from there given over to her grandfather, who adopted her. From there, she eventually was adopted by his own son, and we learn the reasons why.

The narrator, hearing her story becomes intensely fascinated with it, and becomes obsessed with the urge to find her birth mother. He has his own set of issues, emotional and mental ones, therefore the obsession. Some of his issues also deal with genetics.. He ends up finding out the information, piece by piece, and with each new fact, he assumes an alias and sends the information to the patient.
The story takes many twists and turns, and the mystery is solved. The patient eventually meets her birth mother and is told the facts of her birth. She also meets another family member and notices the resemblance between the two of them immediately. She feels a connection, one that she has never felt before.

The patient relays everything to the therapist through their sessions, and the narrator hears everything said in each session. Suffice it to say, that the sessions are therapeutic for the three of them: the narrator, the patient and the therapist.
I will not detail any more of the story line because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. The premise is an interesting one, and the details within the pages are extremely vivid, with strong imagery. There is much to ponder, such as nature versus nurture. Where does our foundation actually come from? Does our DNA, our genetic composition, play a significant part in our personality? Does our family environment count for the person we become?

Ullman writes with a unique voice, and one that generates masterful prose, prose often sounding a bit out of sync with today’s expressions and writings. For me, that was due to the time period, and the fact that it was post World War II. I didn’t find it unusual to hear some antiquated sounding prose, or prose that sounded a bit too cultured at times.

I do recommend By Blood: A Novel, written by Ellen Ullman, and feel the uniqueness of the story is important in the context of Jewish identity, World War II, familial connections, nature versus nurture, and self-identity.

On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest, I rate it 3.5.