Once upon a time, when I used to travel often to London for various reasons, someone told me a story about how he - with a Chassidish background - ended up on a shidduch with a divorced Yemeni woman and although he was tempted to advance with the match, his family was completely against, although until now he is still single. The reason was mostly the ´different background´ which sometimes easily translated as a nuanced refuse to accept someone of a more ´Mizrahi/Oriental´ in the family. I don´t want to develop too much, but often such reasons do not lack racist considerations and unfortunately, it could operate both ways.
I completely forgot about the story until I started this Shabbes to read a Jewish Romantic novel set in London, about the love between an Adeni boy and a Chassidish girl, Ayuni - a term of endearment in the Yemeni/Adeni dialect - by Sarah Ansbacher. I don´t remember ever to have heard about a Jewish novel featuring Adeni Jews, therefore I was pleased to read also for reasons related to the pure information about this group.
As part of the former British Empire, Yemeni Jews especially those from Aden, used to have strong trade relationship with London therefore when the antisemitic attacks intensified, the British passport helped some to move to the UK. This was the story of Ben Aharoni, the young male character of the story, the first generation born on the British soil. He fell in love with Miri, an innocent Chassidish girl who just happened once to be the backup story to her best friend Raizy, while she was casually dating Ben´s friend. Although Raizy will eventually return to the usual dating cycle and will end up marrying a heimische boy, Miri will remain with Ben through which a new world opens up to her: movie theatre, TV set, physical contact with men, a relationship burgeoning before marriage.
And although everyone in this story knowns that this love cannot go anywhere, Ben and Miri included, the two keep adding to their story. Until it is too late to turn back, anyway. The diversity of London Jewish life, observant Jewish life, I dare to outline, is unfolding under our eyes through Miri´s innocent discovery of a different perspective, outside the shtetl - probably around Golders Green. The fact that in the end she will relocate to Israel, where it should be place for anyone, no matter the origin, is symbolic.
I was almost sure for half of the story where the story will lead to, but haven´t expected to happen this way and wasn´t prepared for the spectacular twists either. I was definitely pleased with the ending, after running fast through events in the second half. Ansbacher is treating her characters with empathy, trying to understand their motivation rather than accuse, judge and eventually kill their characters.
Ayuni is a diverse and insightful Jewish love story, that besides introducing the discussion about Jewish diversity - as we are all am echad - it also builds up an entertaining story. Although there may be not many Adeni-Chaddisische couples in London and elsewhere, as one of the characters of the book mentioned, ´it´s a different generation´ and hopefully the old stories of prejudice can win against love - for each other and am Yisroel.
I am so curious about other Adeni stories that I am about to read her other book, this one seems to be fully inspired by stories of Jews originary from Yemen. I can hardly wait to finish my work chores for today and delve into the book.
Rating: 4 stars
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