The Extraordinary Life of Ruth Blau

 

A controversial character having played a main role in the denuement of the infamous Yossele Schumacher affair, but with much lesser known involvement in trying to save Jews held captive in the Middle East or endangered by Iran´s mullahs, Ruth Blau had a life bigger than life itself. The biography dedicated to her by researcher of religious extremism Motti Inbari reveals the paradoxes but also the (blind) dedication to the Jewish life she chose as a convert from Catholicism.

Resistance fighter in a France under German occupation, spy - for the French intelligence and occasionally Mossad - Ruth Blau acted guided by religious belief and dedication to her understanding of the Jewish ideals. With the fanaticism of someone who feels his or her religion needs to be showed off, she embraced the extreme views of the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta, although the marriage with the leader of the organisation, Amram Blau, ended his leadership of the organisation.

Based on interviews and unique documents from her personal archives, with the patience for detail of the detective, Inbari drew not only the portrait of a rebbetzin but also an unique destiny of a strong and determined personality. Trying to avoid the fully negative portrayal of her - for some, due to her implication in helping for years the religious relatives of Yossele Schumacher to keep the kidnapped child out of his nonreligious parents; for others, due to her status of convert with aims of leadership within the very male conservative Haredi establishment - he is trying to analyse intentions and aims, personality features and psychological challenges.

This book is an important source of inspiration and information on several topics, such as women leadership in Haredi world, Jewish recent history, psychological profile of religious converts and many more. 

Although I really enjoyed the information and its treatment, I struggled sometimes with the style of the argumentation. For instance, before explaining in detail her role in the Schumacher affair, there are way too many references of what is supposed to come and how although she was, for instance, sincere in her commitment to Judaism, she never apologized for the pain made to another Jew while being part of the plot of kidnapping Yossele. And many more.

I wish someone will make a movie about her life.

Rating: 4.5 stars

My Road to Remembrance by Fred Katz

 

A black-and-white photographic memoir of Holocaust memorials around the world, My Road to Remembrance by Fred Katz is a visual testimony of the painful history of European Jewry. The tragedy of 6 Million people systematicaly murdered in cold blood has no precedent in history. The power of the images collected by Katz through travels from all over the world - USA, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Latvia, Holland, Greece, Cuba, Uruguay, Chile, Italy, Hungary, Canada, Israel - is to bring a tribute to the victims and keep the world awake of the tragic events. A testimony against forgetfullness and a warning. 

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

´Impossible Takes Longer´

 

There is hardly right now in Israel a more balanced and lucid public intellectual than Daniel Gordis, an author I was given the chance to review in other post a couple of years back.  His newest book Impossible Takes Longer is dedicated to analysing at what extent Israel has fulfilled its ´founders´ dreams´, 75 years after the creation of the state.

Quoting documents alternatively with various episodes, more or less known, from the latest seven decades and a bit from the creation of the state, he is asking questions regarding the ups and downs in the life of an extraordinary people and country. If one may have some doubts about the many reasons Israel shall exist, or do have some doubts about the exceptional character - even non-religious people may acknowledge the miracle of a country and especially people that were able to conquer their own trauma.

Gordis analyses the intellectual basis of the state and of its statemen and women, without ignoring the people who built the history: the soldiers, the victims, the children running to the bomb shelter. 

The author offers a balanced, neutral view, with the pros and cons, shedding light into the shadows of misunderstanding. Without being complacent, he is severe and do not obliterate the context, but at the same time it also instills a feeling of pride for all the successes of this small yet fierce people.

Impossible Takes Longer is a book to read for anyone interested in the recent history of the Land and people of Israel. If you are rather on the Israel critique side, or just skeptical about the state of Israel, at least for a few minutes you may be proud of everything this country did - for itself and for the others.

Rating: 4.5 stars