Choosing to be Chosen by Kylie Ora Lobell

´The world was too amazing for there not to be a God. It was an absolute miracle. I don´t know why I didn´t see it before. It was just common sense that God existed´.

Even since she was a teenageer, Kylie was devoted to journalism and the written word. Faith (Christian), she lost it during her parents divorce. Then, she went through the usual troubles of teenagers from anywhere in the world: anxiety, a bit of bullying, rebellion. There were boyfriends too, Jewish ones, who left because...well, she wasn´t Jewish. Until she met Danny, in her mid 20s, a comedian disillusioned with religion, that she, following her decision to convert Orthodox, brought closer to faith.

Choosing to be Chosen, the debut memoir by journalist and author Kylie Ora Lobell does not differ too much from other conversion stories. It is no sudden revelation. but a promise. After she went to a free meal at a NYC Chabad, she got drawn not only about the great food - both they were surviving on a menial income - but also the sense of belonging that persisted even when their relationship went through a crisis. She wanted to remain with her current husband and being Jewish was part of their story.

Fact-oriented, carefully written and avoiding the usual fluffy exuberance - she recounts how the first time she went to the Kotel she didn´t feel anything, any connection - Choosing to be Chosen is a story about a choice the author made. She shares her story without trying to be a role model or educator, although I would have been a bit curious about some of her lectures and intellectual sources. But the book is not supposed to be about that, anyway.

Israeli Poets in Germany

There is not too much talk about the emerging Israeli literature in the diaspora: Germany, but especially France, Netherlands, Italy etc. America, yes, it´s the opposite, with many Israeli authors publishing and being appreciated as such. But Europe, for all the good and bad reasons is mostly quiet. Or maybe I need to do better research.

A collection of poetry signed by Israeli authors living in Germany, Was es bedeuten soll (title inspired by a verse from Heine´s Lorelei) - in my own translation What it´s supposed to be - is filling this gap, just opening up the interest - at least my interest - for more. 

The book - with a cover by Köln-based illustrator Noam Weiner - is a collection of works by 13 authors, among which Michal Zamir (who created a Hebrew library and a literary salon in Berlin), Zahava Khalfa, Asaf Dvori or Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus. There are different topics, some dealing with alienation and the loneliness of the life abroad, different voices and perspectives. 

The poems were originally written in Hebrew and translated into German by Gundula Schiffer, a poet herself, and published Adrian Kasnitz´ parasitenpress. 

A Double Crime in Erlangen

Despite the important amount of researches dedicated to the extreme left - RAF, among others - crimes and developments in West Germany significantly less attention was paid to the wave of far right violence who reached its highest peek at the beginning of 1980s. Interestingly, even less was written - at least internally - about the common denominator of the two extremes, who often got professional training for their attacks against Jews and Israel in the same training camps in Lebanon or Iraq, among others.

Professor Uffa Jensen researched a case relatively less covered that may echo however ´the spirit of the time´: the double murder of Shlomo Lewin, an Israeli/German Jew and his non-Jewish German partner Frida Poeschke. Killed in cold blood in their apartment in Erlangen by members of the Bavarian far right movement. 

The book is trying to put together all the elements of the crime, connected with the overall mood in Germany, particularly Bavaria, and the main actors of the far right scene, eventually involved in the crime like WSG Hoffmann. A serious crime that was relatively fast forgotten and superficially analysed and contextualized.

Overall, a very interesting analysis of an episode representative for a very specific mindset with reverberations until today. 

The Yeshiva and the Rise of Modern Hebrew Literature by Marina Zilbergerts

I am reading a lot of OTD memoirs and novels, but very often I had a déjà vu. Every time I delved into stories of dramatically breaking up with tradition, and starting a secular life, while keeping the mental traces of the life before, it sounded like there is a much older story behind it.

The Yeshiva and the Rise of Modern Hebrew Literature by Marina Zilbergerts is connecting the historical and literary dots from past Jewish experiences to current times. The book aims and suceeds offering a new model for understanding the rise of modern Hebrew letters, in the larger context of and connected with the mentality challenges underwent by the majority in the midst of which Jews leaved.

The end of the 19th century Russia marked not only the rise of a new generation of Jewish writers, not few of them former yeshiva students, who will create under the more or less distant influence of thhe Russian intellectual trends, particularly the anti-religious ones. 

´The world of Talmudic study - its practices, themes, and language - served as a rich reservoir of expression for writers engaged in the creation of new Hebrew literatures well into the twentieth century´. 

Most of the anti-religious authors who pioneered the Hebrew literature used to be yeshiva students and although their work grew in the non-Jewish environment, whose topics - modern love, among others - were included into their literary repertoire, they remained anchored into the Jewish religious mindset. Similarly, the OTD literature - mostly memoirs though - is adapting to modern, anti-religious topics, while maintaining the Jewish mindset.

Interestingly, Zilbergerts specifically traces the influences from the Russian literature, with authors references, in the works of Jewish writers in Yiddish and Russian.

The book is well organised and very rich in literary references, particularly from the modern Hebrew literature. My list of classical Jewish writing is growing by the day and such well-written monographies are inspiring me to explore more sources and authors. 

Zionism. An emotional state by Derek J. Penslar

There are many different ways to approach a movement like Zionism and the focus on emotional aspects is clearly one of them. But what type of national-ism/-oriented movement isn´t emotional? Similarly with a religious awakening, a nationalism requests more emotiona connection than rational choice. In moderate dosis it can magnify the individual, offering them a place within the larger community, with at least one function to perform: being counted towards the identity group.

Zionism, at least in terms of theoretical origin, can be placed under the same category of national revival occuring in the 19th century. Canadian-American historian Derek J. Penslar is analyzing it as ´an emotional state´, which may be a very interesting take.

Is Zionism different than any other national mainstream movements? It answers a different national aspiration and clearly is based on a different narrative than, let´s say French nationalism. And although the book has a solid factual historical background, it lacks the deeper connection, including emotional, which makes Zionism slightly different also from the historical point of view. Across centuries, no one prayed to return to Germany or France, but the idea of Zionism pre-existed the 19th century.

The author quotes from Bava Batra 158B: ´the air of Eretz Israel creates wisdom´. I´ve heard a variant of this very often and it shows a thought that goes, including emotionally, beyond the current debate confronting antisemitism and anti-Zionism or the state of Israel in general. Such references would have offer a much realistic overview of a movement that, clearly, is the subject of more emotional interest than any other in the world. Understanding the ´why´ is still something that needs to be answered.

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

Dreidel Stories

Hanukka is over this year. In our household, it is our favorite holiday therefore in order to lift the mood up, we rely on stories while preparing for the next year chag.

Dancing Dreidels by Alva Sachs, illustrated by Patricia Krebs

The dreidels from this story are hardly preparing for their moment of glory as well. Rebecca, their owner, do practice before the holiday, but one, Shin/Sheila is struggling with spinning. With a bit of night practice though, she will succeed and for her Hanukka moment she will definitely play her part well.

Accompanied by explanations about traditions, food and the origin of the holiday, this book, beautifully illustrated adds some playful experience to the traditional Hanukka party. A great introduction to the holiday as well as a good story to keep the preschool children focused and entertained.

Rating: 4 stars

The Extraordinary Dreidel by Devorah Omer illustrated by Aviel Basil translated by Shira Atik

Israeli (secular) children books, also when they are approaching traditions as Hanukka, do have such a modern relatable way. In The Extraordinary Dreidel by late Devorah Omer illlustrated by Aviel Basil and translated into English by Shira Atik, just before the Hanukka party, the children are faced with the disappearance of a dreidel. But as the dreidel apparently appears, the four cats named after the four dreidel letters may keep it. Why bother them, anyway?

It is a funny story, with playful dialogues and characters and some behavior lessons for preschool to school children. 

My favourite of this season so far!

Rating: 5 stars

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

The Sword of Freedom by Yossi Cohen

 ´Don´t dare touch my country!´

The first Orthodox Jew to be named the director of the Mossad, the one during whose mandate the unforgettable stealing of Iran´s secret atomic energy archives took place and who planted the seeds of the pager operation wrote a memoir - The Sword of Freedom - that raises few questions.

Why would a veteran operative and former director of the Mossad share so many inside secrets? There are anonymised details about operations, fate of operatives, recruitment, more than in any other similar memoir I´ve read before. Contrary to how the saying goes, the history is not written by victors. Especially after the massive intelligence failure of 7th of October, the resilient history of Mossad may be forgotten. Yossi Cohen is insisting that there is a different angle to it and this is not the exception rather the rule of operation of an unbeatable intelligence service.

Another question is: what exactly wants Yossi Cohen to achieve with this very detailed memoir? He is sharing a very realistic geopolitical overview but also his own strategic considerations, based on his decades of experience in the field. He is articulated, as cynical as a Mossad spy is expected to be but also knowledgeable in terms of personal management and recruitment techniques. 

What´s next though? Or rather, is Yossi Cohen planning to put his art of government knowledge into practice? Never say never. Could he turn into an Israeli Putin - a political character whose (geo)political realism he outlined in two or three occasions ? It is clear that he does no intend to join any current political structure - although he was offered - as ´I am no one´s No. 3´, but with the new elections - long time not seen - looming towards the end of the next year, he may create his own structure. Currently he is a consultant and his interests are covering a wide array of topics like renewable energies, smmart use of information and AI. 

A patriot, he proudly mentioned his intellectual references: David ben Gurion, Jabotinsky und Menahem Begin. Meir Dagan was his professional model and rabbi Haim Druckman, the late spiritual leader of the religious Zionist community - Cohen also learned at Yeshivat Or Etzion leaded by Druckman - as his spiritual leader. Although a religious person, his stance regarding the military service for yeshiva bochurim is very clear: they need to be part to the patriotic efforts of the Israeli society otherwise their social aid may be cut. If determined to enter politics such a position will not bring him the votes of a specific community, but his target groups are nevertheless very well defined.

The next moths will show if there will be a politician Yossi Cohen. He was very diplomatic when mentioning Bibi, whose National Security Advisor he was and under whose guidance he intensively negotiated the Abraham Accords and who nominated him as the chief of the Mossad, but some referenes about how power corrupts and the need of unity may loudly beat the drums for anyone to hear. Despite his charming and wrinkle-free appearance, Cohen is in his 60s, so there is no game to talk about a new generation of politicians. His advantage though is that he is connected to the real world, has an already proven strategy but also the religious fervor of a Bnei Akiva; a leadership model who transcedes and goes beyond generational rifts.