Leonard Cohen in the Sinai

 

There are moments across history who define and re-define an era. For the Middle East, Israel and Jews from all over the world, this was the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In less than 20 days, the geographical and especially mental map was rewritten in the sound of the alarm. 

With the usual attention to the finest details, Matti Friedman´s last book explores a relatively less known episode: Leonard Cohen´s presence in Israel during those times. Approaching 40, without a noticeable musical activity in a while, Cohen was languishing for life while in the Greek islands. 

His presence in Israel didn´t change or challenge the already booming musical scene, which allowed him to join for his concerts. But those encounters were testimony of a a new spirit, of a new generation of Israeli, particularly of musicians. 

As usual, Friedman is doing an outstanding research and journalistic investigation, checking on sources, interviewing almost everyone that happened to be around Cohen during his stay. It is an example to follow by everyone looking to investigate a relatively ´niche´ subject.

For everyone interested in the history of Israeli music and especially in Cohen´s life story, Leonard Cohen in the Sinai by Matti Friedman is a valuable resource. I reckon not ready too much - or at all - about musicians and music in general, but this book is at least as captivating as Cohen himself.

Rating: 5 stars

Book Review: When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sasha Lamb

The good angel and the bad - kind of evil actually - angel decide to leave the Pale of Settlement and relocate to the goldene medina in order to find out Essie, the baker´s daughter. Maybe they also wanted a bit of adventure bored by their chevrute studies in the shtetl. Once on the other side of the pond, they observe how the immigrants are badly treated, and the workers in the factories as well, and redefine their identities - gender, angel-like etc..

I am personally in awe about new Jewish literary voices, inserting in the storytelling flow contemporary topics - like gender fluidity for instance - while maintaining a historical and religious background - the old shtetl, the religious traditions. When the Angels Left the Old Country is following the same pathway in a way which is both evocative and creative and even humorous - the relationships between the two angels is both kind and hilarious.

Although the story unfolds in a pace of old shtetl story, the disparate parts of the story and the events occurring in the States - like the social protest and the Feminist outrage - do not match necessarily the story. Instead, it pushes for a social message without polishing the details. The message(s) take over the story and especially from the middle of it, it´s hard to ignore the discontinuity. 

Personally, I had high expectations from the book, as giving a new impetus to Jewish topics in contemporary literature is an interesting project. Despite of having some interesting twists, it ends up too ideological and such a literary touch is always detrimental to the literary quality.

Rating: 3 stars

Disclaimer: I was offered a print version in exchange for an honest review but the opinions are, as usual, my own