Kantika by Elizabeth Graver

Although at a different level compared to Yiddish, which is very much alive and very much kicking, Ladino is making a timid yet steady comeback, at a personal and scientific level. There are classes - online and in person - books and scientific articles, audio and video recordings of linguistic variations. Few days ago I´ve met someone whose grandparents are still active Ladino speakers, which is a surprise because we´ve been mostly told that Ladino is actually dying. Hopefully not.

Part of this revival is the emergence of a cultural wave of literary, visual - films and photography - as well as music renditions of Ladino identity. I am slowly going throuogh it myself - learning bits of language, reading studies and listening to experts - but literature is always for me the easiest door to a culture. Hence, my curiosity to read Kantika by Elizabeth Graver, a book I´ve heard about for a long time. Another pleasant revelation was The Wold and All That It Holds, also warmy recommended. 

Partly inspired by her own family experience - but unable to fully document it and turn into a memoir, hence the fictional choice - Kantika is a multi-generational account that starts in Constantinoble - soon to be Istanbul - in 1907. Through the jouorney of Rebecca Cohen - character inspired by the author´s grandmother - from modern Turkey to America, via Barcelona, there is a long episode of Jewish history revealed, although it gives place to relate to individual stories to unfold. 

Each chapter is illustrated with family photos and do contain a generous amount of expressions and words in Ladino - an useful tool for anyone trying to learn the language as well. What is remarkably from the point of view of the narrative construction, is the multiplicity of voices heard within the story, allowing almost all characters to have a say, to tell their own version of the story.

Kantika will make you curious to find out more about Ladino culture and individuals, to hear more stories. It adds more depth into an important episode of world Jewish history that needs a lot of more emphasis nowadays.

Rating: 5 stars

I.M: A Memoir by Isaac Mizrahi

´The Syrian community have never seen anything like me before´.

One of the most successful Jewish designers in the US, Isaac Mizrahi is a bubbling personality that wrote fashion history. Born in a Syrian-Jewish family and a student of Yeshiva of Flatbush, he broke up with the religious community, came out as gay and fulfilled his artistic dreams. In addition to being a fashion designer, he also performed on the stage and movies, wrote a graphic novel and created costumes for opera or theater.

I.M is his memoir relating his life story. I  had access to the book in audio format, read by the author and it was a very pleasant experience - although Mizrahi mentioned that he does not like to hear his own voice. 

The book unfolds as a chronological suite of the events that marked his early childhood, his relationship with his parents - especially with his mother who was and is a model for him - with the Syrian Jewish community and his steps into the world of fashion, as well as his sleep problems and lifelong struggle with insomnia - an aspect I largely relate to as well. There are many details and observations interesting also for the fashion business history in general.

At times I felt that there are way so many details and a larger focus on events, without a specific structuring of the memoir based on milestones or various categories, but it belongs to the genre of memoir to follow the timeline and style that it is considered appropriate by the author and no one else. It is a subjective choice that the reader shall accept in its entirety.

A special not to the cover which is elegant, simple and straight forward. It suits very well Mizrahi´s fashion style.

Rating: 3 stars

One Year among Haredim

Curious to dislodge the absurdity and helped by an enormous sense of humour - and appetite too, and some may even say that people who love food laugh the best - Tuvia Tenenbom - whose previous adventures in Israel I had the chance to review earlier - spent one year between Mea Shearim and Bnei Brak, experiencing life as a Haredi in Israel. 

Gott spricht Jiddisch - translated from American English by Michael Adrian was published originally under the title Carefull, Beauties Ahead. I am not sure which title did the best and instead of wondering I better keep writing my review, at least until he is not publishing another book already (right now, it seems he is spending time with settlers and I can´t wait to see the results).

The stories - some of them a bit repetitive, but people in those places love to show their belonging to a group and do not fancy individualism as we do in other part of the world and even of Israel - are sometimes grotesque, sometimes written with full sarcasm, but nevertheless unique. And if you find normal to pray at a grave when looking for your soulmate, maybe you spent too much time or your entire life among Haredim. 

He is curious especially about people and groups at the fringe of the Haredi society - like Toldot Aharonot and Neturei Karta - but there are also interactions with larger and brand names such as Belz or Ger - and he is getting a lot of insights following the split within the sect. Although, there is a lot of fluffy text - but delicious food - there are snipets of information that may help someone to make an idea about what does it mean to be Haredi in Israel nowadays, including in the author´s cartoonish version.

I do have another book by Tenenbom that may keep me company until his next one is ready, so will keep my humour - and sarcasm - levels high. 

Rating: 3 stars