Jewish New York - The Remarkable Story of a City and a People

'This volume narrates the history of the New York Jews, with an eye to their distinctive story as well as consciousness of how Jews embedded their particularity within the city's contentious past'. Jewish New York is nowadays a reality of the diasporic Jewish history and present, and this book, based on serious historical and sociological data, might create at least one more topic for a further academic investigation. For instance, the issue of American Zionism, and therefore the ways in which American Jews are positioning themselves in relation with the state of Israel and the everyday political struggles from the country.

The evolution of the Jewish community is analized back in the 17th century, which makes this volume a valuable source of information for recreating a process of creating mentalities and social patterns. It also offers a multi-layered approach, which goes back and forth from the economic, cultural, social and citizens rights perspectives, creating a pretty accurate landscape where people are relocating continously, adapting their habits from the Old Country while maintaining a certain degree of individuality. With more than a million Jews living in New York, the city is considered a symbol of Jewish life in the diaspora but at the same time, at least in the last 2 decades, there are Jewish communities in many other locations in the USA, which increases the diversity of Jewish life. Although the book has the focus on NYC, a short comparison would have even better outline the specificities of the city. Another omission of the book in my opinion is that it ignores the strong Israeli community in the city, which although remains a distinctive group among the various Jewish communities, it has its own dynamic and specific influence on the cultural patterns and habits of the bigger group as such.

The book is a recommended read to anyone looking to become familiar, in an academic way, with the Jewish history of New York, either for academic or pure knowledge purposes. 

Rating: 4 stars

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

Live to Tell the Story

5777 was a hard year to cope with. In fact, every year is hard to cope with in its own way, but I think it brings you what you are ready to take. Or, at least, I encourage myself to think after realizing at the end of a very everntful year that, in fact the best lesson is to be able to wake up every single morning grateful for the gift of life, trying to live every moment as the best of my life. 

It seems that I finally made it to the point where I can look at life with a deep smile onto my face, regardless the outcome. 

I went through difficult times in the last year, which involves many ups and downs of any kinds, but being healthy and strong for my son, being surrounded by friends - even people that I never counted as friends - are my most precious diamonds. My emuna wasn't strong enough, my learning went very bad, my observance was wavering, I listened too much to lashon hara and sometimes was even part of it myself. I was too judgemental and too angry to think properly that breathing deep and counting to three is actually better than the outbursts of unhappiness. 

And here goes my 5778 Resolutions:

- I want to wake up every single early morning with a grateful smile on my face;

- I need more consistency to keep up with who I am, not giving up what I am. I want to resume regular tefillah, and Tehillim reading and my weekly challah baking and the peaceful observance of the holidays. 

- Altough the previous 3-hour learning schedule is almost impossible under the current situation, at least one hour the day can be done.

- I am surrounded by wonderful people, and I want to show more my appreciation for their presence into my life. 

- Lashon hara was my biggest enemy the last year and my decision is to stop either hearing or being part of it. I am doing my best to stay away of people spreading and practising it, but also from thinking about people in a way that might lead to it.

- More reading in Hebrew and Yiddish, not only because I need to use more those languages, but because my son will need it too. 

- Living a healthier life and considering more healthy options, like yoga, running or more hiking in the middle of the nature.

- Being happy with my lot and being thankful for everything the day brings on.

- Last but not least, more interesting posts about Jewish history, books and everyday stories.

Shana Tova u' Metuka

Saviors of Jews in Postdam and Griebnitzsee

I am often writing here about the sad Jewish histories of WWII, especially how Jews were left alone or even helped to go on their way to the death. However, there were also exceptions and my travels are opening my mind to new information. Here is a short account of my latest discoveries while traveling to Griebnitzee - near Berlin - and Potsdam.

In Gribnitzee, on Karl-Marx Straße nr. 11, family Anemarie and Dr. Helmuth Sell hid and helped to go out of the country Ezra Ben Gershom, a young Jewish boy who previously was living on the streets for months. The German family, social-democrats and enemies of the Nazi regime, obtained forged documents for the young boy and helped him to escape. Their efforts were postumously recognized in 1981 by the Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem with the prestigious title 'righteous among the nations'.

Carola Müller (born Hammer) risked her own life helping the Jewish couple Louise and Victoria Hagen, who were deprived of livelihood because of their Jewish origin. She was even detained for a couple of days by the Gestapo for her stubborness to give up in the front of the evil. Hagen family was able to leave savely the country sailing direction USA. Müller's efforts were recognized later by Yad Vashem and a public memorial mention can be seen in Potsdam, on Friedrich Ebert Straße where she lived.

Book Review: By Light of Hidden Candles by Daniella Levy

A story of fight and resilience, By Light of Hidden Candles goes back and forth across centuries from the time of the forced conversions of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition to the current hi-tech era of digitalized archives. Alma and Manuel are apparently belonging to two different worlds: She is the observant Jewish daughter of a family of Spanish descent, he is a Catholic boy from Spain considering becoming a priest. Their paths cross accidentally in the Judaica store of Alma's grandmother, and later on, at the NYU, where Alma is getting involved in a genealogy project, where she hoped to find the Spanish roots of her family. 

A couple of centuries earlier, her ancestor is faced with the choice of converting to Christianity or leaving Spain, or marrying a non-Jew or leave to unknown lands. The story has everything: from heavy historical content, to insights into everyday observant Jewish life - although I've found sometimes the observations about kashrut a bit too artificious, as it happens when you are trying to explain some of the concepts to a foreign audience on an easy note - and a little bit of romance too. 

I liked that both Alma and Manuel do have a very complex personality and even more complex family story, but bringing them together as a match and the later discovery of Manuel about his Jewish roots - that I was expecting a bit from the very beginning - sounded a bit stereotypical for me. I also appreciate the idea of dialogue between religions, but it doesn't need to be done whatever the reason and in a way that simplifies at extremis concepts. 

Despite its ups and downs, By Light of Hidden Candles is a book of interest for anyone who loves historical Jewish novels and which shed some light into the complicated histories of Spanish conversos. 

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

Traces of Jewish life in Karlsruhe, Germany

I had a very intensive time in Karlsruhe at the beginning of this year, therefore I hardly was able to go off the beaten path and focus exclusively on the Jewish history of this big industrial city in the Western part of Germany. However, as usual fate was on my side and without too much effort was able to notice some fragments of Jewish history just on my way from a meeting with the local history and culture to another.

For instance, on Karlstraße 11, where nowadays there is a restaurant, it used to be the bank L. Homburger, belonging to one of the oldest families in Karlsruhe. The art nouveau influenced building was planned by the architects Robert Curjel and Karl Moser. After 1938, the bank was liquidated and took away by the state.

Another memorial remembers the synagogue destroyed in 1938, together with many other Jewish institutions. The Jews started to establish in Karlsruhe at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1725, here it was a synagogue, a mikve, a cemetery, and infirmary. After the partial emancipation decrees, here was established in 1809 the seat of the Central Council of Jews in Baden. From 1820s on, Jews were allowed to be work in the field of law and medicine. 

Stolpersteine in the memory of murdered Jews are visible all over the city: on Stephaniestraße, Rheinstraße...In October 22, 1940, 893 Jews were deported to Gurs, France. Others were sent to death between 1942-1945 to Izbica, Auschwitz or Theresienstadt. In 1945, there were 90 Jews left in Karlsruhe. Nowadays, there are less than 1,000 Jews here, served by a Chabad House and a synagogue, mostly originary from the former Soviet Union. 

Political Memories of an Enfant Terrible of Israeli Politics

I cannot decide if Yair Lapid is a better journalist than politician or the other way round, but his father, Tommy was for sure a journalist first. Part of the first wave of journalists in Eretz Israel, Lapid brought into the country a Mitteleuropean tradition of unconventional debate and anti-iconoclastic fervor. Such people do rarely have followers unless one grew up in the daily ambiance and ambivalence of addressing politics in that part of the world. 

The Memories After My Death was written in 2009 in Hebrew, by Yair, and recently translated into English. Probably between translations and the writing of the son, original nuances were lost, but someone curious both about Tommy Lapid and his times can still receive satisfactory answers to a large array of questions. 

The story is told chronologically, from the childhood years in Novi Sad and Budapest to the first impressions upon landing to Israel and Lapid's adventures in the world of post-communist businesses mediating media purchases in Central and Eastern Europe on behalf of billionaire Robert Maxwell. Episodes of a life well spent taking wholeheartedly all the possible professional and personal challenges. 

My feeling was that the book was pending between a story based on life facts - which is a good approach, as maybe for many mostly of younger age, the interesting past of Tommy Lapid wasn't always obvious - or a story built around ideas and life philosophy - an approach requesting in-depth elaboration. From the last point of view, I think that many of the political controversies he created, especially in relation with the religious mainstream were diplomatically muzzled by the more experienced sabra politician of a son. 

All the observations being made, this book is worth reading it if interested in some historical insights into the recent genesis of Israeli politics and media history. There are echoed from a different time and moral age, a reminder that times are always changing and it is good that way too.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Traces of Jewish Life in Görlitz, Germany

Call it the traveller's luck: You spontaneously decide to go to Görlitz and this is exactly the day when there is the open day visit of the main historical monuments in the colourful, Hollywood-loved town. This is how I had the chance to visit the Art Nouveau Synagogue on Otto-Müller Straße, that during my previous visit I've only seen from outside. 

From outside, the massive stoned synagogue looks like many others I've seen in Germany and Eastern Europe, typical constructions for the beginning of the 20th century. It looks like a temple, but it is rather a Greek one it reminds of, instead of the Temple from Jerusalem. The synagogue in Görlitz was inaugurated in March 11, 1911, being the few in Germany not damaged during WWII. I particularly loved the metal-lace intricacies near the main door, an interesting Moorish detail. 

Inside, the details are impressive and carefully chosen with golden inserts into black marble. The lightning also plays an important role in creating a special ambiance and amplifying the space. When we arrived, there were preparations for a concert, as the synagogue nowadays is used as a cultural space rather than a religious institution.

The ceiling offers a fascinating combination between the usual decorative elements of Art Nouveau and typical Biblical motives, such as the lions.

It also has a space for the choir, the typical element of a Reform synagogue, but this space can also be used as a women's section. Around me, other visitors were coming and going in a hurry, snapping pictures before heading up to the new open monument. I wanted to stay a bit more, trying to imagine how it was when the synagogue was ready to welcome the guests coming to pray for Shabbat or holidays.

This synagogue in Görlitz, a town where the presence of Jews is documented since the 13th century, is one of the many, and apparently not the most frequented, as shortly after the opening it seems that there were problems to gather the miniyan - the 10 men needed to pray. Most of the Jews living here were merchants, laywers or doctors, and traces of Jewish life still can be seen in many places around the town, including a cemetery, a mikveh - ritual bath - and houses that used to belong to Jews.