Recent Reads: The J-Word, by Andrew Sanger

As a Jewish-American, I'm very interested in the experiences of Jews in other countries, past or present, factual or fictional. Andrew Sanger's debut novel, The J-Word, presents one such glimpse into 21st-century Jewish life--in England--by focusing on octogenarian Jack Silver and his family. (If Sanger's name is familiar, that may be because you've seen him guest-blog right here on My Machberet.)

What I found here--apart from certain figures of speech, a pronounced recurrence of teatime, and a greater focus on "football" (soccer) than we tend to find in American literature--were many similarities with threads of Jewish experience in the United States. To be sure, Jack's long-sustained quest to become truly "English" and fully assimilated is a situation quite familiar to readers of Jewish-American literature. The incorporation of prayer snippets and Yiddishims is another link (anyone needing refreshers or translations will find them in footnotes and a glossary). But the book also reflects newer aspects of Jewish contemporary experience that cannot fail to resonate in an American reader just as they might in an English one.

Take, for instance, these musings from Jack, shortly after he is attacked by a gang in what is clearly an anti-Semitic hate crime:

Maybe the answer is education. An intelligent, aware population. That, he realised, was an impossibility. Some of the best educated people hate Jews. So a liberal, tolerant society? He grimaced at the thought. In his mind he saw ranks of pale, thin-lipped English men and women saying 'we're not antisemitic,' the readers and writers of the Guardian and the Independent, sympathising with suicide attackers, calling for boycotts and spreading hatred of Israel. He laughed bitterly. 'Oh no, it's only Israel and its supporters we hate,' he said, 'not Jews.' The Guardian and the Independent and the BBC are leading us to the next Holocaust. Then they will be able to report on it with horrified condemnations. What about the Jews who take that side, too - Harold Pinter and the rest? Fools!

Now, I happen to be a reader who appreciates a good dose of politics in fiction, and I also happen to be someone who discerns with increasing frustration in some American media outlets much of the same content/opinion that Jack highlights here on the English side. In other words, I am sympathetic to Jack's particular political views. I admire Sanger's writing here very much. It takes bravery to write like this. It also takes skill. Whatever Sanger's personal views might be, these few lines convey at least as much power and conviction as might a full-fledged op-ed. But undoubtedly, some readers may not share my enthusiasm on these points.

I haven't done justice here to this novel, which merits a much more detailed examination, so I will send you to some other sources. Meantime, I'm quite glad that I've had the opportunity to read The J-Word, and (disclosure!) I'm grateful to the publisher for the review copy.

Further Resources:

• Andrew Sanger, "America Starts to Discover The J-Word"
• Joy Sable (for The Jewish Chronicle), Review of The J-Word
• OyVaGoy (Chas Newkey-Burden), Brief review and interview with Andrew Sanger
• Scribblers on the Roof, Interview with Andrew Sanger

Leon Wieseltier's Take on the Beinart Essay and Related Writings

There are so many important lines in this Leon Wieseltier column that I'm not going to quote any of them. Please, just read the whole thing.

Notes from Around the Web

Some big news of my own: My short story collection, Quiet Americans, will be published in early 2011 by Last Light Studio books. Expect to hear much more about this here!
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New discovery: "Olah-la is a contemporary, online meeting place for writers, artists, and people interested in or connected to Israel." Accepts writing in English and French. (via placesforwriters.com)
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Lovely blog post on "Teaching Tots About Shabbat", by Linda K. Wertheimer.
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Remarkable account of "Mourner's Kaddish in Mumbai," set shortly after the terrorist attack of November 2008, by Akiva Freidlin in Witness.
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Allegra Goodman has another novel coming, and it has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly!
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And just in time for Passover readings, Jonathan Kirsch introduces us to poet Edward Hirsch's latest book.

Filmmaker Pierre Sauvage in NYC

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend an extraordinary "double-feature" at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Here's how the two films--both from acclaimed filmmaker Pierre Sauvage--were billed:

And Crown Thy Good: Varian Fry in Marseille (USA, forthcoming in 2011, digital video)

Sauvage presents a preview of his documentary about the most successful private American rescue effort during the Nazi era. The mission led by a New York intellectual Varian Fry helped some 2,000 people escape from France, including many scholars and artists.

Not Idly By: Peter Bergson, America and the Holocaust (USA, 2009, digital video, 40 minutes)

Post-screening discussion with Pierre Sauvage interviewed by author and Vanity Fair writer-at-large Marie Brenner.

This film presents the challenging testimony of a militant Palestinian Jew who spent the war years in the U.S. leading a group that struggled to make saving the Jews of Europe an American objective. The controversial Peter Bergson is given his posthumous say as he castigates American Jewish leaders at the time for failing to pressure the American government to save European Jews.

I've been a fan of Pierre Sauvage's work since I saw Weapons of the Spirit at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts 20 years ago. (A paper I wrote about that film and Louis Malle's Au revoir les enfants helped convince an esteemed professor to take me on as an undergraduate thesis advisee; I am proud to still count that professor as one of my dearest friends.) And having the chance to see Marie Brenner interview him was an additional lure (and kept me going to the Museum of Jewish Heritage even when the NYC subway system seemed determined to stop me).

The Varian Fry film is not yet complete. Fry's story, with which I became familiar in my doctoral research on Franco-American relations during the WWII era, is one that should certainly be better known. The excerpt we saw on Sunday was great; I look forward to seeing the completed film.

The Peter Bergson film is, in Brenner's words, "shocking." Yes, it can be difficult (and unfair) to judge others' actions when separated by decades. And, as with so much else related to the war years, one is ill-advised to make categorical statements. But after seeing this film, it's hard not to think that American Jews--particularly American Jews in high places--could have done more to save their coreligionists in Europe. Peter Bergson's story is deeply disturbing. Screenings will continue this spring at various film festivals (Los Angeles, Toronto, Warsaw, Zagreb are currently listed). Try to see it.

Notes from Around the Web

Love this treasure from Tablet: excerpts from nine fiction writers revealing literary treatment of the Sabbath. The nine? Elisa Albert, Shalom Auslander, David Bezmozgis, Nathan Englander, Tova Mirvis, Lev Raphael, Jonathan Rosen, Philip Roth, and Isaac Bashevis Singer. What prompted this feature? Judith Shulevitz's new book, The Sabbath World.
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The Forward reports on another upcoming literary event: the second International Writers Festival in Jerusalem, which will run May 2-May 6.
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Linda K. Wertheimer describes how a recent writing workshop triggered a memory of being (along with her brothers) the only Jew(s) in school.
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Too much interesting and important material on Jeffrey Goldberg's blog to provide you with updates myself. Just be sure to go over there at least once in awhile. If you have limited time, be sure to read this post first.

Notes from Around the Web

Loved this article on Jewish life in Montana. My six-year-old niece, rapidly acquiring proficiency in Hebrew, was intrigued when I told her about the dog mentioned in the article, who understands commands only in Hebrew (not in English). On the other hand, Jack Shafer is far less impressed.
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Josh Lambert's latest books column for Tablet opens with an introduction to a new book about antisemitism in 19th-century France.
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Leaping ahead to the 20th century, Ian Buruma's review essay on books about Jews--and others--in Occupied France is well worth a read.
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And in selecting the top foreign fiction for 2009 for NPR's listeners, Jessa Crispin spotlights Israeli author Gail Hareven's novel, The Confessions of Noa Weber (trans. Dalya Bilu). A choice I applaud.

Notes from Around the Web

If I'm remembering correctly, I took the online survey behind the results described in this Tablet article on American Jewish language and identity.
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Also from Tablet: Etgar Keret explains why "there's nothing like a few days in Eastern Europe to bring out the Jew in you" and Stuart Klawans's review of "Defamation" makes me reconsider my reluctance to see the film.
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Moment magazine contributors list "intriguing books of 2009."
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Also via Moment: Racelle Rosett's prizewinning short story, "Levi."
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Naomi Firestone reports on literary events in Israel.
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And another super-duper post from Naomi, with links to bibliographies for children and adults compiled by the Association of Jewish Libraries of Southern California (AJLSC).

Upcoming Events at the Museum of Jewish Heritage

News from the Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust:

"The September-October public programming schedule at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will feature provocative discussions, intriguing authors, and talented performing artists. The Museum welcomes author Zoë Heller who will speak about her well-received book, The Believers, on September 9. On September 13, families of all ages are invited to American Girl: Meet Rebecca Rubin with author Jacqueline Dembar Greene. The premiere of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, A Radio Play by Meyer Levin, will be performed on September 14. Following the performance, author Cynthia Ozick, historian Neil Baldwin, and others will discuss the controversy surrounding the play and its fall into obscurity. Novelist Dara Horn will discuss her latest book, All Other Nights, on September 16 with Tablet Magazine’s Alana Newhouse.

In conjunction with the special exhibition Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges, a panel of leading academics will discuss Racial Laws: Nuremberg & Jim Crow on October 14; and on October 28, Professor Stephen H. Norwood will talk about his groundbreaking work The Third Reich in the Ivory Tower: Complicity and Conflict on American Campuses.

The Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company will present the world premiere of their new work Tribe, as part of Nextbook’s Jewish Body Festival on October 21. On October 25, author Hans J. Sternberg will discuss his memoir We Were Merchants: The Sternberg Family and the Story of Goudchaux’s and Maison Blanche Department Stores with author Eli N. Evans."

For more information on these programs, consult the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

Anti-Semitic Characters in Fiction

Over on my other blog today, I shared my reaction to a short story that features a decidedly unlikeable character. As I explain in that post, one of the reasons I find that character so distasteful is her evident anti-Semitism.

How do you respond when you find an anti-Semitic character in a short story or novel?

Notable Items in the New Moment Magazine

I received the latest issue of Moment magazine a few days ago. There's a lot worth noting:

1) An article in which "three Israeli authors [A.B. Yehoshua, Naomi Ragen, and Etgar Keret] "shed the guise of fiction to tell us about their favorite places in the country they love."

2) A compilation of "the best of Israeli blogs." (This should keep me busy for awhile.)

3) Commentary on "Jews of Questionable Taste," those who "exploit their identity to enhance the impact of their anti-Jewish speech and action."

4) An important "Editor's Column," on a "media frenzy" I'd completely missed. (I guess I haven't been sufficiently attentive to the magazine's blog.)

5) A poem by Frederick Pollack.

And there's much more.

French Connections

Two articles in yesterday's New York Times really caught my attention.

First up is this profile of Samuel Pisar. I met the Pisar family back in 1990, when I was spending a semester in Paris. During my undergraduate years at Harvard, I held a termtime job in the admissions office, and while I was in Paris I was an unofficial "greeter" for local students who had just been admitted to the school. One of them was named Leah Pisar (Leah is multiply referenced and quoted in the article, too). Meeting her father, a Holocaust survivor, all those years ago made my subsequent reading of his harrowing memoir, Of Blood and Hope, all the more powerful.

Next, sadly, is a story of all-too-contemporary anti-Semitism in my beloved France. In the print edition, this appears on the same page as the Pisar profile. Which, for some reason, also affects me profoundly.

Notes from Around the Web

More words of wisdom from Jeffrey Goldberg.
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A very readable excerpt from Sam Apple's new book, American Parent (and if that's not enough to earn your admiration, see also Dan Friedman's review of the book).
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Art Spiegelman recalls the sad story of the St. Louis, as only he can, 70 years after the event.

Notes from Around the Web

Daniel Levenson takes us on a tour of Israel's Diaspora Museum.
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Jeffrey Goldberg explains why his blog doesn't welcome comments.
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Over time, I've lost a lot of respect for Roger Cohen. Gary Rosenblatt's editorial explains why.

More on the Museum

This post appears today--in a slightly different version--on my Practicing Writing blog.

I am preparing this post on Wednesday night for posting early on Thursday. I have to be honest with you: I'm having a hard time focusing on anything but the terrible events that unfolded today at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

As some of you know, much of my writing--in every genre--has been influenced by my identity as the elder granddaughter of German Jews who fled to the United States in the late 1930s. I visited the USHMM shortly after it opened. At the time, I was especially moved by "Remember the Children: Daniel's Story," an exhibit that was designed with children in mind. (The fact that in the exhibit, Daniel's fictional sister is named "Erika" only added to the emotion of the visit.)

Although my sister's two children are still too young to understand this part of our family history, someday we will need to explain to them why the great-grandparents for whom they are named left Germany. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I've thought of bringing my niece and nephew to see the USHMM exhibit in Washington one day to help with that difficult task.

I am praying for the family of Stephen Tyrone Johns, the brave guard who stopped the shooter--and paid for that bravery with his life.

Horror at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

From the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Web site:

There are no words to express our grief and shock over today’s events at the Museum, which took the life of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns. Officer Johns, who died heroically in the line of duty, served on the Museum’s security staff for six years. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Johns’s family. We have made the decision to close the Museum Thursday, June 11, in honor of Officer Johns and our flags will be flown at half mast in his memory.

May Officer Johns's memory be for blessing.

I can't quite form other thoughts in words just yet.

Andre Aciman on "The Exodus Obama Forgot to Mention"

Of all the analyses that have followed President Barack Obama's recent speech in Cairo, none has affected me as much as André Aciman's op-ed in today's New York Times:

The president never said a word about me. Or, for that matter, about any of the other 800,000 or so Jews born in the Middle East who fled the Arab and Muslim world or who were summarily expelled for being Jewish in the 20th century. With all his references to the history of Islam and to its (questionable) “proud tradition of tolerance” of other faiths, Mr. Obama never said anything about those Jews whose ancestors had been living in Arab lands long before the advent of Islam but were its first victims once rampant nationalism swept over the Arab world.

Nor did he bother to mention that with this flight and expulsion, Jewish assets were — let’s call it by its proper name — looted. Mr. Obama never mentioned the belongings I still own in Egypt and will never recover. My mother’s house, my father’s factory, our life in Egypt, our friends, our books, our cars, my bicycle. We are, each one of us, not just defined by the arrangement of protein molecules in our cells, but also by the things we call our own. Take away our things and something in us dies. Losing his wealth, his home, the life he had built, killed my father. He didn’t die right away; it took four decades of exile to finish him off.

Mr. Obama had harsh things to say to the Arab world about its treatment of women. And he said much about America’s debt to Islam. But he failed to remind the Egyptians in his audience that until 50 years ago a strong and vibrant Jewish community thrived in their midst. Or that many of Egypt’s finest hospitals and other institutions were founded and financed by Jews. It is a shame that he did not remind the Egyptians in the audience of this, because, in most cases — and especially among those younger than 50 — their memory banks have been conveniently expunged of deadweight and guilt. They have no recollections of Jews.

Read the full column here.

Stephen M. Flatow on Caryl Churchill's "Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza"

Stephen M. Flatow, whose daughter, Alisa, was killed in April 1995 by Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, shares his view on Caryl Churchill and Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza: "If you think the play is about little Jewish children, about how they live and go about their lives, you would be wrong. As its subtitle strongly signals, Churchill's take on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict isn't balanced; one has only to read it to see the anti-Semitism disguised within its anti-Zionism." Like Jeffrey Goldberg, Flatow disapproves of a Jewish theater company's decision to stage a reading of this play: "Presenting innovative theater is one thing; assisting in the advancement of an anti-Semitic agenda is another. Absent balance and context, Seven Jewish Children is nothing more than cheap art; it belongs on the garbage heap."

In Praise of Jeffrey Goldberg

Yes, I know what you're thinking! "She's praising Jeffrey Goldberg again?"

Well, if you'd been struggling as I have, trying to figure out what to say publicly about Caryl Churchill's new play (I'm inspired to call it a playlet, it's so short, and yes, I have indeed read it), you might be as grateful as I am to Goldberg for this post. (Then again, if you agree more with his interviewee, you might not.)

Notes from Around the Web

Seth Gitell reminds us that Jewish-Americans served in Vietnam.
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What's it like to be a Jew in Britain right now? Andrew Silow-Carroll asks Winston Pickett.
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Eric Herschthal revisits a major Jewish character in American literature: the late John Updike's Bech.

"Let's See the 'Criticism' of Israel for What It Really Is"

This is brilliant. Bravo, Howard Jacobson. (And thank you for the link, Nextbook.)