Community Reviews
Ayelet Tsabari is a skilled writer, and I found these stories about Mizrachi Israelis dealing with various problems and crises affecting and often poignant. I particularly liked the first one in the collection, "Tikkun." In this story, former lovers unexpectedly meet in Jerusalem years after their last meeting. Natalie has become Orthodox and is married; Lior is still single, secular, and also seemingly drifting in life. They still share intense feelings for one another and are each still lonely.
Aspects of war and army life are frequent themes in the stories, for obvious reasons. In "Casualties," a young soldier named Oren is overwhelmed by army life, too emotionally fragile to cope, and tries to find solace and support with his girlfriend, a callous army medic.
In the book's title story, Naomi flies from her home in Israel to visit with her sister Tamar, living with a non-Jewish boyfriend in Vancouver. They try to recapture some of their former closeness even as Naomi is depressed over her husband's infidelity. She is also unprepared for her sister's life choices and her total alienation from Judaism.
While each story is well crafted, the author's own disconnection from and lack of understanding of religious Jewish traditions comes through in many instances, including the reference above. In the story "Brit Milah," a grandmother is shocked to find that her daughter and (non-Jewish) husband have not circumsized their son, and she is completely unable to explain to them why it matters: "You don't think about it. You just do it. . . Because it's tradition. . . and it's also more hygenic and healthy. . . "
Her daughter correctly denies this last assertion and gets the last word by saying that "it's traumatic for the child," which is also not true. The reasons for brit milah are profound and date back to the time of the patriarch Abraham. It is hard to believe that Grandma couldn't do better and remember that it was the sign of a covental relationship between a Jewish man and God, a constant reminder that he must remain in control of his passions. Her weak answer is nearly inexplicable, though her daughter's belief that the procedure is "traumatic" is consistent with secular brainwashing.
Virtually no characters express any dedication or respect for Jewish religious traditions, as opposed to Jewish cultural ones. While most Israelis are secular, there is usually among the Mizrachi community more respect for tradition and religious identity than is shown here. The lack of any character conveying an authentic love for Judaism was a disappointment.
Aspects of war and army life are frequent themes in the stories, for obvious reasons. In "Casualties," a young soldier named Oren is overwhelmed by army life, too emotionally fragile to cope, and tries to find solace and support with his girlfriend, a callous army medic.
In the book's title story, Naomi flies from her home in Israel to visit with her sister Tamar, living with a non-Jewish boyfriend in Vancouver. They try to recapture some of their former closeness even as Naomi is depressed over her husband's infidelity. She is also unprepared for her sister's life choices and her total alienation from Judaism.
While each story is well crafted, the author's own disconnection from and lack of understanding of religious Jewish traditions comes through in many instances, including the reference above. In the story "Brit Milah," a grandmother is shocked to find that her daughter and (non-Jewish) husband have not circumsized their son, and she is completely unable to explain to them why it matters: "You don't think about it. You just do it. . . Because it's tradition. . . and it's also more hygenic and healthy. . . "
Her daughter correctly denies this last assertion and gets the last word by saying that "it's traumatic for the child," which is also not true. The reasons for brit milah are profound and date back to the time of the patriarch Abraham. It is hard to believe that Grandma couldn't do better and remember that it was the sign of a covental relationship between a Jewish man and God, a constant reminder that he must remain in control of his passions. Her weak answer is nearly inexplicable, though her daughter's belief that the procedure is "traumatic" is consistent with secular brainwashing.
Virtually no characters express any dedication or respect for Jewish religious traditions, as opposed to Jewish cultural ones. While most Israelis are secular, there is usually among the Mizrachi community more respect for tradition and religious identity than is shown here. The lack of any character conveying an authentic love for Judaism was a disappointment.
Born in Israel to a large family of Yemeni descent, Tsabari, has written an exquisite collection of short stories. Spanning Israel, India, and Canada, the stories are engaging and emotionally compelling. Tsabari has her fingers on the pulse of these countries... their culture, cuisines, traditions, and sorrows. These stories are open-ended and, in the end, leave the reader longing to know more. I look forward to reading more of Tsabari...and hopefully a novel is in her future.
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