I Am Forbidden- pretty heavy words. As a matter of fact, I rarely use the word forbidden in my vocabulary. Dark, foreboding, negative. It doesn't really work with my value system. However, for different arms of the religious world, Forbidden takes on a life of its own.
I fancy myself as pretty knowledgeable about the Jewish religion {for a gentile}. My best friend is Jewish, my business partner of 20 years is Jewish and much of my neighborhood is fasting during Yom Kippur. I can hum or mouth Friday night prayers and my son wanted to know "how do I get to be Jewish" so he could have a bar mitzvah of his own when he was 13. As I read I Am Forbidden, I realized how little I knew about the ultra-orthodox Hasidic Judaism sect called Satmar. My May online book club selection for From Left To Write gives the reader an intense and intimate window into a world closed to many who live outside.
Green With Renvy focuses often on ways to improve the environment and I find myself spending equal amounts of time worrying about the toxic nature of products we use and put into our bodies. After reading I am Forbidden, I was reminded, that what I truly see as an even bigger threat to our future is religious intolerance. It's been the source of wars since the beginning of time, and today is still front and center framing much of our political debate and foreign policy.
The struggle between two sisters, forced apart when one questions their faith is a heart wrenching story that mirrors what is happening around the world when tradition and unwavering thinking collides with intellectual freedom. The tragic results of secrets, family expectations and arranged marriages are issues that explode in the hands of this talented author. Markovits' reference to a video on the internet of the stoning of a young woman "human hands bound, female: a circle of bearded men around the writhing red pulp. What could she do?" Is one of the many parallels I saw drawn between the strict Satmar home and other religions with little room for thinking outside the box. The psychological death from being disowned-'you are dead to me'-can be as devastating as the physical killing she refers to.
How do we live side by side in communities where such divergent lines are drawn in lifestyle and beliefs. For me, education and understanding are two of the tools for growing my perspective. Exploration of the unknown, in mind and spirit helps us to combine our communities and live in peaceful co-existence. I was grateful to have the opportunity from Anouk Markovits to expand my horizons and hope others will do the same and enjoy and learn from this heartfelt English language debut from a gifted author.
Though not sisters by blood but through their Hasidic faith, Mila and Atara view the rules and structure of their culture differently. Mila seeks comfort in the Torah while Atara searches for answers in secular literature she is forbidden to read. Ultimately each must make an irrevocable decision that will change their lives forever. Join From Left to Write on May 8 as we discuss I AM FORBIDDEN. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.
Green With Renvy focuses often on ways to improve the environment and I find myself spending equal amounts of time worrying about the toxic nature of products we use and put into our bodies. After reading I am Forbidden, I was reminded, that what I truly see as an even bigger threat to our future is religious intolerance. It's been the source of wars since the beginning of time, and today is still front and center framing much of our political debate and foreign policy.
The struggle between two sisters, forced apart when one questions their faith is a heart wrenching story that mirrors what is happening around the world when tradition and unwavering thinking collides with intellectual freedom. The tragic results of secrets, family expectations and arranged marriages are issues that explode in the hands of this talented author. Markovits' reference to a video on the internet of the stoning of a young woman "human hands bound, female: a circle of bearded men around the writhing red pulp. What could she do?" Is one of the many parallels I saw drawn between the strict Satmar home and other religions with little room for thinking outside the box. The psychological death from being disowned-'you are dead to me'-can be as devastating as the physical killing she refers to.
How do we live side by side in communities where such divergent lines are drawn in lifestyle and beliefs. For me, education and understanding are two of the tools for growing my perspective. Exploration of the unknown, in mind and spirit helps us to combine our communities and live in peaceful co-existence. I was grateful to have the opportunity from Anouk Markovits to expand my horizons and hope others will do the same and enjoy and learn from this heartfelt English language debut from a gifted author.
Though not sisters by blood but through their Hasidic faith, Mila and Atara view the rules and structure of their culture differently. Mila seeks comfort in the Torah while Atara searches for answers in secular literature she is forbidden to read. Ultimately each must make an irrevocable decision that will change their lives forever. Join From Left to Write on May 8 as we discuss I AM FORBIDDEN. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.
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