Bociany.
Cohen, Leslie
Bociany, by Chava Rosenfarb. Of Lodz and Love, by Chava Rosenfarb.
Both translated from the Yiddish by the author. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse
University Press, 2000, each 352 pp.; each $29.95. Part of Syracuse
University's series: The Library of Modern Jewish Literature.
Bociany and its sequel, Of Love and Lodz, trace the lives of Binele
and Yacov from the shtetl in which they were raised to the city of Lodz,
to which they both migrate as young adults. Although the novels are
fictional, their reconstruction of Jewish life in that period is vividly
authentic. Winners of the Manger Prize for Yiddish literature in 1979,
both books were translated into English by the author, who is a survivor
of the Lodz Ghetto.
The Polish shtetl, Bociany, was named for the storks that nested
there, giving the village its special character. "Bociany" --
that is, the storks -- are regarded in a Jewish folktale as
"messengers from above," and, like the Jews, they migrate,
seeking their survival in a world where nothing is promised but
perpetual precariousness.
Bociany -- both the novel and shtetl for which it is named -- is a
microcosm of Polish Jewish life just before World War I. As such, it
contains all the characteristic elements of Jewish existence in Poland
before the founding of the State of Israel: ghetto dwelling, political
disenfranchisement, the decision-making role of the rabbi, and the
impossible dream of security. Its characters are at a crossroad in
Jewish history, but only some of them are aware of that fact. The
portrayal of the conflict between traditional and modern attitudes
toward Judaism is a central feature of the novel. It is presented as an
ongoing and intense debate between the members of the older and younger
generations. In addition, both Bociany and its sequel, Of Love and Lodz,
offer excellent descriptions of the relationships between Jews and
Gentiles, revealing the constant tug of war between their friendship, on
the one hand, and deep-rooted Polish anti-semitism on the other.
Bociany focuses on two families living in the shtetl -- the family
of the widow, Hindele, and that of the widower, Yossele. Through their
eyes, we become acquainted with many facets of shtetl life. The
well-educated doctor, Shmulikl, introduces Zionism, as well as modern
medicine. The critical debate over religious acceptance of the bitter
life in the diaspora versus the return to Eretz Israel is deeply
embedded in people's conversations and their daily lives. The
author is obviously biased in favor of Zionism and paints a grim
portrait of the Orthodox parental generation.
Bociany opens with the deaths of Hindele's husband and her
eldest son -- both of tuberculosis. Hindele has a small dry goods shop,
where she tries to support her family. Yossele also has a shop on the
market street, next to Hindele's Both of them are encouraged to
remarry after the deaths of their spouses, but neither wants to do so.
They both remain steadfastly religious, despite their misfortunes.
Yossele's and Hindele's elder children follow the
customary ways of the shtetl: they marry and start having children while
they are very young, and they uphold the Jewish religion. In contrast,
their younger children, Yacov and Binele, are rebellious. They both
reject religion and become interested in secular ideas, including
Zionism. Gradually, they fall in love. In the end, Yacov obtains a job
as a tutor for a wealthy family. Binele runs away from home to live in
the nearest big city, Lodz.
The closing chapter introduces a menacing situation, in which the
women run away to the nearby town of Chwosty with their children. They
return to Bociany the following week, but the seeds of discontent have
been firmly planted.
Of Love and Lodz, the sequel to Bociany, follows the lives of
Binele and Yacov, as they develop separately from each other. Binele
runs away from Bociany and finds work and friendship in Baluty, the
poverty-stricken Jewish quarter of Lodz. Yacov remains in Bociany for
several years, tutoring his wealthy pupils until they leave for a
boarding school in Krakow.
Of Love and Lodz is set during World War I, a tumultuous period in
which Yacov feels the "world ... seemed to be falling apart
forever." Like many of the Jewish men of his generation, Yacov
lives in constant dread of conscription into the Polish army. The heated
political arguments between Yacov and his friends are at the heart of
the novel. But while Yacov becomes deeply involved in the political
debate, Binele remains unaffiliated and unwilling to affiliate, either
politically or emotionally.
Finally, Yacov is drafted into the Polish army, and Binele returns
to Bociany, having promised to marry him. She lives with Yacov's
mother, Hindele, while awaiting Yacov's return. In the end there
are two weddings. Binele and Yacov marry, according to plan. Meanwhile,
there is another very unexpected wedding: the widowed parents of Yacov
and Binele also decide to marry each other. The Epilogue takes place 25
years later, in 1947, when the sole survivor of their joint families
finally leaves Poland.
While the portrayal of characters in Bociany is sympathetic and
offers the reader a deep insight into their most intimate feelings, Of
Lodz and Love treats the characters more as representatives of
sociological categories than as authentic human beings. There is so much
attention paid to the political polemic that the life stories of the
individuals seem to recede in importance. The development of the
characters is weak, especially in contrast to Bociany.
In short, the sequel is a disappointing continuation of the
charming novel, Bociany
LESLIE COHEN is a writer whose book reviews have appeared in The
Jerusalem Post, among other publications.
