From time to time, I find myself drawn to stories of Orthodox Judaism. Something about the austere customs and ancient theology appeals to me. I would guess I am not alone in this as there are multiple titles to select from, both fiction and memoir. Movies, too.
Tova Mirvis was raised in an Orthodox family in Memphis. It was expected that she would marry within the faith. She did so at a young age and relocated to New York and later the Boston area. Eventually she realized that she couldn’t be a part of the community anymore.
I loved the parts of the book where she talked about Jewish customs like pulling out plastic frogs at a Seder or building temporary outdoor shelter at Sukkot. She is very good at incorporating theological meaning into ritual. The richness of these moments contrasts with the cold treatment she is given when she petitions to divorce her husband. Some people shun her; others challenge her integrity.
As is often the case with memoirs, it is not always clear what the full story is. The author is a bit coy about the private details of her marriage, which she characterizes as miserable. It is also peculiar that the book is marketed as an independence story because we learn at the end that Ms. Mirvis remarried within a year.
In a different light, Julia Dahl has written an engaging crime series that incorporates the Orthodox world. The protagonist, Rebekah Roberts, is a tabloid journalist whose birth mother abandoned her as a baby to return to the community that she tried and failed to leave. While Rebekah covers murders in the area, she is forced to come to terms with her past.
In addition to the winning premise, the crime stories are pretty good. My favorite is the third, Conviction, that details the tensions in Crown Heights that led to violence in the early ’90s.
If you don’t have time for any of those, I recommend Menarche, an indie movie. The protagonist is forced to give up his young son after his wife dies. It turns out it’s not just women who are stifled by law: he is not allowed to raise his child as a single father and must hand over his son to a married couple while he seeks a new wife. It’s a fascinating look into tribal customs and modern practicality.
Books Smitten 