Review of 'Professor Schiff's Guilt' by Agur Schiff

The protagonist of this novel does not deny that his "grandfather's grandfather's grandfather was a slave trader". Professor Schiff admits this freely to the members of the Special Tribunal convened in a fictitious African nation to judge whether he is guilty under the newly legislated Law for Adjudicating Slave Traders and their Accomplices, Heirs, and Beneficiaries. Schiff is the "first person officially suspected of committing crimes" under this law. He has no doubts that the tribunal will maintain its judicial objectivity and trusts it to judge him fairly.

In the novel Professor Schiff's Guilt by Agur Schiff, translated by Jessica Cohen (New Vessel Press, May 2023), the 63-year-old professor first learns about this small African coastal country after reading a marginal item in a newspaper detailing the discovery of the remnants of a nineteenth-century merchant ship. The Esperanza was once owned by his ancestor, Klonimus Zelig Schiff. The professor saw in his family's connection to that ship and its role in the African slave trade, the subject of his next book.

But the professor's road to Africa began even before he read that newspaper article. When he fails to collect a debt from a dubious attorney at home in Tel Aviv, he is offered instead the services of Mrs. Lucile Tetteh-Ofosu, an African migrant worker, as a personal assistant. "Are you offering me a human being instead of the money you and your friends owe me?" he asks incredulously. Signing a legal document entitles Schiff to "make any use of Lucile as he shall deem desirable in his sole discretion," in effect making her his modern-day slave.

These two plotlines play out in parallel—the professor on trial for his slave-trading ancestor's misdeeds, and his fascination with the mysterious African woman who he employs to clean his house. The African official assigned to Schiff's case declares him a racist, claiming that his testimonies and writings show that he considers Africans to be inferior. Is the professor guilty of this charge, or is he honest in his claim that he loves the African nation, its people and its culture?

"You love us just as a master loves his slave," the investigator tells him.

This well-written and compelling satirical novel makes us question how our colonial ancestors related to the African continent and how Israelis today relate to the migrant workers we employ in minimum-wage menial jobs on the streets of Tel Aviv. In this, maybe we share the professor's guilt.

Agur Schiff has worked as a filmmaker, started writing fiction in the early 1990s, and has published two short story collections and six novels. Professor emeritus at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, he has been awarded the Israeli Prime Minister’s Prize.

Jessica Cohen translates contemporary Israeli prose, poetry, and other creative work. She shared the 2017 Man Booker International Prize with David Grossman, for her translation of A Horse Walks into a Bar, and has translated works by major Israeli writers, including Amos Oz, Etgar Keret, Ronit Matalon and Nir Baram.

Originally posted on The Times of Israel.

Hiking in Israel: Nahal Prat (in pictures)

Nahal Prat, commonly known as Wadi Qelt, is a stream in a Judean Desert ravine not far from Jerusalem. The stream, with its spring and natural pools, is a popular destination not only for hikers, but also for families eager to cool off in the easily accessible pools. Especially picturesque is St. George Monastery, an active cliff-hanging complex inhabited by Greek Orthodox monks.

Less accessible, and certainly more challenging, is the central part of the stream. As part of a group of 16 hikers, I made the steep descent from Kfar Adumim (knowing that there would be a steep ascent at the end of our circuitous route). This area of the stream is wild, although the paths are well-marked and there are metal rungs set in the rocks in sections where the path was narrow or climbing was needed. At a few spots we needed to cross the stream, jumping carefully from rock to rock. And there was one pool for those willing to take the plunge.

While the weather was cool making our desert hike quite comfortable, at one point we were surprised by an unseasonable downpour. This made parts of the hike a bit dangerous, not because of the fear of flash floods but because the rocks were very slippery.

Climbing the hill back up to Kfar Adumim after a 7.5 kilometer hike, I looked down at the ravine and said to myself that I will gladly come back for another enjoyable hike in Nahal Prat.

Related stories:

Hiking in Israel: Overlooking Jericho

Hiking in Israel: Dead Sea Sinkholes

Israel at 75

As Israel marks 75 years since its establishment as the Jewish State, the country is fraught with division, with a profound chasm between viewpoints about our future as a democracy. On the occasion of our Independence Day, I will refrain from politics and instead invite you to view some videos about everything positive in Israel.

Israel - a modern country based on ancient history. Home to three of the world's major religions - this is the land where King David ruled, where Jesus preached, where the Crusaders waged their battles. Israel has sandy Mediterranean beaches, a ski resort on Mt. Hermon, and stunning deserts.

Of course if you visit Israel, you'll see much, much more!

Review of 'The Bibliomaniacs: Tales from a Tel Aviv Bookseller'

Down an alleyway on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv there is a bookstore described as "probably the biggest collection of used English books in the country". This very real bookstore, opened in 1991, is the setting for the short stories of The Bibliomaniacs: Tales from a Tel Aviv Bookseller by J.C. Halper (Locus Publishing House, December 2022).

"One hears a lot of stories in a place where stories are sold," the protagonist of the collection says in the opening story. "I am often a good listener and encourage people, especially paying customers." This storyteller, an undisguised characterization of the author, is intrigued by stories of bibliomania, the obsessive-compulsive urge to hoard books, and these are the stories he shares with visitors to his fictional, based-on-fact, bookstore.

His customers include Kenny Gold, an American-born Paratroopers veteran working at Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. About to participate in the Jerusalem Marathon, Gold is called away at the last minute to handle a private task for his boss, Minister Moshe Sulimani. Angry after being assigned to send out the Bar Mitzvah invitations for Yaron, his boss's son, he instead papercuts them into snowflakes and flowers. Gold is saved from being sacked when the minister runs into personal problems of his own.

Sulimani and his son appear in another of the book's stories. Yaron escapes his father's political misconducts by changing his last name to Solan. After writing a book of poetry and a novella that was praised in Haaretz but mocked by his infamous father, Yaron takes refuge in a Bedouin encampment in the Negev. "Another shameful scandal for the Sulimanis," the tabloid headlines scream.

Hanan Meir, a famous writer, visits the bookstore on a monthly basis in search of books he himself has written, questioning why books he had inscribed or dedicated to readers had ended up in second-hand bookstores. Meir mentions meeting a professor, a frequent bookstore customer who had been caught pilfering valuable British Mandate period literature collectibles. "Murder, I would even murder to get a book I must have," the professor declares.

Customers to the fictional bookstore in The Bibliomaniacs, or to the very real bookstore on Tel Aviv's Allenby Street, probably won't kill anyone for books, but they will find genuine value in the "book gossip" told in the short stories of this highly enjoyable collection.

J.C. Halper was born in Newark and raised in Springfield, New Jersey. He studied history at George Washington University and at Yeshiva University. He moved to Israel in 1983 and was soon drafted into the Infantry. He opened his bookstore on Allenby Street in downtown Tel Aviv in 1991. When not buying and selling books, he tries to read them.

Originally published on The Times of Israel.

On the Trail of the Sarajevo Haggadah

How an illuminated manuscript inspired me to travel to the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I first learned of the Sarajevo Haggadah when I read the novel, People of the Book, by Australian-born author Geraldine Brooks. The book, inspired by a true story, tells the harrowing journey through the ages of a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript. This colorful holy book was spared destruction during World War Two when it was saved by an Islamic scholar and hidden in a village mosque. Its history goes back even further, to 14th century Spain and Venice.

The novel fascinated me. It was also exciting to learn that one of the characters in the story, a member of the partisans fighting against the Nazis, was based on a true person, the mother of one of the members of the moshav where I live near Jerusalem.

I couldn't stop thinking about Sarajevo, a city famous for its cultural religious diversity.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo in 1914 was the "shot heard round the world" that sparked World War I.

Although my wife and I had lived for two years in Bulgaria, and we had traveled extensively in the region, we had never yet visited Bosnia and Herzegovina. We signed up for an organized tour to the Balkans, which included visits to the stunning mountains and nature reserves of Montenegro, and to the seafront walled city of Dubrovnik, in Croatia. I eagerly looked forward to my visit to Sarajevo.

Inside the Sarajevo Synagogue

In addition to being the place where the first world war was launched, Sarajevo suffered heavily in a war that marked the end of the 20th century. During the Balkan conflict in the years 1992-1995, some 60% of the city's buildings were either destroyed or damaged by Serbian bombardment. 11,541 people lost their lives in Sarajevo in that war; a tunnel dug under the city's airport provided a lifeline for much needed supplies.

The Jewish connection to Sarajevo goes back centuries. Strongly involved in commerce and trade, the Jewish community lived freely among the Muslim and Christian population. The Ottomans provided land for a central synagogue, originally built in 1581 and later reconstructed with stone walls in 1831.

In World War Two, the city's Jews were rounded up and sent to the camps. The synagogue became a prison, and then stables for Nazi officers. The building was used as a warehouse until 1966, and then reconstructed. It opened its doors in 1976, only to be closed during the Balkan war years. In 2004, the Sarajevo Synagogue reopened its doors as a synagogue and museum. There are today some 700 Jews in Sarajevo, but only 80 adults constitute the active Jewish community. A total of 1,100 Jews live in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A member of the Sarajevo Jewish community tells of the famed Haggadah.

The Sarajevo Haggadah is the country's most prized treasure. A Haggadah is a narrative of the Exodus read at the Passover Seder service. Sarajevo's 109-page text is unique because it is handwritten on bleached calfskin, and illuminated in copper and gold, with colorful depictions of Biblical scenes.

The manuscript is housed in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a building nearly destroyed in the four years of the Balkan war. The Haggadah is protected in a special vault with a bulletproof glass door on the museum's restored second floor. The Haggadah is reportedly the most valuable book in the world; it was insured for $7 million when it was transported to an exhibition in Spain in 1992.

In October, 2012, Bosnia's National Museum closed its doors due to a lack of funding. For years the museum had survived on donations, but they were not enough to keep the institution running. An offer by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to exhibit the Haggadah was rejected due to domestic legal issues.

Replica of the Sarajevo Haggadah

My visit to Saravejo to see the prized manuscript was not in vain. The synagogue displays a copy of the famed Haggadah, and even when viewed behind glass, this replica is strikingly beautiful. The Haggadah tells the story of the Exodus from Israel, but this particular manuscript also demonstrates an ability to survive despite the most horrific odds. It is no wonder that this fascinating book inspired me to visit Sarajevo.

Originally published on July 4, 2014 and in The Times of Israel.

Related article:

I Couldn't Believe What I Saw Out My Sarajevo Hotel Window

‘Jerusalem Beach’ by Iddo Gefen Is Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature Finalist

Jerusalem Beach, the short story collection by Iddo Gefen, translated by Daniella Zamir (Astra House, August 2021), is one of four fiction finalists for the 2023 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.

"When you read Gefen’s stories," I wrote in my review of his book, "with their diverse characters, and cross-genre themes of memories and dreams, you never know what you’re going to get. But one thing you do know. Each story is going to be very enjoyable to read."

The annual Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature "recognizes the unique role of contemporary writers in the examination and transmission of the Jewish experience. The $100,000 prize is presented to an emerging writer who demonstrates the potential for continued contribution to the world of Jewish literature."

Jerusalem Beach is certainly worthy of this prestigious prize and congratulations to Iddo Gefen for this well-deserved recognition!

A previous winner of the Sami Rohr prize was Ayelet Tsabari for her short story collection The Best Place on Earth in 2015.

"Time Shelter" by Georgi Gospodinov Makes International Booker Longlist

The novel Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov, translated into English by Angela Rodel (Liveright May, 2022), has been included in the International Booker prize 2023 longlist. This is the first time that a Bulgarian novel has been nominated for this prestigious award.

The International Book prize is awarded annually for a novel or short story collection written originally in any language, translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. The £50,000 prize money is split equally between the author and translator of the winning book.

I reviewed Time Shelter for World Literature Today in its September 2022 edition, writing that "the underlying theme in Time Shelter is whether our memories of the past, real or imagined, can protect us from the temporal chaos outside our daily lives." I added, "In real life, memories may not shield us from that chaos, but in the imagination of Georgi Gospodinov, anything is possible."

I had previously reviewed Gospodinov's novel The Physics of Sorrow.

Georgi Gospodinov was born in Yambol, Bulgaria, and his works have been translated to acclaim in 25 languages. His novels have been shortlisted for more than a dozen international prizes.

Angela Rodel is a professional literary translator living and working in Bulgaria. She holds a B.A. from Yale and an M.A. from UCLA in linguistics. She received a 2014 NEA translation grant for The Physics of Sorrow (Open Letter 2015).

Related articles:

Book Review: "Time Shelter" by Georgi Gospodinov

The Physics of Randomness

"Have a Nice Day" - short story

Hastings wakes up, shaves, showers, combs his hair. Puts on his suit, adjusts his tie. Picks up his briefcase on his way out and checks that he has locked his apartment behind him. Rides the elevator down to the lobby where he is greeted by Al, the building’s doorman.

“Good morning, Mr. Hastings!”

“Morning,” he replies with a wave.

“Busy day ahead?”

“Same as always.”

“Important court case, is it?”

“No, nothing important.”

“What is it then? Divorce settlement? Defending a tax evader?”

He shakes his head.

“You probably have clients lining up outside your door, you’re such a well-known attorney.”

“And you’re a well-known doorman!”

“Always the joker, you are.”

“Have a nice day,” Hastings says. He walks through the revolving doors and out to the street.

At the newsstand he picks up the Times. As he scours the headlines, the vendor leans forward, a cigarette balancing precariously on his lower lip.

“Anything you wrote?”

“No, nothing today,” Hastings says as he folds the pages.

“Something of yours gonna appear in print? Big exposé, maybe?”

Hastings laughs. “I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.”

“Wait until I tell the guys. City’s best reporter buying newspapers at my stand!”

Hastings grins as he accepts his change. “Have a nice day.”

The subway station is crowded, and he pushes his way to the platform. The train pulls in, and he gets on, quickly taking his usual seat near the door.

“Morning Hastings,” says the over-weight man sitting at his left.

He nods. The two men ride the same train most mornings, with Hastings trying not to get annoyed at the constant chatter of his traveling companion.

“I’ve been having pains,” the heavy man complains, gripping his belly.

“Pains?” Hastings raises an eyebrow.

“Right here. In my gut. What do you think it could be? Appendix? Tumor?”

“I don’t have a clue.”

“But you’re a famous doctor. Surely you must know something. Cancer? Could it be that?”

“You should have it checked out.”

“Can you do that? Give me a full physical?”

“This is my stop,” Hastings says politely as he stands up. “I hope you feel better. Have a nice day.”

Emerging from the subway station, Hastings looks at his watch. He is on time, he sees, so he stops at the corner coffee shop and gets in line. When it is his turn, he approaches the counter to place his order.

“Good morning,” the freckle-faced barista says warmly.

“Hello, Natalie. How are you?”

“I’m fine, just fine. It’s always exciting to see you in the mornings.”

“Exciting?”

“Well, you know.”

“No, I don’t know.”

“Oh, come on, Mr. Hastings. You, of all people, coming here for coffee. You could be drinking with a celebrity instead. A movie star, or someone from one of those rock bands you represent.”

“Your coffee’s good.”

“Imagine that. A bigshot talent agent likes my coffee!”

The other customers in line are waiting, so Hastings moves to the side. When Natalie hands him his cappuccino, he winks at her. “Thanks,” he says. “Have a nice day.”

He walks down the street, taking an occasional sip of coffee. When he reaches his building, he transfers the lidded cup to his other hand so that he can open the door. He climbs three floors, takes out his key, and unlocks his office.

His desk is piled with folders, half hiding his computer. He looks for an empty spot for his coffee, sets his briefcase on the floor. He sits down, riffles through the folders, looking at the names on the labels.

The lawyer. The journalist. The doctor. The talent agent. And all the others. Each of them has taxes to file; each of their files will be handled in turn.

He sighs, wondering what it must be like to be in their shoes. To live their lives. But except for a few brief moments each morning, he has his own life to live. He picks up his pen and clicks his computer to life.

“Have a nice day,” Hastings wishes himself as he gets to work.

 # # #

Originally published on Written Tales.