Ellis Shuman's Blog, page 11

"I Am Marco Polo's Brother" - short story

My name is GiuseppePolo, son of Niccolò and Nicole Anna, born in the year of our Lord 1251 in the magnificentcity of Venice. Magnificent, I say, not only because of my city's Gothic-style palacesand narrow canals winding through its districts like so many cobblestoned streets,but also because of the power and influence of the Republic of Venice. Ourrepublic is prosperous, ruling many territories on the shores of the Aegean Seaand beyond.

I was but a boyof three, still weaning from my mother, when my illustrious father and uncle Maffeoset forth as traveling merchants on a mission to the East. They sought spicesand silks, precious gems, and gold and silver utensils, anything that wouldbenefit our family business, but I believe the true intention of their journeywas something other than material wealth.

Read the rest of the story on Litro Magazine USA.

"The Last Elephant" - short story

Sometimein the near future

 

Ethan has beenlooking forward to the school outing for weeks. Marking the dates on hiscalendar, a countdown running in his head. Two weeks to go. One more week. Fourdays. Two. Today!

Ethan is going tothe zoo with his classmates at Lincoln Elementary. With Liam and Stevie, hisbest friends. They are as excited as he is. The zoo! And they will see theelephant!

“Listen upeverybody,” Mrs. Gibson says to her students when they arrive. She introducesthem to one of the zoo’s employees.

“My name isJackson, but you can call me Jack. Our zoo is a member of Animals Consolidated,the leading zoo management company in America,” he explains. “Our zoos have themost wonderful creatures. You’ll see some of these special animals today. Areyou ready to get started?”

Read the rest of the story on Written Tales.

"The Table at the Back of the Coffee Shop" - short story

 

Up and about when all is quiet,Kevin puts on his sports clothes and running shoes and races through the park.It doesn’t matter if there is light rain, or if the temperature has dropped belowfreezing, the run invigorates him, sets him right for the day.

The early train is half empty, andKevin takes his usual seat in the third car. He picks up the self-help book heis reading. As the train speeds toward the city, Kevin studies the daily habitsof successful people.

Kevin emerges from the station andbounds across the street, steps ahead of a passing delivery truck. The barista atthe all-night coffee shop greets him by name. He nods and takes his regulartable toward the back. This is where he sits every morning, the naturallighting just right. His regular table. He powers up his laptop, and his espressois ready moments later.

The barista—maybe her name is Nancy,he's not sure—once tried to engage Kevin in conversation, asking him why heworked in the coffee shop. Kevin gave her the briefest of replies, telling herhe had long ago vowed to stay clear of office politics, and that he had a shakyinternet connection at home.

What Kevin didn’t tell her was thathe had recently been fired from his job at a brokerage firm. Insider trading,they said, but it wasn’t exactly true. He also didn’t tell the barista that hehad just broken up with his girlfriend. She had yet to remove her things fromthe apartment they had shared. Getting into the city each day and working inthe coffee shop—this was the escape he needed. This was his life now.

Kevin sits at his regular table andsips his coffee. He gets busying buying securities and stocks, then sellingthem later, hoping to turn a profit. For Kevin, the coffee shop is a welcomerefuge when everything in his life has gone wrong. The relaxed ambience of theplace makes him forget, temporarily, the loss of a job, and the girlfriend who walkedout on him. Listening to mood music streaming through his AirPods, he filtersout the surrounding noise and tunes out of his troubles. The morning's caffeineintake keeps him alert, keeps him on course. He reviews his positions andcloses profitable deals where he can, hoping to come out ahead at the end ofthe market day.

On the train home, Kevin reads achapter of his self-help book. When he arrives at his apartment, he sets hislaptop on the table and skims through emails. A dinner of leftover Chinesetakeout awaits him. He walks around the boxes left by his ex-girlfriend, opensa beer, and falls asleep while watching a streaming crime series.

Five days a week, Kevin travels tothe city and sits at the coffee shop for a full day of day trading. Kevinwonders whether it's all worth it. No colleagues to work with, no girlfriendwaiting for him when he returns home. There must be more to life than this.

It's Friday morning, the last day ofthe workweek. When Kevin arrives at the coffee shop, someone is sitting at hisusual table. The table in the back, by the window. His table. A woman with herhead down is typing on her laptop. Kevin looks around at the many availabletables. He could sit anywhere, but this is where the natural lighting is best.The barista has a wry smile on her face as she prepares his espresso. Kevinturns to the woman.

“Excuse me. This is my table.”

The woman looks up, stares at Kevin,and then breaks into tears. He steps back, not understanding what he’s done tooffend her. He raises his hands, surrendering the table, but doesn’t move away.He won't be able to get any work done sitting near a crying woman.

“Is something wrong?” He realizeshow stupid this sounds because, obviously, something is very wrong.

 

*-*-*

 

It’s unusual for Claire to be upthis early. It’s not like her to go to a 24-hour coffee shop for anything morethan a disposable cup of takeaway coffee. To sit down at a table in the backwith her laptop, where no one can see her—this is not normal for Claire, butsomehow her life has gone off kilter.

Claire usually sleeps until noon,takes a leisurely shower, and, having skipped breakfast, sits down to a meal ofhome-cooked pasta while reading Vogue magazine. Haute couture fashion. Beauty.Culture and celebrities. Designer clothing. That’s what interests her; her liferevolves around fashion.

After lunch, Claire texts herfriends, catches up on the latest gossip. Who is cheating on their husband, whois sleeping with whom? Claire informs her friends—she has known Stacy, Jessica,and Amy for years—that there’s nothing new in her own life. No seriousboyfriend. No recent hook-ups. No, it’s okay, she tells them. Really.

It’s only after three in theafternoon when Claire opens her laptop and gets down to the job that pays herbills. The demands of managing the content of a high-traffic online shoppingsite—writing, editing, and revising—keeps her busy through the evening. Thework is intense, but she loves every minute. Writing descriptions of the latestcollections of women’s clothing enthralls her, makes her eager to order theproducts she is helping to advertise. But there is no way she can afford to buythe items up for sale on the site.

This is Claire’s life, and she’scontent with it. She has a good job, close friends, a loving family that shesees from time to time. Everything is going well.

All this changes with just oneemail.

“We are sorry to inform you thatyour services are no longer needed,” the message reads. It’s from the HRdepartment and there is no further explanation. She has never met the HRmanager in person—their conversations have been on Skype with an occasionalZoom meeting—but their relationship has been good, Claire thinks. There havenever been complaints about her work.

Your servicesare no longer needed.

It’s a shock. Coming out of nowherelike this. No reason why. Nothing.

Claire gets into bed but can’t fallasleep. What has she done wrong? She’s been doing a good job managing thecontent on the site, she’s sure. She gets her work done on time and no one hasever complained. The opposite. She has come up with some creative ideas andsuggested innovative improvements to the site. The emails she has received fromher manager have been complimentary. “Great idea!” “Looks good!” “Keep it up!”Short messages, but very positive.

Until this email. Your servicesare no longer needed.

Claire gets up, closes her laptopand puts it in its case. She needs to respond, to ask what she’s done wrong.She isn’t willing to see her position at the shopping site end like this. Shevows to fight for her job.

It's very early, not even seven inthe morning, when Claire enters the coffee shop, the one she has passed by manytimes. She approaches the counter, almost afraid to state her order. The barista—hernametag reads Nancy—smiles at her, encourages her to speak up.

“I’ll have a latte,” Clairewhispers.

“Are you okay?” Nancy asks.

“Yes.”

Claire looks for a place to sit.Except for a pair of uniformed police officers taking a break from theirduties, the coffee shop is empty. She doesn’t want to be seen by anyone, so sheheads to the back. She sets up her laptop on a table next to the window andlogs into the website's content management system, possibly for the last time.The aroma of freshly brewed coffee is so strong and inviting that Claire jumpsfrom her seat when the barista announces that her coffee is ready.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Claire doesn’t respond, and headsback to her table. She stares at the screen, not knowing what to write, how tostate her argument. Words fail her and she sits there for a long time, hercoffee growing cold. Maybe she should start with an apology, acknowledge herfailures, although she can’t imagine what they might be. She starts to type.

“Excuse me. This is my table.”

She looks up, stares at a strangeman for a moment, and then bursts into tears. He raises his hands, surrenderingthe table, but doesn’t move away. “Is something wrong?” he asks.

Claire can’t stop crying.

 

*-*-*

 

Nancy is almost finished with hershift. She works nights at the coffee shop and returns to her apartment shortlybefore Tony finishes his shift at the front desk of a downtown hotel. She looksforward to snuggling with him, to feeling his athletic body next to hers. Towhat will surely follow. Then they will sleep until noon, take turns in theshower, and start their day.

While Tony catches up on thebasketball scores, Nancy gets busy in the kitchen. This is her favorite part ofthe day—chopping, dicing, roasting, and baking. She’s not a professionalcook—far from it—but she has dreams of one day learning culinary arts. Shecould become a sous chef at Tony’s hotel, wouldn't that be amazing?

Later, after lunch, Nancy takes anap. Sometimes she has to force herself into bed knowing that if she doesn’tget some sleep, she’ll be exhausted during her shift. Sometimes she's so tiredthat the nap lasts for hours. The coffee shop doesn’t get much business aftermidnight, yet she must remain alert, ready to serve any customers who comethrough the door. It’s actually quite boring, but Tony reports having similarboring shifts at the hotel.

They have been living together forover a year. Nancy would like to make their relationship permanent, but Tony isa carefree guy, unwilling to make commitments. What’s wrong with the life theylead? he says. He loves her, so why ask for anything more than that? They havea good thing going, but she longs to get married, to start a family. One day…

On the rare weekend when neither ofthem has a shift, Tony heads to the gym. He loves to work out, to lift weightsand run on a treadmill. Anything and everything to stay in shape. In theafternoons, Tony hits the courts near the high school for hours ofthree-on-three basketball games. He loves sports; he thrives on competing withhis buddies.

Nancy stays home, or goes outshopping with her friends. Occasionally her sister visits, and they hang outtogether. Sometimes they spend hours in the kitchen, cooking up a storm andwhat she imagines is a gourmet dinner. While Tony appreciates her efforts, herarely compliments the food.

Late on Sunday, Tony reports to thehotel, and Nancy puts on her uniform and heads to the coffee shop. The night isuneventful. She recognizes the regulars—cops, doctors, and journalists whoorder light meals at the oddest hours. She grinds the coffee, drips steaminghot water through the coffee grounds, foams the milk, and savors the chocolaty aroma.She brings the customers their meals, and they acknowledge her service withtheir tips. Not huge amounts, but still, it’s extra money.

On Monday morning, almost at the endof her shift, Nancy yawns as the first light of day streams through the windows.A noisy delivery truck passes on the street and Nancy jokes with Rick, theshort-order cook. She leans back against the counter, imagining where her lifemay go. One day she and Tony will get married. She’ll be able to quit this job,stop working nights. Maybe they’ll buy a house outside the city and start thefamily she dreams about. One day…

A woman walks through the door andapproaches. Nancy waits patiently, but the woman says nothing at first. Andthen, almost in a whisper, the woman, her eyes red and her hand shaking, ordersa latte.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” the woman replies, but Nancycan see this is not true. Before turning to prepare the coffee, she watches thewoman walk to the back and open her laptop on the table next to the window.

“Your coffee is ready!" Thewoman returns to the counter. “Are you sure you’re okay?” The woman doesn’trespond and there is another customer waiting for Nancy’s attention.

She continues to prepare and servecoffee and then looks up to see a familiar face. It is Kevin, the regular whocomes to the coffee shop every week day and sits for hours and hours. Sheremembers asking him once why he didn’t work in an office, or from home, butshe can’t remember his reply. Nancy knows he drinks espressos, so she waves himto his usual table. The table where the woman who appeared to be on the vergeof crying is sitting. She smiles, wondering where Kevin will sit.

Nancy can’t overhear what Kevin andthe unfamiliar woman are saying, despite the coffee shop being totally empty. Shewatches as Kevin stands next to the table, and then backs away, his handsraised, palms facing forward. The two continue talking to each other as Nancypours his coffee.

“Your espresso is ready,” she callsout, but it's several minutes until Kevin comes to claim it.

The coffee shop fills up. Accountantsand lawyers, store managers and clerks, even a few early morning shoppers, comein and place their orders. Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Americanos, Macchiatos andsoy-based cappuccinos. The occasional herbal tea here or there. Coffee to stay,coffee to go. The croissants are very popular, as are the cheese Danish andother pastries on the menu. Rick has been busy lathering bagels with creamcheese or butter. His shift will end soon as well.

Nancy looks to the back and seesKevin and the unfamiliar woman sitting together at the table near the window.Their laptops are open, side by side, but they don’t appear to be working. Thewoman is no longer crying. Nancy wonders what her problem was, and what Kevinsaid to calm her down. It appears as if they are enjoying each other's company.

“Hi Nancy, I hope your night wentwell.”

It is Shauna, beginning the morningshift. Nancy smiles at her, gives her a rundown on outstanding orders, and thenclocks out. She looks at her watch and is reassured she’ll get home before Tonyreturns from the hotel.

 

*-*-*

 

I sit at the table at the back ofthe coffee shop every morning and observe the people around me. I sip my cappuccinoas I watch the customers order coffee and croissants, bagels and scrambledeggs. Are they on their way to work, or finishing a night shift? Are they hereto meet with colleagues, friends, or lovers?

Life happens around me, andplotlines run through my head. The people I see make their way into what I’mwriting. Short stories. I create lives as I type.

There is a man who shows up at thecoffee shop every morning, working on his laptop while drinking his coffee. Iimagine him to be a day trader, handling transactions in the markets of Asia,Europe, and New York. A woman comes into the coffee shop and it’s clear she’sbeen crying. After placing her order, she sits down and stares at her laptop,too tearful to do anything. The man approaches her, saying a comforting word ortwo. “Your coffee’s ready,” announces the barista. The woman takes her coffee,and the man moves close to the woman’s table. The two talk quietly, theirconversation calming the woman.

I witness their interaction andwonder how I can turn it into a story. As I type, I build their backgrounds andprofessions. Their romances and dreams. The man recently broke up with hisgirlfriend, I imagine, while the woman just lost her job. The barista is hopingto get married and raise a family. In my mind, anything and everything ispossible.

Every morning I sit at the table atthe back of the coffee shop and write, the ideas flowing and my typing racingto keep up. Every morning I have only one hour to pursue my hobby, and the timepasses quickly. I finish my coffee, close my laptop, and nod to the barista asI leave. I must hurry if I want to get to the office on time.

 

# # #

Originally published  in New Plains Review (Fall 2022) and available on Amazon.

     Photo by Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash

Review of 'Demon Copperhead' by Barbara Kingsolver

Thisweek Barbara Kingsolver won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel Demon Copperhead . This week I finished reading Demon Copperhead. Justbecause a book wins the Pulitzer doesn't mean you'll enjoy it.

Ihave read Pulitzer Prize winners in the past and some of them I enjoyedimmensely, such as Less by Andrew Sean Greer (2018 winner); All theLight We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2015); and The Goldfinch byDonna Tartt (2014).

Onthe other hand, I considered The Overstory by Richard Powers (2019) tobe seriously overrated, excessively long, and complicated by esoteric wordsthat would baffle a Scrabble player.

Whatdidn't I like about Demon Copperhead? The novel is described as a 'masterfulrecasting" of David Copperfield. Apologies to Charles Dickens—I didn'tread that classic. In this case, I can't make any sort of comparison.

DemonCopperhead is the coming-of-age story of an Appalachian boy struggling withpoverty and, as he grows up, opioid addiction. The Pulitzer Prize committeesaid that the protagonist Demon Copperhead has a "wise, unwavering voice"but I found that voice annoying. And longwinded. And often veering off coursein an endless stream of consciousness that was difficult for me, as a reader,to endure.

Lifeis hard when you're going from one uncaring foster home to the next, it's true,but I kept wishing that Demon would get his act together. He never did.

Especially irritating to me was the language of the book. I'm sure that the author got itjust right—this is the way Virginian rednecks speak and act—but I found thebook too Appalachian for me, for lack of a better way to describe it.

Thebook is long and midway, I began to long for it to end. I'll leave it for thereader to determine whether it's a happy ending or not. Maybe the novel deservesthe prestigious literary prize it won, but I won't be one of its readersrecommending it.

Barbara Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist and poet. She was raised inrural Kentucky and lived briefly in the Congo in her early childhood. Herwidely known works include The Poisonwood Bible, the tale of amissionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, anon-fiction account of her family's attempts to eat locally.

Related stories:

Reviewof "Less" by Andrew Sean Greer

Review of 'The Overstory' by Richard Powers 

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

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

In the novel ProfessorSchiff's Guilt by Agur Schiff, translated by Jessica Cohen (New VesselPress, May 2023), the 63-year-old professor first learns about this smallAfrican coastal country after reading a marginal item in a newspaper detailingthe discovery of the remnants of a nineteenth-century merchant ship. The Esperanzawas once owned by his ancestor, Klonimus Zelig Schiff. The professor saw in hisfamily's connection to that ship and its role in the African slave trade, thesubject of his next book.

But theprofessor's road to Africa began even before he read that newspaper article. Whenhe fails to collect a debt from a dubious attorney at home in Tel Aviv, he isoffered instead the services of Mrs. Lucile Tetteh-Ofosu, an African migrantworker, as a personal assistant. "Are you offering me a human beinginstead 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 heshall deem desirable in his sole discretion," in effect making her hismodern-day slave.

These two plotlinesplay out in parallel—the professor on trial for his slave-trading ancestor'smisdeeds, and his fascination with the mysterious African woman who he employs toclean his house. The African official assigned to Schiff's case declares him aracist, claiming that his testimonies and writings show that he considersAfricans to be inferior. Is the professor guilty of this charge, or is hehonest in his claim that he loves the African nation, its people and itsculture?

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

Thiswell-written and compelling satirical novel makes us question how our colonial ancestorsrelated to the African continent and how Israelis today relate to the migrantworkers we employ in minimum-wage menial jobs on the streets of Tel Aviv. Inthis, maybe we share the professor's guilt.

Agur Schiff has worked asa filmmaker, started writing fiction in the early 1990s, and has published twoshort story collections and six novels. Professor emeritus at the BezalelAcademy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, he has been awarded the Israeli PrimeMinister’s Prize.

Jessica Cohen translatescontemporary Israeli prose, poetry, and other creative work. She shared the2017 Man Booker International Prize with David Grossman, for her translationof A Horse Walks into a Bar, and has translated works by majorIsraeli 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'

Downan 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 storiesof The Bibliomaniacs: Tales from a Tel Aviv Bookseller by J.C. Halper (LocusPublishing House, December 2022).

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

Hiscustomers include Kenny Gold, an American-born Paratroopers veteran working at Israel'sMinistry of Foreign Affairs. About to participate in the Jerusalem Marathon, Goldis 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 Mitzvahinvitations for Yaron, his boss's son, he instead papercuts them into snowflakesand flowers. Gold is saved from being sacked when the minister runs intopersonal problems of his own.

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

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

Customersto the fictional bookstore in The Bibliomaniacs, or to the very realbookstore 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 theshort stories of this highly enjoyable collection.

J.C. Halper was born in Newark and raised in Springfield, New Jersey. He studiedhistory at George Washington University and at Yeshiva University. He moved toIsrael in 1983 and was soon drafted into the Infantry. He opened his bookstoreon Allenby Street in downtown Tel Aviv in 1991. When not buying and sellingbooks, 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.