Night in Jerusalem

by Gaelle Lehrer Kennedy

A bewitching love story that is also an extraordinary portrait of Jerusalem, its faith, spirituality, identity, and kaleidoscope of clashing beliefs, Night in Jerusalem is a novel of mystery, beauty, historical insight, and sexual passion. David Bennett is invited to Jerusalem in 1967 by his cousin who, to the alarm of his aristocratic British family, has embraced Judaism. He introduces David to his mentor, Reb Eli, a revered sage in the orthodox community. Despite his resistance to religious teaching, David becomes enthralled by the rabbi’s wisdom and compassionate presence. When David discloses a sexual problem, Reb Eli unwittingly sets off a chain of events that transforms his life and the life of the mysterious prostitute, Tamar, who, in a reprise of an ancient biblical story, leads both men to an astonishing realization. As passions rise, the Six Day War erupts, reshaping the lives of everyone caught up in it.

Genres: Historical Fiction

246 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2016

About the author

I lived in Israel in the 1960s, a naive twenty-year-old, hoping to find myself and my place in the world. The possibility of war was remote to me. I imagined the tensions in the region would somehow be resolved peacefully. Then, the Six Day War erupted and I experienced it firsthand in Jerusalem.

I have drawn Night in Jerusalem from my experiences during that time. The historical events portrayed in the novel are accurate. The characters are based on people I knew in the city. Like me, they were responding to inherited challenges they could not escape.

Reviews

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

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David Bennett, a young British aristocrat arrives in Jerusalem to visit his cousin, Jonathan. The year is 1967. David is feeling isolated so Jonathan introduces him to the chief rabbi of the city, who he trusts and honors, to seek advice. Reb Eli, listens to his torment and brings him in touch with the experts and eventually Tamar, an enchanting prostitute that will help him overcome his problem. From that moment on, the two of them become one.

This is a love story set in the city of Jerusalem when the six days war strikes. The author was living in the city during those times, as a native 20 year old woman and has first hand experience from the war and the city itself. This gives her the opportunity to paint the picture of the city’s population in every detail.

Jerusalem has gone through a lot. Many have tried to conquer her over the centuries. Some have succeeded, others not. All this fuss around the holy city has been depicted in this book in many different ways. Gaelle Lehrer Kennedy claims that the characters were based on real people, her friends and acquaintances at the time, which means that there are actually so many different kinds of people in that small portion of the earth. A representative population of this world, one would say.

Even so, the author manages to provide a love story, that is set in a challenging environment and succeeds in every way. The story will stay in the reader’s mind for time after the last page is turned!

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I think of historical fiction, I tend to think of the more distant past. Kennedy's novel is set in the more modern history of Israel on the eve of the 6-Day War, and weaves the story of a disaffected young British Jew into the complex events of that time.

The most fascinating thing to me about this novel was the portrayal of the diverse tapestry of the Jewish Israeli population during those days. The people Jonathan meets during his stay vary from the ultra-orthodox to atheist military, and Kennedy sheds real insight into the wide variety of perspectives and concerns by very different people facing a shared crisis.

Against the backdrop of the war, Kennedy weaves in a touching story of forbidden love between the outsider and an Orthodox young widow. But it was the vivid realness of Kennedy's description of the events leading up to and of the war itself that impacted me the most. They are clearly infused by her first hand experience of being in Israel when that war broke out, and she does a powerful job of making that time and place real for those of us looking back from today.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Bennett travels to Jerusalem in 1967 on a journey to find himself. His cousin Johnathan has been studying Judaism in Jerusalem and believes that his mentor, the chief rabbi, Reb Eli will be able to help David with his troubles. David arrives in Jerusalem planning only to stay one month, however, he is quickly taken in by the beauty of the city and Reb Eli's ways. When Reb Eli suggests that David visits a local brothel for help with his women's troubles, David is taken aback. However, when he finally decides to visit, David meets Tamar and his troubles seem to vanish. Meanwhile, Reb Eli's widowed daughter, Sarah is feeling depressed and out of place without a husband or child within her Orthodox community. Sarah longs to love once again and when a mysterious Englishman enters her home, Sarah's senses are awakened. As David and Sarah begin their new journeys in romance, the Six Day War breaks out in the Middle East and forever alters their lives.

Recreating the biblical story of Tamar in a more modern setting, Night in Jerusalem has a fairy-tale quality to it. I immediately felt immersed in the city of Jerusalem, from the golden glow of the city, to the quaint diners and the people of many religions mingling together. I easily took to David and Sarah's characters as lost souls as well as Reb Eli's comforting character. I was surprised at Reb Eil's suggestion for David's troubles as well as how sensuous many of the scenes were. Along with learning the tale of Tamar, I learned many things about Jewish Traditions and life in Jerusalem. The intricacies of Shabbat seemed beautiful and I wish I could have heard Sarah's singing. The Six Day War was something else that I learned of, I had no idea that this tragedy or the reasons why it had happened. The most interesting aspect of this story is the interwoven tale of Tamar told through David and Sarah. Their mystery to one another kept the story suspenseful and their romance kept me intrigued. Overall, an interesting portrait of Judaism in 1960's Jerusalem interwoven with an updated biblical story.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Lisa Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

At once interesting and challenging. A love story that reads like a bible story and yet tells the story of a people at war and manages to illustrate the difficulty that even Jews living in other lands struggle to understand those who live as their forefathers did. We have a man who left England to become a Rabbi and embrace his past and his daughter a woman who longs for a future and turns her back on her culture to please a man she barely knows and has not noticed her at all. The man she falls in love with struggles to find his own identity and wants to understand his Jewish roots and yet his own family have totally turned their backs on the orthodox lifestyle and actually fear it. I feel this book has a lot to teach me not only about the conflict in Jerusalem but the whole issue of identity and the struggle to find your place in this world and for each one of us that place is going to be very different than what we hoped or imagined. It is well worth a read just to make you think about how your own identity is defined. This is not about hearts and flowers but it is very much about life.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night in Jerusalem by Gaelle Lehrer Kennedy is a book that has enriched my life. The scenes, the emotions, the passion, and the characters have become part of me. When I read it, I could not put it down and stayed up all night to finish it. The juxtaposition of the passion of Tamar’s love against the backdrop of the 1967 Six Day War have had a strong impact on me. The characters entered my consciousness and I identified with them. David, the young British Aristocrat, comes to Jerusalem to search for his identity and meaning in life, and I immersed myself in his journey. Rabbi Eli is a kind soul who I came to respect and love. I will never forget Madame Aziza, a strong Egyptian Jewess who teaches the ways to entice a man. Tamar was inspiring as she broke from tradition to gain the love of her chosen one. I am grateful the author has written this book and plan to read it again. It is a historical fiction that portrays the land of Israel with all its struggles and blessings.
L.G.

[Mc Chanster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was a beautifully written novel.

At the heart of the book was the love story between David and Sarah, but it definitely wasn’t the main focus, and I loved that. With many deep and memorable characters, the author takes the reader for a poignant and heart-touching trip through Jerusalem right before and through the Six Days War. Rebbe Eli was particularly notable as he seems to embody much of what I would look for in a religious leader – honest, patient and encouraging of his beliefs without being pushy. The varying views on Jews and their history, I thought, were well-written and tastefully done and I found myself falling completely into the book. A lovely and wonderful read.

Thank you Voracious Readers and Gaelle Kennedy for my copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Marcia Vida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-touching with a charming love story, this book caught my attention in each chapter. It was hard to put it down. The most interesting were words related to Judaism that I looked for their meaning and biblical names that remembered their history in the Bible. I loved reading this fascinating novel, though I was immersed in deep spiritual faith. I recommend it! Thanks to Mrs. Gaelle and Voracious Reader for giving me a great reading.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ebook through the Voracious readers only website. I absolutely loved this beautiful story. It brought back memories of my trip to Israel in the 1980's. The atmosphere, an experience of Judaism, war and the soul-searching of various members of two intertwined families, were woven together to provide the fabric of a wonderful romance.

[Anne-Marie Goyette · Rating 5 out of 5]

fascinating

This book fascinating and captivated me from page one to the last page. It tackled some tough issues giving insight to other. The love story woven in between makes this an excellent read

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, amazing, amazing... did I say amazing, cause this book really is! You will not be prepared for what is behind the cover of this book till you read it!

[Bianca Clemmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written love story. I couldn’t put this book down. Captivating and holds your interest until the end. A wonderful book full of determination, love and faith. A must read!

[Zil Nedrub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, with a fascinating look at the culture and time in Jerusalem.

[Gary Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sitting in the shade of my favorite blood-red orange tree awash in tears from this EPIC, deeply moving, tender and mystical story of 'The One’ it has been a real joy and inspiration!”
Gary Lang

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book arrived because Mareena had signed up to take part in a virtual book tour that is currently going on. She is going to post a review sometime later in the year, but the book was sent several months earlier than her review date. I was looking for something else to read, so I asked her if I could borrow the book to read it first and she said that I could. I thought that this was a remarkably well-written and poignant story and I really enjoyed it.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the content of the story: the setting in 1960s Jerusalem, the soul searching, the clash between the demands of the modern world and tradition. I loved the unashamedly Jewish elements, touching on themes that perhaps those on the "outside" may not know, and unfortunately which were not always translated or explained well (which I hope for others doesn't take away from how special they are!). That being said, the format of the book is a bit muddled, jumping between narrators from one sentence to the next in some cases, with odd paragraph breaks instead of new chapters, and more than a handful of McGuffins. The writing is stilted at parts too, with a lack of flow that takes the reader out of the scene a bit until the writer finds her footing again. The ending felt rushed, and there was no real payoff on what I assume was supposed to be the happy ending.

Overall though, a lovely little story.

[Faigy Avnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began reading "Night in Jerusalem," I found myself becoming instantly absorbed in the narrative; so much so, that I read the entire book in practically one sitting. Having spent more than a dozen years in Jerusalem, on the fringes of the insulated society at the center of this tale, I was extremely impressed by the wisdom, insight, and sensitivity with which the author created a window into this much-misunderstood and insulated community. I highly recommend this beautiful written novel.