By Light of Hidden Candles, by Daniela Levy

[Amy]

Cross posted to Horizons - Spain, and to the General Feed.

One of the things that has always been most troubling about the Jewish faith, to Jews and non-Jews alike, has been this concept of "The Chosen People." Its not something often talked about or well understood. And it has caused some anti-semitism. What on earth could it mean, that a group of people feel "chosen" by God, more special in some way, elevated. And chosen for what? Modern Jews feel uncomfortable by this. As a people who are stereotypically ethical, compassionate, and marginalized - we believe in the specialness and holiness of all people, and not elevating some over others. At the same time, we honor, choose, and revere the specialness of our religion, the way every religion does. So chosen for what? My understanding has always been, that we were chosen to be tested. And that despite many different times of conquest, and siege, and annihilation, that at least a small number would be saved. The teachings I have learned about this is that we were chosen to serve God, and that is why if you are a religious or observant Jew, we were placed a hell of a lot of restrictions and demands to prove our love for God. And that we were chosen for the hardship of these mitzvahs, or intricate tasks to serve God. And to survive, even when things look bleak. We were not more special, and in fact, our hardship was to be guaranteed. Our troubles were to continue, and no doubt, the moniker of the"Chosen People" certainly places a target on the backs of the Jews, that was already there to some extent. This is something that's hard to talk about, and I am owning that its difficult. And I would be curious about how other people see it, Jewish or not, and how similar ideas show up in different faiths. But why do I open this review with this thought.

Because another thing, built in idea in Jewish thinking, is the idea that folks who were Jewish in generations back, come back and return to Judaism. There is this idea in LoveSong, that after four generations of conversion and leaving of the faith, forced or not, that the fourth generation will return. This idea also accounts for Jews by choice, those who convert in - that perhaps there was a Jewish soul in a non-Jewish body, and that person will find their way back, and nothing will be able to stop them. No amount of "no" or arguing against will happen. That person was at Mt. Sinai, or a part of their soul was, when the commandments were received, and they will return to Judaism. As not just a full Jew, but one even holier than those who were born Jewish because they had to fight their way back. There is a related concept, a prophecy in fact, that right about now in terms of millennia, the children are turning the parents back, and that more and more people will be finding their way back to Judaism. This makes some of us Reform and Conservative people uncomfortable. Why should our faith be any more powerful, than anyone else's? We think our religion is beautiful and holy, but why shouldn't every other religion exist with the same feeling, and ours doesn't have to be for everyone. We are actually not proseletyzers, and the big secret/spoiler, is that a Rabbi will work hard to see you turned away and not convert, just to make you try harder and see how hard you truly have to want it, and work for it. Conversion should not be simple. It should be a whole mind, body, soul thing. Its a very serious commitment to change your identity. It does not come easily, and shouldn't. Plus, one cannot dishonor one's past. And family, and previous identity. Some of this is explored in this book, more than you'd think. Now onto the book.

In By The Light of Hidden Candles, well I don't have to worry about spoilers in the least. If you couldn't figure out the entire plot from the title alone, then the Blurb on the back will tell you absolutely everything. Word for word it is spelled out. You are to understand from the reference of Hidden Candles, that we are speaking of a line of Jews expelled from Spain during the Inquisition of 1492, or forced to convert to Christianity and Catholicism. Many of these conversos kept up traditions passed down through the ages that they did not understand. Including lighting candles on Friday nights in closets or basements and not knowing why, hidden candles, and other unusual things, including cracking eggs singly in a small glass bowl, looking for blood spots. Which if you hadn't figured the whole thing out, by the title, the blurb, or the first sentence, when we first meet Manuel and his mother Raquel, she is cracking single eggs in a small bowl looking for bloodspots, they are vegetarian for reasons never understood, and she is a huge defender of the Jews, and upset with their priest for his bias. Manuel is seen drawn to both a Judaica shop and the girl inside, when he is considering the seminary for Priesthood. Really no spoilers there. I couldn't spoil this thing if I tried. You understand what is happening every step of the way, you just have to wait for the author to catch up. Of course, Manuel is defended from a converso family that saved Alma's family, and has been unknowingly Jewish for centuries, which helps out the love story. Of course their journey to Spain tracing their ancestries was going to lead them together to this conclusion that we all understood from the start. So why read this book? Well for one, Alma and Manuel happen to be great spitfire characters who have great dialogue, and great witty comments back and forth, even while we are forced to plod down this pre-prescribed path. But there is another reason in there, and its the uncomfortable one. Because along the viewpoint of the book, there are these conversations where Manuel is questioning his faith. And even Alma who is devout, is a part of those conversations, where the nature of faith and what it means, is something deeply considered. And all of the characters in the book, especially the one's 500 years earlier, are thinking about this. And what happens if you fall in love with someone outside of your faith world, where the danger of this is annihilation of a people. Manuel has to understand (what we all understood before the book even opened) why he suddenly feels, has always felt drawn to Judaism in a way he doesn't understand. And what is this draw? It does seem connected to the idea we have as Jews, that one is going to be drawn back, especially if its in their blood. And that we are somehow chosen for survival, even in hardship, and chosen to be tested. What does it mean to choose Judaism over other faiths. Manuel has to wrestle with this. And of course he has to choose Judaism, before he discovers what we all already knew. That he has been Jewish all along. So we read the book for the journey of the questioning. The answers were already there.

So the book has a bias. You don't see a whole lot of books about Jews converting out, and to be honest, that's because it rarely happens. History tells us and shows us, that its far more often the reverse and in fact we are prophesized for a resurgence which is actually happening. And let me tell you something about Jews, at least the one's I know. Even when the prophecy is working out in our favor, we are often a bit embarrassed, almost apologetic about that. Because we believe that all people are equal and holy. It is hard for us to be the chosen people, and let me tell you, all Jews wrestle with that phrase. It goes back to Jacob and Esau and birthright - something that may have been destined, but that we don't quite feel comfortable with. That is the feeling of this book in a way.

The mystery is not a mystery, the writing is very flat, not stellar, though the two characters are great and their dialogue is wonderful. And yet I applaud the author, any author, for writing a book, and there is a sensitivity to this one, one I hope I have done a good job describing. I'm not sure this book is for everyone. I certainly don't think my spoilers, which I assure you were never spoilers, (see title), is going to turn anyone away. I rather think this book is going to find the people it needs to at just the right time, in just the right way. Books work like that, the same spirituality "drawn" thing that I am describing.

Of course the Spain thing, and Spanish Jews was kind of fun, and different. I appreciated it. Would not necessarily recommend it, and certainly not across the board. But if you are drawn to it? Certainly its themes offer us good conversation within and beyond the book. I welcome your thoughts and responses.

[Theresa]

How astonishing, Amy, the timing of this thought-provoking review and discussion. I had lunch Thursday with 2 women where aspects of your discussion came up. One was an Israeli of Persian descent whose family moved to NY when she was a teenager, the family becoming more religiously observant here than in Israel. The other is a native New Yorker who has always belonged to an observant family, and has raised her own in a religious environnent. Much of the conversation revolved around the inner need to practice their faith and keep it strong for another generation, and the difficulty doing so in a melting pot like the US.

Very interesting synchronicity. I definitely would not vote you off the island ... yet.

[Amy]

You make me smile Theresa! There’s hope to make it to the merge!

[Joanne]

Wow! This was a great expose on Judaism-thank you for that.

I also read a book that covered this topic By Fire, By Water -and I actually had thoughts a long these lines concerning my own faith of Catholicism-like what made the Christians so damn special that they had to force conversion, or kill you?

That though a lone might get me voted off the Island, or burned at the stake.....

you did not rate the book????

[Amy]

Just love you Joanne!

I gave the book a three and that was stretching it. The writing was far less than stellar. Not to mention zero spoilers.

[Joy D]

Fascinating information, Amy! I am always interested in the views of various faiths. I am currently reading a book about the practice of the Jewish faith by immigrants to China (Peony by Pearl S. Buck).

[Nikki]

(Just realised I never did come back to add a comment after saying I would on the book swap thread...)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Amy - it's really interesting to hear your perspective on these big questions, & I liked your insight on the attitude of rabbis who make people work to prove their sincerity & determination rather than going out in search of converts. As an outsider to this subject I wonder whether the history of persecution reinforces the identity as 'chosen' - I can imagine that in the face of such horrors there would be a strong urge to double down on defending the specialness of the Jewish identity (and especially trying to ensure its continuation).

Some of the themes you mentioned reminded me of The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon, which I admit I read so long ago that I remember practically nothing about it, apart from that I was very taken with the idea of someone in the book carrying a 'fake' (i.e. non-pork) sausage that they could ostentatiously bite into if called upon to prove that they really had converted from Judaism...

[Amy]

You know I read that too (for February Portugal Horizons - or was it January) and amidst all the violence, I didn't even remember that detail. Its an interesting question - what one might do to keep oneself and ones family alive. However, over time, the traditions become lost and the conversion becomes truly complete. Its an interesting thought that in order to keep a faith, or minority opinion going, one has to risk their lives to not be invisible. There has to be a worthy risk or the conversion is complete and the religion/stance is gone. If everything is too hidden. And the idea that the blood lineage is going to bring someone or something back - well that takes a lot of faith. But whether its mystical or courageous, prophesied or sheer will, the Jews have managed to stay alive all of these centuries against every possible chance of survival. And yes, the chosen one's may be one of those reasons both, that we have survived (divine providence and intervention), but it certainly may be why we have been targeted as well. I find it interesting. Love that folks have responded. Its a lot to think about. I may not need to pull out an immunity idol after all.