A serious-minded but often humorous compilation that paints an offbeat portrait of a leading religious figure.
Rabbi Barber offers the latest volume in a series concerning the life and teachings of an 18th-century rabbi.
The author follows up Sparks of Wisdom (2022) with this third installment in a series devoted to the life and work of Reb Yehonatan Eybeshitz, who was born in Poland in 1696. He was a famous Kabbalist and scholar in his time, and this work covers various stories about him, many of which are from The Wise Jew by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gerlitz. The stories are often accompanied by explanations and clarifications for modern reader. A few also feature simple black-and-white pen-and-ink illustrations, often of the people in a particular story under discussion. The stories show that the future rabbi was a precocious youngster who mastered the Hebrew alphabet at age 3 and could outsmart many of his teachers by the time he was 5. In his adult years, he often used his wisdom and patience to fluster antisemitic enemies. Many a tale shows him wittily upholding his faith and the rules of Jewish life; when a minister of Vienna who was “no friend of the Jews” challenges him on kosher dietary laws, Reb Yehonatan is ready with an illustrative argument. Many anecdotes come with humor; when a king asks him why he will not take off his hat when passing a large statue, Reb Yehonatan replies. “I only greet those who will greet me in turn.” Some tales are no longer than a paragraph or two, such as an account of Reb Yehonatan’s students finding him so engrossed in thought while outside that he became covered in snow.
The work sheds light on a religious figure’s wide-ranging life, as well as on how that person’s life is remembered today. Perhaps one of its most remarkable aspects is how it reveals that wit from centuries ago is just as effective today. For instance, when a bigoted neighbor asks Reb Yehonatan, “What is the difference between a Jew and a pig?” he answers, “Right now, the difference between a Jew and a pig is this fence separating me from you.” In another instance, he humorously points out that rabbis bring peace to the world by “causing enemies to come together in their common goal of causing strife to their rabbi.” Overall, the book offers a portrayal of Reb Yehonatan that has almost a mystical glow, as his teachings never fail. In one particularly notable example, in order to prove that “as smart as we are, we can never change the nature of the world,” the rabbi argues that, despite the powers of the human mind, man is limited in what he can accomplish. In response, his adversaries go so far as to train a cat to behave like a human waiter. Reb Yehonatan, in turn, releases a mouse to prove that the cat, trained as it may be, is still a cat. All these stories grapple with philosophical questions that would have engaged thinkers of the time, and they’re sure to do the same for modern readers.
A serious-minded but often humorous compilation that paints an offbeat portrait of a leading religious figure.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2024
ISBN: 9798987269831
Page Count: 236
Publisher: Gerber's Miracle Publishers LLC
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.
A former New York City dancer reflects on her zesty heyday in the 1970s.
Discovered on a Manhattan street in 2020 and introduced on Stanton’s Humans of New York Instagram page, Johnson, then 76, shares her dynamic history as a “fiercely independent” Black burlesque dancer who used the stage name Tanqueray and became a celebrated fixture in midtown adult theaters. “I was the only black girl making white girl money,” she boasts, telling a vibrant story about sex and struggle in a bygone era. Frank and unapologetic, Johnson vividly captures aspects of her former life as a stage seductress shimmying to blues tracks during 18-minute sets or sewing lingerie for plus-sized dancers. Though her work was far from the Broadway shows she dreamed about, it eventually became all about the nightly hustle to simply survive. Her anecdotes are humorous, heartfelt, and supremely captivating, recounted with the passion of a true survivor and the acerbic wit of a weathered, street-wise New Yorker. She shares stories of growing up in an abusive household in Albany in the 1940s, a teenage pregnancy, and prison time for robbery as nonchalantly as she recalls selling rhinestone G-strings to prostitutes to make them sparkle in the headlights of passing cars. Complemented by an array of revealing personal photographs, the narrative alternates between heartfelt nostalgia about the seedier side of Manhattan’s go-go scene and funny quips about her unconventional stage performances. Encounters with a variety of hardworking dancers, drag queens, and pimps, plus an account of the complexities of a first love with a drug-addled hustler, fill out the memoir with personality and candor. With a narrative assist from Stanton, the result is a consistently titillating and often moving story of human struggle as well as an insider glimpse into the days when Times Square was considered the Big Apple’s gloriously unpolished underbelly. The book also includes Yee’s lush watercolor illustrations.
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-27827-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2022
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.
A carefully curated personal portrait.
First ladies’ roles have evolved significantly in recent decades. Their memoirs typically reflect a spectrum of ambition and interests, offering insights into their values and personal lives. Melania Trump, however, stands out as exceptionally private and elusive. Her ultra-lean account attempts to shed light on her public duties, initiatives, and causes as first lady, and it defends certain actions like her controversial “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” jacket. The statement was directed at the media, not the border situation, she claims. Yet the book provides scant detail about her personal orbit or day-to-day interactions. The memoir opens with her well-known Slovenian origin story, successful modeling career, and whirlwind romance with Donald Trump, culminating in their 2005 marriage, followed by a snapshot of Election Day 2016: “Each time we were together that day, I was impressed by his calm.…This man is remarkably confident under pressure.” Once in the White House, Melania Trump describes her functions and numerous public events at home and abroad, which she asserts were more accomplished than media representations suggested. However, she rarely shares any personal interactions beyond close family ties, notably her affection for her son, Barron, and her sister, Ines. And of course she lavishes praise on her husband. Minimal anecdotes about White House or cabinet staff are included, and she carefully defuses her rumored tensions with Trump’s adult children, blandly stating, “While we may share the same last name, each of us is distinct with our own aspirations and paths to follow.” Although Melania’s desire to support causes related to children’s and women’s welfare feels authentic, the overall tenor of her memoir seems aimed at painting a glimmering portrait of her husband and her role, likely with an eye toward the forthcoming election.
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781510782693
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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