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Het kanaal
In een droom ziet Amos Brickman, een bekende Amerikaanse architect van middelbare leeftijd, zichzelf staan in een weiland tussen een rivier en een bos. Hij hoort een stem die hem gebiedt op reis te gaan. Maar op Brickmans vraag wat de bestemming van de reis is, geeft de stem geen antwoord.
Op de vreemdste momenten hoort Amos Brickman in de daaropvolgende weken de stem nog een paar keer. Het wordt hem langzaam maar zeker duidelijk dat hij een reis naar Auschwitz moet ondernemen. In Warschau ontmoet hij twee gidsen: een jonge Poolse katholiek en een joodse vrouw van over de zestig, die drie nazi-werkkampen heeft overleefd. Gedrieën reizen zij naar Auschwitz.
Als hij bij de resten staat van een crematorium in Birkenau, het vernietigingskamp bij Auschwitz, hoort Amos Brickman de stem opnieuw. Herhaaldelijk zegt de stem het woord 'Kom...'. Op hetzelfde moment ervaart Amos iets dat hij kort daarop zal beschouwen als openbaring.
Na een paar dagen in Warschau reist hij via Amsterdam en Londen terug naar de Verenigde Staten, waar hij te midden van familie en vrienden de speurtocht voortzet. Dat brengt hem tenslotte naar een klein stadje in de staat Pennsylvania. Wat hem daar overkomt, geeft zijn leven een dramatische wending.
Op de vreemdste momenten hoort Amos Brickman in de daaropvolgende weken de stem nog een paar keer. Het wordt hem langzaam maar zeker duidelijk dat hij een reis naar Auschwitz moet ondernemen. In Warschau ontmoet hij twee gidsen: een jonge Poolse katholiek en een joodse vrouw van over de zestig, die drie nazi-werkkampen heeft overleefd. Gedrieën reizen zij naar Auschwitz.
Als hij bij de resten staat van een crematorium in Birkenau, het vernietigingskamp bij Auschwitz, hoort Amos Brickman de stem opnieuw. Herhaaldelijk zegt de stem het woord 'Kom...'. Op hetzelfde moment ervaart Amos iets dat hij kort daarop zal beschouwen als openbaring.
Na een paar dagen in Warschau reist hij via Amsterdam en Londen terug naar de Verenigde Staten, waar hij te midden van familie en vrienden de speurtocht voortzet. Dat brengt hem tenslotte naar een klein stadje in de staat Pennsylvania. Wat hem daar overkomt, geeft zijn leven een dramatische wending.
159 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1993
13 people want to read
About the author
Chaim Potok
72 books1,866 followersHerman Harold Potok, or Chaim Tzvi, was born in Buffalo, New York, to Polish immigrants. He received an Orthodox Jewish education. After reading Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited as a teenager, he decided to become a writer. He started writing fiction at the age of 16. At age 17 he made his first submission to the magazine The Atlantic Monthly. Although it wasn't published, he received a note from the editor complimenting his work.
In 1949, at the age of 20, his stories were published in the literary magazine of Yeshiva University, which he also helped edit. In 1950, Potok graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English Literature.
After four years of study at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America he was ordained as a Conservative rabbi. He was appointed director of Leaders Training Fellowship, a youth organization affiliated with Conservative Judaism.
After receiving a master's degree in English literature, Potok enlisted with the U.S. Army as a chaplain. He served in South Korea from 1955 to 1957. He described his time in S. Korea as a transformative experience. Brought up to believe that the Jewish people were central to history and God's plans, he experienced a region where there were almost no Jews and no anti-Semitism, yet whose religious believers prayed with the same fervor that he saw in Orthodox synagogues at home.
Upon his return, he joined the faculty of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles and became the director of a Conservative Jewish summer camp affiliated with the Conservative movement, Camp Ramah. A year later he began his graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania and was appointed scholar-in-residence at Temple Har Zion in Philadelphia.
In 1963, he spent a year in Israel, where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on Solomon Maimon and began to write a novel.
In 1964 Potok moved to Brooklyn. He became the managing editor of the magazine Conservative Judaism and joined the faculty of the Teachers’ Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary. The following year, he was appointed editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society in Philadelphia and later, chairman of the publication committee. Potok received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1970, Potok relocated to Jerusalem with his family. He returned to Philadelphia in 1977. After the publication of Old Men at Midnight, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He died at his home in Merion, Pennsylvania on July 23, 2002, aged 73.
In 1949, at the age of 20, his stories were published in the literary magazine of Yeshiva University, which he also helped edit. In 1950, Potok graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English Literature.
After four years of study at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America he was ordained as a Conservative rabbi. He was appointed director of Leaders Training Fellowship, a youth organization affiliated with Conservative Judaism.
After receiving a master's degree in English literature, Potok enlisted with the U.S. Army as a chaplain. He served in South Korea from 1955 to 1957. He described his time in S. Korea as a transformative experience. Brought up to believe that the Jewish people were central to history and God's plans, he experienced a region where there were almost no Jews and no anti-Semitism, yet whose religious believers prayed with the same fervor that he saw in Orthodox synagogues at home.
Upon his return, he joined the faculty of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles and became the director of a Conservative Jewish summer camp affiliated with the Conservative movement, Camp Ramah. A year later he began his graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania and was appointed scholar-in-residence at Temple Har Zion in Philadelphia.
In 1963, he spent a year in Israel, where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on Solomon Maimon and began to write a novel.
In 1964 Potok moved to Brooklyn. He became the managing editor of the magazine Conservative Judaism and joined the faculty of the Teachers’ Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary. The following year, he was appointed editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society in Philadelphia and later, chairman of the publication committee. Potok received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1970, Potok relocated to Jerusalem with his family. He returned to Philadelphia in 1977. After the publication of Old Men at Midnight, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He died at his home in Merion, Pennsylvania on July 23, 2002, aged 73.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 7, 2025
A slow paced story with demons. Sometimes it was harder to follow of the things that werent said. Maybe that was the point of the story.
August 10, 2017
i wonder, was this novella never officially published in English? I cannot find it anywhere on the net, which is rather strange as it is written by such a well-known author! Anyway, i read it in Dutch.
I was deeply moved by it. I was sitting by the lake while reading it and when i had finished it, it left me just staring for quite some time at the water, looking at the swaying trees, the Eurasian Oystercatchers, chilled by the wind as evening was approaching, thinking about the Polish jews in World War II, about the ghetto's, Auschwitz, Birkenau, feeling horrified, stupefied. And all around me seemed strangely still and heavy with the weight of this story. I know this particular story was fiction, but so many similar stories aren't and we should never forget them. Never. Every story, every human being, every thought matters.
I was deeply moved by it. I was sitting by the lake while reading it and when i had finished it, it left me just staring for quite some time at the water, looking at the swaying trees, the Eurasian Oystercatchers, chilled by the wind as evening was approaching, thinking about the Polish jews in World War II, about the ghetto's, Auschwitz, Birkenau, feeling horrified, stupefied. And all around me seemed strangely still and heavy with the weight of this story. I know this particular story was fiction, but so many similar stories aren't and we should never forget them. Never. Every story, every human being, every thought matters.
December 22, 2019
In vergelijking met wat ik van Potok ken viel dit boek me tegen, want hoewel het verhaal in het teken staat van de reis van de hoofdpersoon Amos Brickman naar Auschwitz en Birkenau greep het me niet werkelijk aan. Zijn schrijfstijl bljjft prachtig, en bijzonder was ook de warrige bijna puntloze zinnen die Potok schrijft zodra hij bij de overblijfselen van de vernietigingskampen staat, maar naar mijn gevoel heeft hij de gruwelen te veel aan een bedachte verhaallijn willen ophangen, om wat voor reden dan ook.
January 24, 2019
Very slowly but surely the story grabbed me untill I was unable to put the book down before the last sentence was read
May 27, 2021
Ik dacht een boeiend verhaal te lezen over de gevolgen van de holocaust, maar kwam bedrogen uit. Saai.
May 30, 2021
Chaim Potok heeft een fijne stijl van schrijven. Vooral de conversaties tussen personen zijn lekker leesbaar zonder teveel opsmuk. Het boek zelf kenmerkt zich ook daardoor: klein verhaal, weinig personages en duidelijke conversaties. Kern van het boek vormt Amsterdam Brinkmann, Poolse man die worstelt met de Tweede Wereldoorlog en wat hij daar beleefd heeft. Als succesvolle architect blijven de spoken uit zijn verleden hem achtervolgen en kwellen. Ikzelf had meer verwacht van het plot van het boek, dat mijn inziens kaal eindigt.
Dit boekje maakt echter eens en te meer duidelijk wat de impact is geweest van de WOII op de voorgaande generaties.
Dit boekje maakt echter eens en te meer duidelijk wat de impact is geweest van de WOII op de voorgaande generaties.
May 11, 2015
Powerful story of the experiences and memories of a WW2 survivor. Balancing the remembering with the will to live, balancing sorrowness with the power to love.
As beautiful as Chaim Potok is able to.
As beautiful as Chaim Potok is able to.
October 10, 2014
Interesting story and I love Potok's writing.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews