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Among the Living
A moving novel about a Holocaust survivor's unconventional journey back to a new normal in 1940s Savannah, Georgia.
In late summer 1947, thirty-one-year-old Yitzhak Goldah, a camp survivor, arrives in Savannah to live with his only remaining relatives. They are Abe and Pearl Jesler, older, childless, and an integral part of the thriving Jewish community that has been in Georgia since the founding of the colony. There, Yitzhak discovers a fractured world, where Reform and Conservative Jews live separate lives--distinctions, to him, that are meaningless given what he has been through. He further complicates things when, much to the Jeslers' dismay, he falls in love with Eva, a young widow within the Reform community. When a woman from Yitzhak's past suddenly appears--one who is even more shattered than he is--Yitzhak must choose between a dark and tortured familiarity and the promise of a bright new life.
Set amid the backdrop of America's postwar south, Among the Living grapples with questions of identity and belonging, and steps beyond the Jewish experience as it situates Yitzhak's story during the last gasp of the Jim Crow era. Yitzhak begins to find echoes of his own experience in the lives of the black family who work for the Jeslers--an affinity he does not share with the Jeslers themselves. This realization both surprises and convinces Yitzhak that his choices are not as clear-cut as he might have thought.
In late summer 1947, thirty-one-year-old Yitzhak Goldah, a camp survivor, arrives in Savannah to live with his only remaining relatives. They are Abe and Pearl Jesler, older, childless, and an integral part of the thriving Jewish community that has been in Georgia since the founding of the colony. There, Yitzhak discovers a fractured world, where Reform and Conservative Jews live separate lives--distinctions, to him, that are meaningless given what he has been through. He further complicates things when, much to the Jeslers' dismay, he falls in love with Eva, a young widow within the Reform community. When a woman from Yitzhak's past suddenly appears--one who is even more shattered than he is--Yitzhak must choose between a dark and tortured familiarity and the promise of a bright new life.
Set amid the backdrop of America's postwar south, Among the Living grapples with questions of identity and belonging, and steps beyond the Jewish experience as it situates Yitzhak's story during the last gasp of the Jim Crow era. Yitzhak begins to find echoes of his own experience in the lives of the black family who work for the Jeslers--an affinity he does not share with the Jeslers themselves. This realization both surprises and convinces Yitzhak that his choices are not as clear-cut as he might have thought.
288 pages, ebook
First published October 4, 2016
155 people are currently reading
2401 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Rabb
15 books120 followersJonathan Rabb grew up knowing he would be an academic. The son and grandson (on both sides) of historians, Rabb’s world shook at its very core when he opted to try his hand at political theory. As an undergraduate at Yale, Rabb divided his time among Locke and Hobbes and Hegel while spending his more reckless hours singing with the Whiffenpoofs and galloping across stage in such roles as Harry the Horse and a perfectly bean-poled Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. He even went so far as to make his living his first years out of college as an actor in New York before settling on a PhD program at Columbia.
Somehow, though, that was not to be. While in Germany researching the very compelling and very obscure seventeenth-century theorist Samuel von Pufendorf (Whiffenpoof on Pufendorf), Rabb got the idea for a thriller in which a young professor at Columbia gets caught up in a vast conspiracy predicated on deciphering a centuries-old manuscript, a response to Machiavelli’s The Prince. Suddenly theater and history had come together in the form of historical fiction and, leaving his Fulbright and academia behind, Rabb spent the next two years teaching test prep and writing furiously.
In 1998, his first novel, The Overseer, reached bookshelves, followed three years later by The Book of Q—another historical thriller—and his marriage to Andra Reeve, the director of prime time casting at CBS television. Having discovered a new kind of bliss in his private life, Rabb decided it was time to dive into the decay and despair of Berlin between the wars. He set to work on what would be the first in his Berlin Trilogy, Rosa, and also began to teach fiction at the 92nd Street Y. In July 2004 his wife had twins, and for the next two years, while writing and researching Shadow and Light, Rabb became their primary caretaker. Somehow, they continued to grow and flourish, and Shadow and Light found its way to the page.
Rabb is now deep into the final book of the trilogy, and still finds time to perform Gilbert and Sullivan with the Blue Hill Troupe of New York, the Harrisburg Symphony, and anyone else willing to indulge his love of Patter roles. This fall, Rabb started teaching in the NYU Creative Writing Program and continues to write reviews for Opera News and essays for the series I Wish I’d Been There.
Somehow, though, that was not to be. While in Germany researching the very compelling and very obscure seventeenth-century theorist Samuel von Pufendorf (Whiffenpoof on Pufendorf), Rabb got the idea for a thriller in which a young professor at Columbia gets caught up in a vast conspiracy predicated on deciphering a centuries-old manuscript, a response to Machiavelli’s The Prince. Suddenly theater and history had come together in the form of historical fiction and, leaving his Fulbright and academia behind, Rabb spent the next two years teaching test prep and writing furiously.
In 1998, his first novel, The Overseer, reached bookshelves, followed three years later by The Book of Q—another historical thriller—and his marriage to Andra Reeve, the director of prime time casting at CBS television. Having discovered a new kind of bliss in his private life, Rabb decided it was time to dive into the decay and despair of Berlin between the wars. He set to work on what would be the first in his Berlin Trilogy, Rosa, and also began to teach fiction at the 92nd Street Y. In July 2004 his wife had twins, and for the next two years, while writing and researching Shadow and Light, Rabb became their primary caretaker. Somehow, they continued to grow and flourish, and Shadow and Light found its way to the page.
Rabb is now deep into the final book of the trilogy, and still finds time to perform Gilbert and Sullivan with the Blue Hill Troupe of New York, the Harrisburg Symphony, and anyone else willing to indulge his love of Patter roles. This fall, Rabb started teaching in the NYU Creative Writing Program and continues to write reviews for Opera News and essays for the series I Wish I’d Been There.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
February 27, 2018
The unimaginable happened to millions of Jews in Europe, forced into concentration and death camps and as so many others, I strongly believe how important it is to never forget this or the people who perished . I know I say that every time I review a book about the Holocaust, but it’s why I read these stories. Millions were killed but I don’t know how many survived. This novel is the story of a survivor’s journey from the living death of the camps to a new life with relatives in Savannah, Georgia in 1947. There are some flashbacks to the time that Yitzhak Goldah was in a concentration camp and the heart wrenching story of how he lost his family, his memories and dreams are powerful and horrific. “The guards had made his father dig his own grave. They had told him to fill it with water, to stand in the freezing out, drenched and shaking, before shooting him. It was nothing his father had done or said. It was simply to show it could be done.” While the focus of the book is on his new life, it is not lost on this reader that this is a Holocaust story, the effect on Yitzhak and someone from his past who appears on the scene.
There are a few other layers here. I was unaware that so many Jews had settled in Savannah and there is a tension between the Reform and Conservative Jews. Perhaps because I am not Jewish, this element of the story didn’t seem to me to be the thing that causes ambivalence for Yitzhak on how to move forward. The comparison in some ways between Black people in this Jim Crow south and the plight of the Jews was a thread that certainly was thought provoking. The love story between Yitzhak and a widow in the Reform Community is also central to the story. While at times, I thought it was a little slow moving, I found this to be a worthwhile read and I would recommend it.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Other Press through Edelweiss.
November 23, 2018
I read a review of this novel back in March that made me want to read it. Then the author spoke at my local book festival over Labor Day weekend. That's when I bought it. Then, last but not least, I decided to participate in another book club on the grounds that they were going to read this book. So, I read it!
I really liked that it was easy to read--but not easy in the sense of easy subject matter. It's about a 31 year-old Holocaust survivor who in 1947 comes to Savannah, Georgia, where there has been a Jewish community since colonial times, to stay with his only surviving relatives, an older cousin and his wife. It's easy to read in that the reading flows with no struggle.
The book is based on the emergence of characters and their relationships, and I think that is why I don't have too much to say about them: it would spoil the discovery. The sense of discovery is not as great as in my all-time best example of that, Annie Proulx's The Shipping News, but it is along those same lines, and not only in the main character.
This book could have been much longer; it may be the fact that the characters and events are sketched in without an oversupply of words that give it that pellucid quality which came across to me as easy reading.
This is a story of the times; an immigrant story, a love story, a story that juxtaposes American Jews in the South against a European Holocaust survivor, a story of race relations, a story of suffering, and a story of choosing life.
I really liked that it was easy to read--but not easy in the sense of easy subject matter. It's about a 31 year-old Holocaust survivor who in 1947 comes to Savannah, Georgia, where there has been a Jewish community since colonial times, to stay with his only surviving relatives, an older cousin and his wife. It's easy to read in that the reading flows with no struggle.
The book is based on the emergence of characters and their relationships, and I think that is why I don't have too much to say about them: it would spoil the discovery. The sense of discovery is not as great as in my all-time best example of that, Annie Proulx's The Shipping News, but it is along those same lines, and not only in the main character.
This book could have been much longer; it may be the fact that the characters and events are sketched in without an oversupply of words that give it that pellucid quality which came across to me as easy reading.
This is a story of the times; an immigrant story, a love story, a story that juxtaposes American Jews in the South against a European Holocaust survivor, a story of race relations, a story of suffering, and a story of choosing life.
October 26, 2016
Jonathan Rabb’s new novel, AMONG THE LIVING begins as a feel good story. Holocaust survivor and former Prague journalist, Yitzchak Goldah arrives in Savannah in July, 1947 sponsored by his cousins Abe and Pearl Jesler. The Jesler’s are very sensitive to Ike, the nickname Pearl creates, and his situation. They invite him into their home and take care of all of his needs. Ike has lost his entire family to the Nazi genocide and his mindset grows confused as he tries to adapt to new surroundings at the same time dealing with flashbacks from the camps. It appears to be the making of a wonderful story, until different layers of the novel unravel. Abe Jesler owns a shoe store in the Savannah business district and he invites Ike to learn the trade and work for him. Along with Ike, Abe has a number of “negro” workers that include Calvin and Raymond. As the story progresses, Abe who grew up in one of Savannah’s poorer sections needs to make a significant amount of money to satisfy his overly neurotic and loving spouse, Pearl. Unbeknownst to Ike, Abe is involved with smuggling shoes from Italy through a southern organized syndicate, and over time he is drawn deeper and deeper into the mob’s machinations that call for increasing monetary payments and cooperation. When Abe falls behind in his obligations a message is sent resulting in the brutal beating of Raymond.
The smuggling component is just one storyline. Ike will met a World War II widow, Eva De La Parra, and against her mother’s wishes they begin a relationship. Both Ike, the survivor, and Eva, the mother of a five year old boy, whose husband was killed in Germany in 1945 suffer from a deep emotional void and seem meant for each other. As their relationship progresses a number of fissures emerge in Savannah society. Then we learn that a person from Ike’s past seems to return from the dead. Malke Posner, who survived Theresienstadt, the Nazi “model” concentration camp, turns up at the Jesler’s doorstep claiming to be Ike’s fiancée.
What dominates Rabb’s fine novel is social class inequality and prejudice. At a time when “Jim Crow” dominates the Deep South we find a Jewish community where social circles seem to form around the type of Judaism that religious adherents aspire to. First, are the somewhat religious conservatives that the Jeslers exemplify. The second are Eva’s parents, the Weiss’s whose father is the editor of the town newspaper who are seen as “Temple Jews,” or as they are called, reformed. This “ideological” conflict forms part of the background for a story that takes place at a time when Jews are finally leaving the displaced persons camps in Europe following their liberation from Hitler’s death camps, and in the Middle East Palestine is about to explode into a war between Jews and Arabs. To highlight this, Rabb creates a scene during the Jewish New Year where both groups of Jews confront each other at the beach as they are about to engage in a Jewish cleansing tradition. Another fissure centers on race relations in the south. The Jeslers, as do most wealthy members of the Savannah community employ Negro maids, in this case Mary Royal. Her actions act out the subservient stereotypical maid as does the common language spoken by Raymond and Calvin. In addition, Raymond confronts Abe Jesler concerning his rightful place in a business that he has worked in for over twenty years.
Rabb develops his plot through these dynamics and integrates well developed characters and a story whose highs and lows provoke many compelling questions. This is Rabb’s sixth novel, and perhaps his best.
The smuggling component is just one storyline. Ike will met a World War II widow, Eva De La Parra, and against her mother’s wishes they begin a relationship. Both Ike, the survivor, and Eva, the mother of a five year old boy, whose husband was killed in Germany in 1945 suffer from a deep emotional void and seem meant for each other. As their relationship progresses a number of fissures emerge in Savannah society. Then we learn that a person from Ike’s past seems to return from the dead. Malke Posner, who survived Theresienstadt, the Nazi “model” concentration camp, turns up at the Jesler’s doorstep claiming to be Ike’s fiancée.
What dominates Rabb’s fine novel is social class inequality and prejudice. At a time when “Jim Crow” dominates the Deep South we find a Jewish community where social circles seem to form around the type of Judaism that religious adherents aspire to. First, are the somewhat religious conservatives that the Jeslers exemplify. The second are Eva’s parents, the Weiss’s whose father is the editor of the town newspaper who are seen as “Temple Jews,” or as they are called, reformed. This “ideological” conflict forms part of the background for a story that takes place at a time when Jews are finally leaving the displaced persons camps in Europe following their liberation from Hitler’s death camps, and in the Middle East Palestine is about to explode into a war between Jews and Arabs. To highlight this, Rabb creates a scene during the Jewish New Year where both groups of Jews confront each other at the beach as they are about to engage in a Jewish cleansing tradition. Another fissure centers on race relations in the south. The Jeslers, as do most wealthy members of the Savannah community employ Negro maids, in this case Mary Royal. Her actions act out the subservient stereotypical maid as does the common language spoken by Raymond and Calvin. In addition, Raymond confronts Abe Jesler concerning his rightful place in a business that he has worked in for over twenty years.
Rabb develops his plot through these dynamics and integrates well developed characters and a story whose highs and lows provoke many compelling questions. This is Rabb’s sixth novel, and perhaps his best.
May 8, 2016
Great story! A fresh perspective on prejudice and injustice.
November 29, 2016
3.5 stars
I've read a lot of WWII and post-war fiction, but this was a new setting/twist for me. I knew nothing about the Jewish population in Savannah so I enjoyed this historic background. I also appreciated the parallels between the victimization of Jews in Europe and of blacks in the south. It's handled well.
The interpersonal storylines were a little less successful for me. I didn't quite believe all the transitions, but I still liked this novel.
I've read a lot of WWII and post-war fiction, but this was a new setting/twist for me. I knew nothing about the Jewish population in Savannah so I enjoyed this historic background. I also appreciated the parallels between the victimization of Jews in Europe and of blacks in the south. It's handled well.
The interpersonal storylines were a little less successful for me. I didn't quite believe all the transitions, but I still liked this novel.
September 23, 2016
I requested a galley of this book because it revolves around the Jewish community in Savannah, Georgia. Since the main character is a Holocaust survivor you may think the book is about the Holocaust. Well, not really… It is about a survivor who has to adapt to a culture so vastly different than what he knew.
Yitzhak Goldah (Ike), the survivor, comes to Savannah to live with his distant cousins, the Jeslers. Trained as a journalist he is a keen observer. While he is immediately accepted into the Jewish community, he learns that the Jews of Savannah have mostly assimilated into the culture around them. But there is still a sharp divide between the Reform and Conservative congregations. This is a major issue as the Jeslers are Conservative, and Ike falls in love with a Reform lady. Ike also learns the fine distinction of privately being friendly and caring about the African-Americans who work for the Jeslers, but keeping them at a distance in public. This story takes place about 20 years before the Civil Acts Movement.
Mr. Rabb expertly took me into the mind of Ike, making me feel like I was seeing through Ike’s eyes. I could feel Ike’s reactions to the drama, the fear, the love, the confusion, the uneasiness. I was happy because things seemed to be going so well for him, but then devastated when someone from his past threatened his new life.
This book made me think about attitudes in general. When you have been through a devastating event, it shapes your outlook on life. Previously serious issues now seem so petty, so trivial. This is what Ike wrestled with. I was impressed with the strength to be on his emotional rollercoaster yet to outwardly remain calm.
The book has no “action scenes”; rather it is a look at day-to-day life. It was certainly a different read – in a good way.
Thank you to Net Galley, and Edelweiss for the advance galley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Yitzhak Goldah (Ike), the survivor, comes to Savannah to live with his distant cousins, the Jeslers. Trained as a journalist he is a keen observer. While he is immediately accepted into the Jewish community, he learns that the Jews of Savannah have mostly assimilated into the culture around them. But there is still a sharp divide between the Reform and Conservative congregations. This is a major issue as the Jeslers are Conservative, and Ike falls in love with a Reform lady. Ike also learns the fine distinction of privately being friendly and caring about the African-Americans who work for the Jeslers, but keeping them at a distance in public. This story takes place about 20 years before the Civil Acts Movement.
Mr. Rabb expertly took me into the mind of Ike, making me feel like I was seeing through Ike’s eyes. I could feel Ike’s reactions to the drama, the fear, the love, the confusion, the uneasiness. I was happy because things seemed to be going so well for him, but then devastated when someone from his past threatened his new life.
This book made me think about attitudes in general. When you have been through a devastating event, it shapes your outlook on life. Previously serious issues now seem so petty, so trivial. This is what Ike wrestled with. I was impressed with the strength to be on his emotional rollercoaster yet to outwardly remain calm.
The book has no “action scenes”; rather it is a look at day-to-day life. It was certainly a different read – in a good way.
Thank you to Net Galley, and Edelweiss for the advance galley in exchange for an unbiased review.
October 16, 2016
I absolutely loved this book, though it's not without its narrative issues.
I'm giving it five stars because I truly did think it was a memorable experience reading it, but I'll tell you what I wish was present in it which is not: equal time given to the characters of Calvin, Mary Royal, and Raymond.
Granted, it would've made the book twice as long, but I felt like the nature of the experience of the Jewish camp survivors and their empathy with the southern black characters in the time of Jim Crow could have been elaborated upon so much further if those characters had been given equal time on the page. As it is, that's definitely present but I just wished it had been further explored.
Nevertheless the experience of reading the book is one I will carry with me for a long time.
I'm giving it five stars because I truly did think it was a memorable experience reading it, but I'll tell you what I wish was present in it which is not: equal time given to the characters of Calvin, Mary Royal, and Raymond.
Granted, it would've made the book twice as long, but I felt like the nature of the experience of the Jewish camp survivors and their empathy with the southern black characters in the time of Jim Crow could have been elaborated upon so much further if those characters had been given equal time on the page. As it is, that's definitely present but I just wished it had been further explored.
Nevertheless the experience of reading the book is one I will carry with me for a long time.
November 23, 2016
After great pain, a formal feeling comes – (Dickinson)
In post-Holocaust Savannah,GA a survivor arrives. A cousin of some sort, a man in his 30s, sponsored by a shoe store owner and his wife Pearl. Yitzak Goldah will try to build a new life, a stranger in a strange land. He is stiff, formal, fluent in English--a writer from Prague who has no idea what or who he is now, 'safe' in the American segregated South who will now work in a shoe store until he finds his way.
The story of Savannah is complicated and for Jewish readers, even more so. Its Jews were assimilated, yet apart. The oldest temple in the South began in 1733 as a Sephardic congregation that ultimately became a Reformed branch. Later, European Jews arrived then founded Conservative and Orthodox shuls. Socially, the two did not seem to mix. Goldah, drags his memories, trying to dull them in order to survive yet another upheaval (this one well-meaning) into the local world of commerce, a newspaper job, and allow for the possibility of love mixing in with his survivor's guilt.
The novel is a lot about honor (Goldah) temptation (his sponsor's business dealings) and betrayal. The book never slides into predictability and the twists are subtle. Someone from his past appears. "Goldah felt nothing at hearing her story. This was his lingering horror. To feel nothing for such things. And if this atrocity could stir nothing in him...was all feeling just a shadow?" (pg. 267)
The book explores what is left after the unthinkable happens.
In post-Holocaust Savannah,GA a survivor arrives. A cousin of some sort, a man in his 30s, sponsored by a shoe store owner and his wife Pearl. Yitzak Goldah will try to build a new life, a stranger in a strange land. He is stiff, formal, fluent in English--a writer from Prague who has no idea what or who he is now, 'safe' in the American segregated South who will now work in a shoe store until he finds his way.
The story of Savannah is complicated and for Jewish readers, even more so. Its Jews were assimilated, yet apart. The oldest temple in the South began in 1733 as a Sephardic congregation that ultimately became a Reformed branch. Later, European Jews arrived then founded Conservative and Orthodox shuls. Socially, the two did not seem to mix. Goldah, drags his memories, trying to dull them in order to survive yet another upheaval (this one well-meaning) into the local world of commerce, a newspaper job, and allow for the possibility of love mixing in with his survivor's guilt.
The novel is a lot about honor (Goldah) temptation (his sponsor's business dealings) and betrayal. The book never slides into predictability and the twists are subtle. Someone from his past appears. "Goldah felt nothing at hearing her story. This was his lingering horror. To feel nothing for such things. And if this atrocity could stir nothing in him...was all feeling just a shadow?" (pg. 267)
The book explores what is left after the unthinkable happens.
January 22, 2018
I rarely give 5 stars, but this is an excellent, well written, involving story. Although it is only Jan. 21st, this may be my favorite 2018 book. Yitzhak Goldah, a holocaust survivor is on his way to Savannah in 1947. There have been Jews in Savannah since 1733, and Yitzhak has been sponsored by his cousin Abe. Yitzhak's story unfolds slowly. There are 2 parallel stories running through the book. Abe owns a shoe store and he has somehow gotten involved in some sort of illegal dock corruption. The 2nd story is something that can't be ignored in a story about the south, the relationships with the black employees. Also, the relationships between the Conservative and Reform Jews are surprisingly fraught with tension. Temple vs Shul, with a ridiculous confrontation over tashlikh at the ocean, creates an almost tragic aftermath. And then there is a love story, which also has an almost tragic aftermath. Rabb' s writing brings all these seemingly disparate pieces together to form a perfect story with a perfect ending.
February 20, 2018
A fresh and deeply thoughtful look at the layers of Southern Jewish life in the Jim Crow era. In Among the Living, Ike, as well as the other major and minor characters, drew me in from page one. As Ike navigates post DP-camp-life in postwar Savannah, finding a new family among distant cousins, he processes the vast differences between where he has ended up and the heartbreaking journey which took him away from the life of a working journalist in prewar Prague. Highly recommended.
May 2, 2025
4.5. There is no such thing as “just another holocaust book.”
October 28, 2016
In exchange for an honest review, I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley and the Publisher. Thank You.
A fresh, new, and unique addition to the WWII fiction genre! On the outside, this book is a heartbreaking tale of a concentration camp survivor's journey returning to the world after the horrors he faced at the hands of the Nazis. But this story has so much more to it! Not only does the book follow Mr. Goldah along the way, it also dives into America's problems with racism against African Americans during this time period as well as issues with American Jews working with the Unions. Mr.. Goldah, renamed Ike Goldah by his American family (in order to fit in better they say), is trying to adjust to the normal world which he has not been a part of in many years. He has survivor's guilt that he is trying to rise above all the while he is being presented to his family's friends like a pet or trained performer. Ike meets and falls in love with a beautiful widow named Eva which of course causes a stir among the community. He and Eva are two outcasts and while both are Jewish, Eva's "Jews" are of a different sort according the Ike's cousin Pearl. While this is all taking place, Pearl's husband Abe Jesler is facing financial and business difficulties because of crooked union workers at the loading docks where he receives imported women's shoes for his store. The stories of the African American store clerks Calvin and Raymond plus Pearl's live in housekeeper Mary Royal mirror what Ike has seen and been through in his home country. These people have faced hardships that are different, but one in the same and the level of respect they have for each is much higher than the respect others have for them. They have a bond that remains unsaid in so many words, but is a silent understanding. I don't want to add any spoilers here, but a complication occurs with Ike and Eva that is quite challenging. It is a battle of good conscious versus the will to find their own happiness and move forward. This is a fantastic book! Please go out and read it. You will really enjoy it. The writing here is so beautiful and if you check out my blog page, you can read all of the quotes I highlighted.
See this review and others at:
www.BookItForward.WordPress.com
A fresh, new, and unique addition to the WWII fiction genre! On the outside, this book is a heartbreaking tale of a concentration camp survivor's journey returning to the world after the horrors he faced at the hands of the Nazis. But this story has so much more to it! Not only does the book follow Mr. Goldah along the way, it also dives into America's problems with racism against African Americans during this time period as well as issues with American Jews working with the Unions. Mr.. Goldah, renamed Ike Goldah by his American family (in order to fit in better they say), is trying to adjust to the normal world which he has not been a part of in many years. He has survivor's guilt that he is trying to rise above all the while he is being presented to his family's friends like a pet or trained performer. Ike meets and falls in love with a beautiful widow named Eva which of course causes a stir among the community. He and Eva are two outcasts and while both are Jewish, Eva's "Jews" are of a different sort according the Ike's cousin Pearl. While this is all taking place, Pearl's husband Abe Jesler is facing financial and business difficulties because of crooked union workers at the loading docks where he receives imported women's shoes for his store. The stories of the African American store clerks Calvin and Raymond plus Pearl's live in housekeeper Mary Royal mirror what Ike has seen and been through in his home country. These people have faced hardships that are different, but one in the same and the level of respect they have for each is much higher than the respect others have for them. They have a bond that remains unsaid in so many words, but is a silent understanding. I don't want to add any spoilers here, but a complication occurs with Ike and Eva that is quite challenging. It is a battle of good conscious versus the will to find their own happiness and move forward. This is a fantastic book! Please go out and read it. You will really enjoy it. The writing here is so beautiful and if you check out my blog page, you can read all of the quotes I highlighted.
See this review and others at:
www.BookItForward.WordPress.com
October 1, 2016
**I received this as an egalley through Edelweiss in return for an honest review.**
When I first read the summary for this novel, I was mildly intrigued and decided to give it a try. While it wasn't a story that had me constantly intrigued, I did find it easy to read and follow, and interesting enough for the most part.
I think that of everything in this novel, the characters are the most compelling and realistic in the way they are portrayed. Rabb does an excellent job of painting with words the atmosphere of a southern town as well as the characters themselves as Conservative and Reform Jews. I do wish Rabb had gone more in depth into the relations between the two denominations of Jews as well as the Jews and the African Americans who live in Savannah at that time. While he made some interesting points about it at times, I felt that that part of the story got side-skirted in preference to an unnecessary storyline about some illegal dealings on the part of Jesler, a storyline which I felt never even really got a decent conclusion.
Overall, the story is interesting, giving the reader a different perspective on the years post-Holocaust, and the relationships between the different people who were discovering and rediscovering themselves and their place in the world after the war. There was a lot of subtext to read through, unfortunately. So much so that at times I felt like I was having trouble understanding some parts of the story completely, but for the most part it was a decent read with some compelling ideas about the 'us vs. them' stigma and many other issues that are still present today. I give it 3.5 stars only because I was not overly wowed by it in any way, but am sure others might find it more interesting than I did.
When I first read the summary for this novel, I was mildly intrigued and decided to give it a try. While it wasn't a story that had me constantly intrigued, I did find it easy to read and follow, and interesting enough for the most part.
I think that of everything in this novel, the characters are the most compelling and realistic in the way they are portrayed. Rabb does an excellent job of painting with words the atmosphere of a southern town as well as the characters themselves as Conservative and Reform Jews. I do wish Rabb had gone more in depth into the relations between the two denominations of Jews as well as the Jews and the African Americans who live in Savannah at that time. While he made some interesting points about it at times, I felt that that part of the story got side-skirted in preference to an unnecessary storyline about some illegal dealings on the part of Jesler, a storyline which I felt never even really got a decent conclusion.
Overall, the story is interesting, giving the reader a different perspective on the years post-Holocaust, and the relationships between the different people who were discovering and rediscovering themselves and their place in the world after the war. There was a lot of subtext to read through, unfortunately. So much so that at times I felt like I was having trouble understanding some parts of the story completely, but for the most part it was a decent read with some compelling ideas about the 'us vs. them' stigma and many other issues that are still present today. I give it 3.5 stars only because I was not overly wowed by it in any way, but am sure others might find it more interesting than I did.
December 30, 2016
Rabb's engrossing novel illuminates the life of Jews in Savannah after World War II as three distinct points of view collide: the assimilated Reform "temple" Jews of German and Sephardic descent, the Conservative Eastern-European "shul" Jews, and the protagonist, Yitzhak Goldah, a Czech refugee and Holocaust survivor, to whom such distinctions are meaningless. As Goldah reclaims his humanity, he struggles against ingrained prejudices within his community that threaten to derail his romance with a sympathetic young widow, as well as with the easy racism of the South, which aligns him uncomfortably with the oppressors.
In addition to the vivid, evocative setting, one of the best things about the book is the way Rabb keeps his characters refreshingly free from saintliness. Goldah survives the Holocaust with his flaws, foibles and analytical self-awarness intact. As a result, he is relatable, neither pitiable nor self-righteous, and his choices and actions ring true. Similarly, the distant cousins who take him in, Abe and Pearl, are fighting their own demons, and although their attentions to Goldah are rooted in selflessness, they can't resist using him for private purposes. A compelling and enlightening read.
In addition to the vivid, evocative setting, one of the best things about the book is the way Rabb keeps his characters refreshingly free from saintliness. Goldah survives the Holocaust with his flaws, foibles and analytical self-awarness intact. As a result, he is relatable, neither pitiable nor self-righteous, and his choices and actions ring true. Similarly, the distant cousins who take him in, Abe and Pearl, are fighting their own demons, and although their attentions to Goldah are rooted in selflessness, they can't resist using him for private purposes. A compelling and enlightening read.
January 20, 2017
I became aware of this book because Jonathan Rabb was doing a book signing at a local bookstore. The topic seemed intriguing, so I decided to read it. I'm glad I did. The story is set in Savannah in 1947. A Holocaust survivor arrives in town and attempts to resume/recover his life, staying with his cousins, and working at their shoe store. He has lost his immediate family and is trying to move forward. While received warmly by most of the city, he encounters bigotry amongst the various Jewish sects in town. He also sees firsthand the racism towards blacks, and their position as far less than equal in society. Adding suspense to the story is a reappearance from his past, and a conflicting love interest. I found the book hard to put down; wanted to see how things were eventually resolved. But I also loved the historical context, knowing nothing about the history of Jews in Savannah. All in all, I would highly recommend Among the Living.
January 16, 2017
I nearly put this book down after about 10 pages, I am so glad I read it. WWII and the horrors it produced are well documented and I have read many books with that subject matter. So much so I don't want to read anymore. The framework for this book is a Holocaust survivor who is relocated to Savannah to live with cousins he has never met. Mr. Rabb's story successfully combines the story of the Jews of the American South with the plight of the African Americans living in Jim Crow south with a sensitive and masterly touch. Some of the twists and turns of the narrative are not quite believable but the book really touched me.
August 11, 2017
A meaningful and enjoyable book
"Among the Living" has several threads intertwined in one excellent read. Jonathan Rabb skillfully handles the psychology of Holocaust survivors, the intra-faith tensions of post-WW2 American Jewry, and the Southern Black experience, without ever being heavy-handed or condescending. The main characters are all good people, struggling with their inner demons.
I found the book to be absorbing and thought-provoking. Rabb writing is elegant but readable. His characters are sympathetic.
This is a book worth reading.
"Among the Living" has several threads intertwined in one excellent read. Jonathan Rabb skillfully handles the psychology of Holocaust survivors, the intra-faith tensions of post-WW2 American Jewry, and the Southern Black experience, without ever being heavy-handed or condescending. The main characters are all good people, struggling with their inner demons.
I found the book to be absorbing and thought-provoking. Rabb writing is elegant but readable. His characters are sympathetic.
This is a book worth reading.
July 16, 2017
Absorbing but slightly difficult to wade through. The characters are well developed - the most enjoyable part of this book is the author's talent in creating riveting characters with just a brief phrase or two. Poignant juxtaposition between recently arrived Holocaust survivor, Ike, and the treatment of the "negroes" in the south in the 1940's. I liked this novel a lot but didn't love it as there were too many subplots to keep track of. But I really enjoyed the authors talent and I will read more of his works.
November 10, 2016
I loved this book. The protagonist Ike has come to North Carolina from a German concentration camp following WWII. A couple from a long standing Jewish community is sponsoring him as he struggles to put the war behind him and look to the future. The contrast between the experiences of American versus European Jews is fascinating as he struggles with guilt, painful memories, and the choice he must make between two women.
February 5, 2017
A Holocaust survivor is sent to Savannah Georgia, which has a large population of Jews. Not only does the reader learn about the complexity of the Savannah Jewish community, but comes to realize that after surviving a concentration camp, returning to life in a new country is not easy, especially in a community where hate of the negro is strong.
October 1, 2017
I found the book a little difficult to read at struggled to follow the plot at times. I liked the book but felt the conflicts seemed to need a little development. The parallel between the Jews in Germany, and blacks in America was alluded, but not overly developed. Still the book picked up in the second half and was enjoyable.
December 23, 2016
Amazing!! I loved the setting and the characters for this new point of view of a holocaust survivor. I was committed to each character's story line and couldn't wait to see how it would all play out. Rabb did not disappoint. Fantastic read.
January 28, 2017
An incredibly moving book that offers a fresh take on a Holocaust survivor's journey. A wonderfully researched piece, I felt transported back to 1940s Savannah even though I knew very little about the city. Rich characters that in the end I was sad to say goodbye to. Great read.
March 21, 2017
I found the prospect of reading about Jews in post WWII Savannah promising, and did enjoy that aspect of the story. However, I found the writing style combined with multiple story lines left me rereading & deciphering more of the story than I cared for.
January 2, 2017
I had never heard of this author, but tried it as the distinguished authors on the back cover gave it outstanding reviews. Jonathan Rabb is a talented storyteller!
March 21, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this one. I wonder if part of my dislike has to do with the writing style.
Anywho, the premise is that Yitzhak Goldah, a Holocaust survivor, comes to Savannah to live with his last remaining relatives. There, he gets entangled, directly or indirectly, with his cousin, Abe's, shady business dealings; the Reform vs Conservative Jewish divide because he's seeing someone on "the other side"; the newspaper business, hearkening back to his pre-war life (and also tying into said shady business dealings and Jewish rumination about the fate of Palestine); and the racism, violent and otherwise, that his family's African American servants have to endure in the world. Oh, and a fellow survivor/woman from his past shows up, too.
I agree with other critics that Rabb bit off a little more than he could chew. This came at the expense of building up his characters. Like his Black characters--I appreciate that they aren't stereotypes of the meekly oppressed (same, too, with his Holocaust survivors)--but their motivations never transcended the needs of the plot.
Then there's the female characters who--I know I'm hard on male authors sometimes, but it's only when I think they deserve it! These women are one dimensional. The Black women are barely present, and then there's Mrs. Weiss, the stereotype of the fierce Jewish mama bear, and Pearl, the stereotype of the frail southern housewife, given to hysterics when things aren't picture perfect. Maybe I'm being nitpicky but I think Rabb could have done more to explore Eva's sense of grief at widowhood and where she wanted to be in her life, too. I'll give a pass to Malke.
What I struggle with most is the rather indirect way that Rabb approaches most of the action of his story. He doesn't hold readers by the hand when chronicling the story, and he doesn't load us down with too much drama or explanatory details. Part of me appreciates that, but another part wants a little bit larger of a window into the characters and these situations.
One area where I think it works really well, though, is with regards to the Holocaust. We already have a ton of fiction and nonfiction that deals, head on, with exactly what happened in the camps and elsewhere. What we have less of, and what's covered here, is the complexity of the mental trauma inflicted, and an explanation of the survivors, pre and post-war, as more than victims. That's why I'm cool with Malke's cynicism and post traumatic stress. But obviously Goldah is the real heart of the story, as he navigates his way back to the land of the living.
Still, even with Goldah (and Abe Jessler), Rabb was sometimes taken with making sweeping pronouncements in their narratives that I'm not sure were entirely earned. I'm particularly sensitive to this because it might be a weakness in my own writing--proclaiming some big feeling or conclusion about life that my characters come to, possibly without doing all of the leg work first. One can see the hand of the author a little too much, perhaps, trying to make the audience consider whatever issue or theme.
I also wish that Rabb had focused more attention on the actual ideological schisms in the Savannah Jewish community--even though he also shouldn't have, because there was too much going on. :P Still, for someone who was obviously taken with this cultural group--he includes an author's note in the back that gives a brief history--the presentation felt a little shallow. We had Pearl poo-pooing the idea of "temple" Jews, which Goldah later reciprocates to a degree by finding the Reform synagogue to be rather Americanized. The Conservative synagogue gets a nod for egalitarian seating and the rabbi mentioning Palestine in a Rosh Hashanah sermon. Then there's a minor taschlisch altercation between both groups at the ocean and that's about it. Maybe I shouldn't blame Rabb for the fact that I'd just read the nonfiction book, THE PRICE OF WHITENESS about Jewish American identity, so I was personally keen for more of a look about the ethnic and historical difference between the "acculturated" Germanic Reform Jews and slightly more immigrant Eastern European Conservative Jews. It was there, just...slight. Made the dramatic tension between characters feel kinda weightless.
Td;lr--there were a lot of intriguing rabbit holes in this book, but not enough time and space to follow all of them through. Plus some issues that I had with the character build up and writing style. I really like how Rabb handled Holocaust survivors, but is it enough to give this four stars? Already I'm kinda wishing that I gave BED-STUY IS BURNING, another Jewish book club read from this year, a three star rating. I'm getting a little too generous with my fours. (Maybe I should just stop rating books unless I absolutely love or hate them...oy, now I'M going down a rabbit hole! But I'm also talking myself into a three stars. A 3.5! :P)
I'm meeting with my book club tomorrow to discuss this, weather permitting. I may be back to revise my review afterwards.
Anywho, the premise is that Yitzhak Goldah, a Holocaust survivor, comes to Savannah to live with his last remaining relatives. There, he gets entangled, directly or indirectly, with his cousin, Abe's, shady business dealings; the Reform vs Conservative Jewish divide because he's seeing someone on "the other side"; the newspaper business, hearkening back to his pre-war life (and also tying into said shady business dealings and Jewish rumination about the fate of Palestine); and the racism, violent and otherwise, that his family's African American servants have to endure in the world. Oh, and a fellow survivor/woman from his past shows up, too.
I agree with other critics that Rabb bit off a little more than he could chew. This came at the expense of building up his characters. Like his Black characters--I appreciate that they aren't stereotypes of the meekly oppressed (same, too, with his Holocaust survivors)--but their motivations never transcended the needs of the plot.
Then there's the female characters who--I know I'm hard on male authors sometimes, but it's only when I think they deserve it! These women are one dimensional. The Black women are barely present, and then there's Mrs. Weiss, the stereotype of the fierce Jewish mama bear, and Pearl, the stereotype of the frail southern housewife, given to hysterics when things aren't picture perfect. Maybe I'm being nitpicky but I think Rabb could have done more to explore Eva's sense of grief at widowhood and where she wanted to be in her life, too. I'll give a pass to Malke.
What I struggle with most is the rather indirect way that Rabb approaches most of the action of his story. He doesn't hold readers by the hand when chronicling the story, and he doesn't load us down with too much drama or explanatory details. Part of me appreciates that, but another part wants a little bit larger of a window into the characters and these situations.
One area where I think it works really well, though, is with regards to the Holocaust. We already have a ton of fiction and nonfiction that deals, head on, with exactly what happened in the camps and elsewhere. What we have less of, and what's covered here, is the complexity of the mental trauma inflicted, and an explanation of the survivors, pre and post-war, as more than victims. That's why I'm cool with Malke's cynicism and post traumatic stress. But obviously Goldah is the real heart of the story, as he navigates his way back to the land of the living.
Still, even with Goldah (and Abe Jessler), Rabb was sometimes taken with making sweeping pronouncements in their narratives that I'm not sure were entirely earned. I'm particularly sensitive to this because it might be a weakness in my own writing--proclaiming some big feeling or conclusion about life that my characters come to, possibly without doing all of the leg work first. One can see the hand of the author a little too much, perhaps, trying to make the audience consider whatever issue or theme.
I also wish that Rabb had focused more attention on the actual ideological schisms in the Savannah Jewish community--even though he also shouldn't have, because there was too much going on. :P Still, for someone who was obviously taken with this cultural group--he includes an author's note in the back that gives a brief history--the presentation felt a little shallow. We had Pearl poo-pooing the idea of "temple" Jews, which Goldah later reciprocates to a degree by finding the Reform synagogue to be rather Americanized. The Conservative synagogue gets a nod for egalitarian seating and the rabbi mentioning Palestine in a Rosh Hashanah sermon. Then there's a minor taschlisch altercation between both groups at the ocean and that's about it. Maybe I shouldn't blame Rabb for the fact that I'd just read the nonfiction book, THE PRICE OF WHITENESS about Jewish American identity, so I was personally keen for more of a look about the ethnic and historical difference between the "acculturated" Germanic Reform Jews and slightly more immigrant Eastern European Conservative Jews. It was there, just...slight. Made the dramatic tension between characters feel kinda weightless.
Td;lr--there were a lot of intriguing rabbit holes in this book, but not enough time and space to follow all of them through. Plus some issues that I had with the character build up and writing style. I really like how Rabb handled Holocaust survivors, but is it enough to give this four stars? Already I'm kinda wishing that I gave BED-STUY IS BURNING, another Jewish book club read from this year, a three star rating. I'm getting a little too generous with my fours. (Maybe I should just stop rating books unless I absolutely love or hate them...oy, now I'M going down a rabbit hole! But I'm also talking myself into a three stars. A 3.5! :P)
I'm meeting with my book club tomorrow to discuss this, weather permitting. I may be back to revise my review afterwards.
August 12, 2017
Among the Living is a novel about a 31-year-old Jewish man, Yitzhak Goldah, who survived The Holocaust and came to live with his cousin, Abe Jesler and Jesler’s wife, Pearl, in Savannah, Georgia in 1947.
The tone of the book is set early on as the author reveals Mr. Goldah’s sense of humor and ability to take life in stride. For instance, on the way home from the train station, Goldah’s cousin and his wife inform him that they are changing his name to “Ike.” Yitzhak doesn’t like the idea, but he accepts this in an effort to not cause a rift with these generous cousins.
It quickly become obvious that Pearl Jesler is going to treat “Ike” like he’s a child. As if that’s not enough, she smothers him with kindness. And she talks all the time – many times saying the wrong thing.
This is by no means a humorous book, but there are constant undertones of “Ike” knowing exactly what the Jeslers are doing but choosing not to confront them about his treatment.
Abe Jesler is in the retail shoe business and is well-connected in Jewish circles in Savannah. There is intrigue as Abe gets involves in some shady business dealings at Savannah’s port.
Ike’s profession before the war was that of a journalist, so he gets acquainted with the local newspaper editor. I don't want to give away any more of the plot, but Ike's life gets quite complicated.
The book also addresses the feelings of guilt held by American Jews because they weren’t directly faced with the horrors of The Holocaust and the guilty experienced by the survivors of the concentration camps because they survived.
The tone of the book is set early on as the author reveals Mr. Goldah’s sense of humor and ability to take life in stride. For instance, on the way home from the train station, Goldah’s cousin and his wife inform him that they are changing his name to “Ike.” Yitzhak doesn’t like the idea, but he accepts this in an effort to not cause a rift with these generous cousins.
It quickly become obvious that Pearl Jesler is going to treat “Ike” like he’s a child. As if that’s not enough, she smothers him with kindness. And she talks all the time – many times saying the wrong thing.
This is by no means a humorous book, but there are constant undertones of “Ike” knowing exactly what the Jeslers are doing but choosing not to confront them about his treatment.
Abe Jesler is in the retail shoe business and is well-connected in Jewish circles in Savannah. There is intrigue as Abe gets involves in some shady business dealings at Savannah’s port.
Ike’s profession before the war was that of a journalist, so he gets acquainted with the local newspaper editor. I don't want to give away any more of the plot, but Ike's life gets quite complicated.
The book also addresses the feelings of guilt held by American Jews because they weren’t directly faced with the horrors of The Holocaust and the guilty experienced by the survivors of the concentration camps because they survived.
February 7, 2018
Holocaust survivor Ike Goldah is given a second chance at life in Savannah, Georgia. He is taken in by his cousin Abe and Abe’s wife Pearl, and though they are well-meaning, they see Ike as a means to enhance their own status as his saviors. Pearl is nurturing but a bit overbearing and Abe is often distracted by his business ventures. (The whole union/import/payoff thing went a bit over my head.)
When Ike falls in love with war widow Eva, his family’s conservatism is at odds with Eva’s reform Judaism. Despite being given a chance at happiness, Ike is confounded by this religious division as well as adapting to the harsh realities of Jim Crow south. When something from his past threatens Ike’s new existence, he struggles with survivor’s guilt and whether to let his experiences define him.
The narrative is subtle and only hints at Ike’s experience in the German camps. The overall theme of identity and guilt is presented with thoughtful cadence. Ike’s determination to move beyond his horrific ordeal and not let his past define him is admirable. Despite the conflicts Ike encounters, the stoicism which he accepts his life in Savannah sets the tone for the entire novel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
When Ike falls in love with war widow Eva, his family’s conservatism is at odds with Eva’s reform Judaism. Despite being given a chance at happiness, Ike is confounded by this religious division as well as adapting to the harsh realities of Jim Crow south. When something from his past threatens Ike’s new existence, he struggles with survivor’s guilt and whether to let his experiences define him.
The narrative is subtle and only hints at Ike’s experience in the German camps. The overall theme of identity and guilt is presented with thoughtful cadence. Ike’s determination to move beyond his horrific ordeal and not let his past define him is admirable. Despite the conflicts Ike encounters, the stoicism which he accepts his life in Savannah sets the tone for the entire novel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
July 6, 2018
Rating: 3.75 - almost a 4 but not quite there
Among the Living is the story of Holocaust survivor Yitzhak ( renamed "Ike" by his cousins) Goldah, who in 1947 immigrates to Savannah, Georgia, to live with his only remaining relatives, Abe and Pearl Jesler. There's not much Holocaust to the story, although the aftermath of the experience clearly abides. Ike works in Abs's shoe store, experiences the tensions between the Reform and Conservative Jewish congregations in Savannah, deals with the strange relationships between black and white in the community, falls in love with the newspaper editor's daughter. His character is really interesting and very well-developed. He's a quit and observant man, and sees much that gets by others in the world around him. There.s not a lot of action in the book, but the low-key story is interesting, particularly when a woman from Ike's past enters the picture. At the end, though there are many unresolved plot fragments, and they are frustrating, because as a reader I thought they were actually going somewhere - hence the markdown.
Among the Living is the story of Holocaust survivor Yitzhak ( renamed "Ike" by his cousins) Goldah, who in 1947 immigrates to Savannah, Georgia, to live with his only remaining relatives, Abe and Pearl Jesler. There's not much Holocaust to the story, although the aftermath of the experience clearly abides. Ike works in Abs's shoe store, experiences the tensions between the Reform and Conservative Jewish congregations in Savannah, deals with the strange relationships between black and white in the community, falls in love with the newspaper editor's daughter. His character is really interesting and very well-developed. He's a quit and observant man, and sees much that gets by others in the world around him. There.s not a lot of action in the book, but the low-key story is interesting, particularly when a woman from Ike's past enters the picture. At the end, though there are many unresolved plot fragments, and they are frustrating, because as a reader I thought they were actually going somewhere - hence the markdown.
March 23, 2020
This book takes place post-WWII, and tells the story of Buchenwald survivor, Yitzah Goldah, who travels to Savannah, GA where he has distant relatives who will take him in. He goes from one form of extreme dehumanization, to be shocked by the Jim Crow south, and the further separation between the Reform and Conservative Jews in the community. I could not put this down. It carefully questions identity, assimilation and community, starting with his his family who quickly re-renames him “Ike” (despite him being a 31-year old adult) so he can have a ‘more familiar’ name. This is all done under the generosity and kindness of southern hospitality so it’s not intended to be harsh, but shows how little people can understand each other despite caring deeply. The other thing I really enjoyed was learning about the history of Savannah and the founding Jewish families. It was very interesting to learn; makes me want to visit and see the synagogues and temples described.
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