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Seven Blessings
The closed, secret world of matchmaking in contemporary Israel provides the titillating pivot for a story of uncommon proportions. In Ruchama King's skillful hands, Seven Blessings maps out the complicated lives of five expatriate women and men whose search for a soul mate, in many ways, mirrors their search for God.
At the center of this fascinating novel is Beth, who at age thirty-nine longs to be married but despairs she ever will be. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, he has what she believes to be an insurmountable flaw. Can she overcome her repugnance in order to forge a new life? Binyamin, a talented painter and student, lacks the humility to identify a worthy wife. He strains the matchmakers' patience until his search for perfect love finally becomes ridiculous, even to himself. Tsippi and Judith, the matchmakers, are stumbling themselves, with marriages that need propping up. In this land of miracles, seeking the right match, whether between singles, husband and wife, student and teacher, or man and God, becomes a quest that opens the Bible to us in a new way.
Rich characters, an intriguing setting, writing that offers unique nuances, and ultimately a story that keeps you turning the pages all combine to introduce a remarkable newcomer. Seven Blessings redefines the Jewish experience, with a story that will ring with truth for anyone who's ever considered getting married.
At the center of this fascinating novel is Beth, who at age thirty-nine longs to be married but despairs she ever will be. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, he has what she believes to be an insurmountable flaw. Can she overcome her repugnance in order to forge a new life? Binyamin, a talented painter and student, lacks the humility to identify a worthy wife. He strains the matchmakers' patience until his search for perfect love finally becomes ridiculous, even to himself. Tsippi and Judith, the matchmakers, are stumbling themselves, with marriages that need propping up. In this land of miracles, seeking the right match, whether between singles, husband and wife, student and teacher, or man and God, becomes a quest that opens the Bible to us in a new way.
Rich characters, an intriguing setting, writing that offers unique nuances, and ultimately a story that keeps you turning the pages all combine to introduce a remarkable newcomer. Seven Blessings redefines the Jewish experience, with a story that will ring with truth for anyone who's ever considered getting married.
258 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
17 people are currently reading
515 people want to read
About the author
Ruchama King Feuerman
10 books59 followersRuchama King Feuerman was born in Nashville, grew up in Virginia and Maryland, and when she was seventeen, bought a one-way ticket to Israel to seek her spiritual fortune. Seven Blessings (St. Martin’s Press), her celebrated first novel about match-making, earned her the praise of the New York Times and the Dallas Morning News, and Kirkus Reviews dubbed her "the Jewish Jane Austen." She wrote her second novel, In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist, with the help of grants from the Christopher Isherwood Foundation and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and it will be published in September 2013 by NYRB Lit, a new e-book series from the New York Review of Books devoted to publishing contemporary books of literary merit from around the world. Her stories and essays have appeared in numerous places, including the New York Times, and she is a winner of the 2012 Moment Fiction contest, judged by the novelist Walter Mosley.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
April 26, 2015
4.5 stars
This book proves that Jewish Orthodox writers can get published by mainstream publishers without badmouthing the JO community or fitting into a "niche" (such as mystery). And it's a marvelous book besides! :)
For every "older single" in the JO community, and for anyone who wants to know what that can be like. Should be required reading for certain matchmakers of my acquaintance. ;)
I wanted a bit more closure on some of the minor plots, which is why I deducted half a star. Other than that, an absolutely remarkable debut book! :D
Wonderful characters who grow and change, who interact with one another in unexpected ways, all set against a wonderful background -- Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) through the eyes of an author who really knows and loves it.
This book proves that Jewish Orthodox writers can get published by mainstream publishers without badmouthing the JO community or fitting into a "niche" (such as mystery). And it's a marvelous book besides! :)
For every "older single" in the JO community, and for anyone who wants to know what that can be like. Should be required reading for certain matchmakers of my acquaintance. ;)
I wanted a bit more closure on some of the minor plots, which is why I deducted half a star. Other than that, an absolutely remarkable debut book! :D
Wonderful characters who grow and change, who interact with one another in unexpected ways, all set against a wonderful background -- Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) through the eyes of an author who really knows and loves it.
July 12, 2017
I really wanted to savour this book and even re-read passages which is highly unusual for me. I liked the characters, their relationships and interaction which had a realistic feel to it. I was glad it didn't have an over the top sugary happy ending. I also enjoyed the subject matter of Torah study and orthodox Judaism.
March 27, 2008
Ruchama King is my writing teacher, and her book achieves what I dream of. Kirkus Reviews called her “a Jewish Jane Austen,” and though she’s not quite as satirical, she is writing about dating, marriage, and people’s foibles. The character of Binyamin is sort of a Mr. Collins. He’s got a different brand of obnoxiousness, but his ideas about women are well worth the lampoon.
On another level, though, the Jane Austen comparison doesn’t quite do the book justice. It’s more than just a comedy of manners. The setting is Jerusalem, so Jewish spirituality is woven in throughout the plot. The characters actually learn Torah as part of the dialogue, and it sounds authentic, not preachy. But ultimately, the theme is marriage, and she’s very open about it. I think the approach is 100% kosher, but many in the frum world might consider it just too sensitive a topic to broach. Take that as a warning – or a recommendation. If you’re intrigued, you’ll probably LOVE the book.
On another level, though, the Jane Austen comparison doesn’t quite do the book justice. It’s more than just a comedy of manners. The setting is Jerusalem, so Jewish spirituality is woven in throughout the plot. The characters actually learn Torah as part of the dialogue, and it sounds authentic, not preachy. But ultimately, the theme is marriage, and she’s very open about it. I think the approach is 100% kosher, but many in the frum world might consider it just too sensitive a topic to broach. Take that as a warning – or a recommendation. If you’re intrigued, you’ll probably LOVE the book.
June 6, 2021
Ruchama King Feuerman is one of the few Orthodox writers who can write fiction about the Orthodox world with an equal degree of sophistication and artistry. This book focuses on the dating hopes and disasters of three older singles, 42-year-old Benyamin, 39-year-old Beth, and (late 30s?) Akiva, a man with an awkward medical problem.
Akiva's difficulty in getting married is obvious, and it's fair to say that all three singles have been hardened by their years-long search for a loving spouse. Binyomin, a ba'al teshuva, claims he "needs" a woman whom he finds stunningly beautiful, therefore, almost nobody can measure up. Feeling aggrieved himseslf when matchmakers tire of his self-centeredness, he muses, "Putting himself out there was too raw, too humiliating. But what choice did he have? His fate and future happiness rested in the hands of these women." Meanwhile, Beth's practical nature makes her resist dressing for romance or flirting. She is both drawn to and afraid of romantic intimacy.
The book equally focuses on the well meaning matchmakers, Judy and Tsippy, who try mightily to marry off Jerusalem singles, given Judaism's emphasis on marriage and family, an emphasis that adds pressure all around. The book's themes also include the ways that women choose to engage in more intensive Torah study for both intellectual stimulation and a sense of achievement. Judy and Tsippy also have issues of their own to contend with: Tsippy's marriage has been zapped of romance; Judy wonders what she might have achieved in the world of Torah scholarship had she not married so young and had a passel of kids.
King Feuerman's writing is beautiful, clear, and evocative. Her characters are real, their yearnings relatable. As Judy decides to return to a women's seminary for more intense Torah study each day, she links that decision to matchmaking:
"Everyone was seeking a connection of some kind. She squinted at the sky, and from a certain angle it seemed that impossibly thin gossamer strings were extending from each star down to the city below, crossing and criss-crossing through the dark blue of the night, until the entirety of Jerusalem was covered in a latticework of lines. Shidduchs and more shidduchs. A shidduch to get the right fit between neighbors, to reconcile between friends and parents and children, between husbands and wives, to reconcile one country to another. The whole world was a shidduch. And she was on a shidduch, too, if she dared, with her self."
I'm now eager for this author, who favored me with a front-cover endorsement of my own memoir, to write another novel as soon as possible.
Akiva's difficulty in getting married is obvious, and it's fair to say that all three singles have been hardened by their years-long search for a loving spouse. Binyomin, a ba'al teshuva, claims he "needs" a woman whom he finds stunningly beautiful, therefore, almost nobody can measure up. Feeling aggrieved himseslf when matchmakers tire of his self-centeredness, he muses, "Putting himself out there was too raw, too humiliating. But what choice did he have? His fate and future happiness rested in the hands of these women." Meanwhile, Beth's practical nature makes her resist dressing for romance or flirting. She is both drawn to and afraid of romantic intimacy.
The book equally focuses on the well meaning matchmakers, Judy and Tsippy, who try mightily to marry off Jerusalem singles, given Judaism's emphasis on marriage and family, an emphasis that adds pressure all around. The book's themes also include the ways that women choose to engage in more intensive Torah study for both intellectual stimulation and a sense of achievement. Judy and Tsippy also have issues of their own to contend with: Tsippy's marriage has been zapped of romance; Judy wonders what she might have achieved in the world of Torah scholarship had she not married so young and had a passel of kids.
King Feuerman's writing is beautiful, clear, and evocative. Her characters are real, their yearnings relatable. As Judy decides to return to a women's seminary for more intense Torah study each day, she links that decision to matchmaking:
"Everyone was seeking a connection of some kind. She squinted at the sky, and from a certain angle it seemed that impossibly thin gossamer strings were extending from each star down to the city below, crossing and criss-crossing through the dark blue of the night, until the entirety of Jerusalem was covered in a latticework of lines. Shidduchs and more shidduchs. A shidduch to get the right fit between neighbors, to reconcile between friends and parents and children, between husbands and wives, to reconcile one country to another. The whole world was a shidduch. And she was on a shidduch, too, if she dared, with her self."
I'm now eager for this author, who favored me with a front-cover endorsement of my own memoir, to write another novel as soon as possible.
July 20, 2007
This book is about five Orthodox Jews: Akiva and Binyamin (both ba'al teshuvah), Beth (who is having a crisis of faith), and the two match-makers trying to help them each find their soul-mates. Beth falls for Akiva but can't accept his medical condition. Binyamin rejects every woman he meets because they can't live up to his idealized notion of beauty. Tsippi the matchmaker yearns for a more passionate marriage herself, while Judy - a former rebbetzin - seeks to read and interpret the Torah for herself. This book is *lovely*. It's easy to connect with all the characters, even the jerkish Binyamin. It was next to impossible to summarize this book; there are so many richly crafted plotlines. This is one of the few books along these lines I've read that doesn't criticize matchmakers or the Orthodox lifestyle. Nor does it criticize secular life. It's just an honest story about people longing to connect to God, to love, and to each other.
September 7, 2015
1. It was boring
2. It was forgettable
3. I hated the writing style
4. None of the characters made a lasting impression
5. I forgot the character names
6.It was inconsistent
7. I did not finish it
These are the seven reasons why I did not like it. Blessings? More like annoyances.
NEXT!
2. It was forgettable
3. I hated the writing style
4. None of the characters made a lasting impression
5. I forgot the character names
6.It was inconsistent
7. I did not finish it
These are the seven reasons why I did not like it. Blessings? More like annoyances.
NEXT!
June 6, 2008
I really enjoyed this novel. It’s beautifully written. It’s very romantic (much more so than I expected!) and heartwarming. The characters are thoughtful, smart, feeling, psychologically astute, well developed, and have meaningful relationships. I really cared about them and was eager to find out what was going to happen in their lives. (I’d love a sequel!)
The story is about being married and being single in Jerusalem, as members of the Orthodox Jewish communit(ies) and the reader gets a detailed depiction of Jerusalem from someone who really seems to know it. The experience of Jerusalem felt almost palpable to me it was described so well.
I found the story very emotionally moving, especially the parts about human connection and hiding vs. revealing and distance vs. intimacy. This story really gets to the heart of its characters. I appreciated how the story’s characters showed so much diversity, but, in the end, highlighted how much we have in common as human beings.
My main gripe (maybe my only disappointment) about the plot is that in the households with married couples with children, the children barely appeared. There was depth in describing the couples’ relationships but I would have loved to learn more about the children and what family life was like for these families and see the sibling and parent-child interactions explored just a little bit. I wouldn’t expect these relationships to be a main focus but, given the emphasis on singles wanting to be married with children, I’d have liked to see what happened when those wishes came to fruition.
While there’s a lot about Orthodox Judaism in this book, you don’t have to know anything to enjoy it thoroughly; I did know quite a bit and I also learned a lot.
The story is about being married and being single in Jerusalem, as members of the Orthodox Jewish communit(ies) and the reader gets a detailed depiction of Jerusalem from someone who really seems to know it. The experience of Jerusalem felt almost palpable to me it was described so well.
I found the story very emotionally moving, especially the parts about human connection and hiding vs. revealing and distance vs. intimacy. This story really gets to the heart of its characters. I appreciated how the story’s characters showed so much diversity, but, in the end, highlighted how much we have in common as human beings.
My main gripe (maybe my only disappointment) about the plot is that in the households with married couples with children, the children barely appeared. There was depth in describing the couples’ relationships but I would have loved to learn more about the children and what family life was like for these families and see the sibling and parent-child interactions explored just a little bit. I wouldn’t expect these relationships to be a main focus but, given the emphasis on singles wanting to be married with children, I’d have liked to see what happened when those wishes came to fruition.
While there’s a lot about Orthodox Judaism in this book, you don’t have to know anything to enjoy it thoroughly; I did know quite a bit and I also learned a lot.
June 14, 2012
This book started out somewhat distantly and ended up more close, but that I think was the point. The main female characters, Beth, Tsippi and Judy, each feel something lacking in their lives, and it centers around their self-worth. Beth is a ridiculously old single person, according to Orthodox standards, who feels she is losing her place in the community. Tsippi and Judy are coming to terms with the fact that they want more than just to be the silent "helpmate." I appreciate that their journeys took them not only to Torah study but to the idea of coming up with their own interpretations. It's a view into traditional Judaism that one doesn't often get to see.
Even as a progressive Jew with more understanding of this world than many, I was struck by the culture shock that these desperate, dating singles lived quite a different life than me. They were slightly inaccessible at first because individualism wasn't so valued in their culture. Obviously they wanted to get married and study Torah--no one wanted to go to school to be a ballerina, physicist or even literature professor. Their practical goals revolved around fitting into a ready-made society rather than creating their own rules. And yet, there was the same level of shallowness and judgmentalism on these dates (perhaps made worse because people had no scruples with pulling out Scripture passages to justify being shallow.) Every time that jerk Binyamin came on stage, I pitied everyone who had to spend time with him. I appreciate that the author could get into such a negative headspace, and also that she had the grace *not* to marry him off. Her other characters were more than aware that he had some growing up to do first, and ultimately he realized it as well.
Minor note, but why not make Estrella, Beth's neighbor, a POV? Would be nice to have a Sephardi in the limelight for a different look at Judaism, particularly since they're mentioned so often. All in all, I'm impressed with the POVs. I came to see them as genuine people, struggling with questions of love, identity and belonging in their insular but somewhat relatable little world.
Even as a progressive Jew with more understanding of this world than many, I was struck by the culture shock that these desperate, dating singles lived quite a different life than me. They were slightly inaccessible at first because individualism wasn't so valued in their culture. Obviously they wanted to get married and study Torah--no one wanted to go to school to be a ballerina, physicist or even literature professor. Their practical goals revolved around fitting into a ready-made society rather than creating their own rules. And yet, there was the same level of shallowness and judgmentalism on these dates (perhaps made worse because people had no scruples with pulling out Scripture passages to justify being shallow.) Every time that jerk Binyamin came on stage, I pitied everyone who had to spend time with him. I appreciate that the author could get into such a negative headspace, and also that she had the grace *not* to marry him off. Her other characters were more than aware that he had some growing up to do first, and ultimately he realized it as well.
Minor note, but why not make Estrella, Beth's neighbor, a POV? Would be nice to have a Sephardi in the limelight for a different look at Judaism, particularly since they're mentioned so often. All in all, I'm impressed with the POVs. I came to see them as genuine people, struggling with questions of love, identity and belonging in their insular but somewhat relatable little world.
August 15, 2013
Newly transplanted Americans, fresh on their spiritual search and search for a soul mate meet some resistance in themselves. Their matchmakers, Judy,a young mother, and Tsippi, married to a Talmudic scholar, are also facing spiritual and marital meltdowns. Everyone is searching, looking for more of a connection to the universe. Some comical moments, especially with Tsippi. Fireman certainly knows modern day Jerusalem and its densely populated, diverse souls. Beth, her central character, is very alone, without family, approaching her late thirties without a husband, struggles to connect to Judaism. She is having some serious doubts and slides away from her talent as a teacher of Torah. She also shies away from love, becoming a challenge to her matchmaker friends. The author also has a flair for using physical handicaps as metaphor for spiritual states. The author has also written a new book, In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist, which also takes place in Israel with a cast of characters whom represent modern day Israel and its dilemmas.
June 4, 2020
I think this is the third time I've read this book in the last few years. It isn't perfect, but I think the author does a very good job of portraying an Orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem and what it is like to be a single member of that community. I also like the way the author writes about religion in a natural and respectful way; I think a lot of Christian authors could take a lesson from her. She portrays the faith of her characters in a sincere way without preaching to the reader. Many of the characters have doubts or questions; some are resolved and some are not, but nothing is wrapped up in too tidy a package. I like the way that several characters are still a work in progress at the end, but they all seem to be moving in a good direction. I felt that in reading the book I learned more about the Jewish faith and thought a bit about my own as well.
June 5, 2012
I was really excited to read this book. I really enjoyed Beth as she shared all her feeling about being set up on dates and her questions about Torah. I love her honesty, no matter whom she is speaking. I felt from the beginning she and Akiva belonged together only they each have things they need to work on of their own. Tsippi also shared her heart as she felt her husband wasn't romantic and she worked on that! This book is about people's lives and commitment to serve G-d in their religion. My very favorite quote of the book is by Rabbi Yellin when he was asked by Binyamin about being depressed or brokenhearted. The Rabbi responds: "The depressed person sees only his own sorrow. The brokenhearted one sees everyone's sorrow and shares their broken heart."
February 8, 2017
The Seven Blessings are said on the occasion of a Jewish marriage and that should tip you off that this is a classic marriage novel...but Jewish. So instead of an English country village, we find ourselves among the observant American immigrants of Jerusalem who are looking for love, looking for God, and looking for their place in the world. There are echoes of Isaac Bashevits Singer and Doestoevsky (one character has Tourette's) as well as Jane Austen and George Eliot, and that is high praise. But basically no one seems to do anything besides study Talmud, go to parties, plot to marry each other off, buy food and cook. And then there are the women. Wonderfully well written and enjoyably escapist in that it is so different from my world.
August 22, 2011
I liked this book about Orthodox, pious Jews in Jerusalem. It centers around 2 couples and 2 matchmakers, but it is more than that. The author discusses relationship issues between husband, wives, friends, teachers, students, Human creation as an individual and the Creator. A book about finding someone to marry but without a kiss because as a pious Jew, one doesn't kiss until under the canopy. Great bargain price book that I took a chance on.
April 12, 2008
Marriage, marriage brokers, finding youself before you can offer yourself to another.
It's a novel, set in Jerusalem, with interesting information about Torah and study mixed in with the romance.
My favorite part was the transformation of a long-standing marriage.
It's a novel, set in Jerusalem, with interesting information about Torah and study mixed in with the romance.
My favorite part was the transformation of a long-standing marriage.
February 8, 2015
Interesting read, and a respectful glimpse into a fascinating world.
I enjoyed this book, found it easy to get through, enjoyed the variety of the stories, and feel that it will help me gain a better insight into the world of the Orthodox in Me'a Shearim.
I enjoyed this book, found it easy to get through, enjoyed the variety of the stories, and feel that it will help me gain a better insight into the world of the Orthodox in Me'a Shearim.
August 24, 2009
Reading this story caused me to alternately smile and wince as I recognized aspects of myself in the eloquent descriptions of religious singles and matchmakers living in Jerusalem.
January 23, 2010
Wonderful book at so many levels. You are quickly transported into the world of Jerusalem, the markets, the culture, and her characters lives. An interesting examination of our human nature.
November 7, 2010
This book made me miss Israel and has such a warm & comforting feeling for me. I hope to see more from this author soon.
May 12, 2023
In theory this should be a book I love. Beth and I both were single longer than was normal in our communities, we're both religious, etc.
Yet, for me, it missed something. Something about the journey from singleness to married life. Perhaps it's cultural (there are huge differences---nothing wrong at all with that), perhaps it's personality. It just didn't click with me as much as I really wanted it to. The debate on whether or not women should wear makeup and why that is (or isn't) was not deep enough but it almost got there... And that's hard for me to say because there are so many varieties of singleness and feminity that are explored here.
That being said, I loved how intense the setting was. I have never been to Jerusalem, but the author immerses all the senses of the reader and I loved it. You get smells, touch, sounds, as well as the visual. Almost better than a video. I also loved the debate, the thought, the intelligent questions and how the author is content to leave some unanswered or unresolved. There's a lot to enjoy and experience here.
If the plot sounds intriguing, you probably won't be disappointed. Is she the next Jane Austen? No. She is her own voice. But that isn't a bad thing. I wish she had written more.
Yet, for me, it missed something. Something about the journey from singleness to married life. Perhaps it's cultural (there are huge differences---nothing wrong at all with that), perhaps it's personality. It just didn't click with me as much as I really wanted it to. The debate on whether or not women should wear makeup and why that is (or isn't) was not deep enough but it almost got there... And that's hard for me to say because there are so many varieties of singleness and feminity that are explored here.
That being said, I loved how intense the setting was. I have never been to Jerusalem, but the author immerses all the senses of the reader and I loved it. You get smells, touch, sounds, as well as the visual. Almost better than a video. I also loved the debate, the thought, the intelligent questions and how the author is content to leave some unanswered or unresolved. There's a lot to enjoy and experience here.
If the plot sounds intriguing, you probably won't be disappointed. Is she the next Jane Austen? No. She is her own voice. But that isn't a bad thing. I wish she had written more.
August 7, 2017
2.5 stars rounded up because I think this book accomplished what it set out to do, I just didn't enjoy it because I'm not the target audience. It's a classic easy read romantic comedy - no particularly moving turns of phrase, no poignant insights into the human condition - just an easy light beach read about "finding (or rediscovering) The One." I think I would have truly enjoyed it as a 1.5 hour movie (the frum angle would have been a nice twist on ye classic Hollywood rom com) but I'm not a fast enough reader to make a 250 page book worth the time investment.
Speaking of the frum angle, the author made several choices that I particularly appreciated, given that the novel was written by an Orthodox woman, about Hasids, presumably envisioning an audience of other frum or frumish women. The plot depicted strong women in a variety of settings (housewife, store manager, bookkeeper, volunteer, yeshiva principal, mother, Torah students); women are explicitly presented as being "complete" irrespective of their marital status; the only character who had a shallow understanding of frum women-as-helpmeets got his comeuppance; and the book eschewed your classic 20-something nubile heroes in favor of characters in their 40s and 60s, championing the idea that character growth and evolution is a lifelong thing (no 'happily ever after' mythos). The Jerusalem setting was integral to the story and the author did a reasonable job of conveying the palpable attraction of the city to her American/Canadian-born characters. And I *loved* the scene where these Hasidic middle-aged wives bring the single girl along on their enthusiastic lingerie shopping trip to boost her self-confidence - tangerine bra and panties FTW!
Were there contextual items that I found highly problematic, as someone with a significantly more complicated relationship with Israel and with traditional observance? Sure. There was the bus driver checking for bombs under the seats after a solo male Arab passenger descends from the bus, and the idea that a wife studying Torah is cute but a dude studying Talmud all day brings honor to the family. In all fairness, I got the impression that the author disapproved of such episodes too, just not as adamantly as I do.
Speaking of the frum angle, the author made several choices that I particularly appreciated, given that the novel was written by an Orthodox woman, about Hasids, presumably envisioning an audience of other frum or frumish women. The plot depicted strong women in a variety of settings (housewife, store manager, bookkeeper, volunteer, yeshiva principal, mother, Torah students); women are explicitly presented as being "complete" irrespective of their marital status; the only character who had a shallow understanding of frum women-as-helpmeets got his comeuppance; and the book eschewed your classic 20-something nubile heroes in favor of characters in their 40s and 60s, championing the idea that character growth and evolution is a lifelong thing (no 'happily ever after' mythos). The Jerusalem setting was integral to the story and the author did a reasonable job of conveying the palpable attraction of the city to her American/Canadian-born characters. And I *loved* the scene where these Hasidic middle-aged wives bring the single girl along on their enthusiastic lingerie shopping trip to boost her self-confidence - tangerine bra and panties FTW!
Were there contextual items that I found highly problematic, as someone with a significantly more complicated relationship with Israel and with traditional observance? Sure. There was the bus driver checking for bombs under the seats after a solo male Arab passenger descends from the bus, and the idea that a wife studying Torah is cute but a dude studying Talmud all day brings honor to the family. In all fairness, I got the impression that the author disapproved of such episodes too, just not as adamantly as I do.
April 19, 2016
I was not expecting to love this book, but I do. It has a few moments when it seems a simple romance, but it is so much more than that. It is a beautiful picture of doubt, faith, and life in Jerusalem. I felt deeply immersed in that world and in the worldview of the characters. I'm not Jewish, and I didn't always feel comfortable with some of the views of the characters about the necessity of marriage, but I still felt a strong connection with many of them as they searched for a fuller relationship with other human beings and with God. I came to appreciate a unique kind of feminism (unique in my experience, at least) that sees marriage as a priority (matchmaking is at the heart of the story), but that still sees women as intelligent, important, and essential as both part of God's creation and interpreters of scripture. Loved it!
August 17, 2013
Seven Blessings is a story of a HASSDIC Community in Israel. There are many explanations of rituals pertaining’s to the Mikva. There is a matchmaker who arranges marriages, it about several women who are close to the age of not having children. The lady character is fixed up with a man who has positive qualities, however he has tricks which causes him to have fits like seizures but are not dangerous and subsides quickly. There are several women with the same problem. It shows the pitfalls and overcoming these difficulties so GOOD MARRIAGE TAKES
Merged review:
Slow moving.
Read
July 29, 2011This book captures the challenges and blessings that come with being single long past the age when you thought you'd marry. Ruchama King deftly manages the stories of several characters of reasonable depth, capturing the ambiguities and twists of fate inherent in courtship and dating. She also provides an interesting look inside the lives of observant Jews living in Jerusalem. She squeezes in some thoughts about the Torah and portrays one character's crisis of faith with humanity and insight.
November 10, 2011
This is a story of love. Beth, who was not actively seeking love, is matched with Avita, a man with a physical problem. Can she find love despite what others may think? Binyamin wants love but believes that he cannot love another who has physcial flaws, no matter how small, because of what others may think. Both struggle to discover within themselves the courage to love despite what the community around them may think. Are any of us that courageous?
June 15, 2009
I really enjoyed reading about the modern perils of an Orthodox Jews trying to find marital partners. The book is well written, I liked how the myriad of characters came together at various times in each others eyes. The characters were likeable and yet conflicted - I especially loved the housewife who goes back to school to study the Torah, and finds her intellectual voice.
November 5, 2008
Although I enjoyed this book enough, it didn't strike a chord with me. Perhaps my expectations were too high, as I had just finished reading The Outside World which I loved. I did like the insight into life into daily life in Jerusalem, but I wished that it would have delved more deeply into the stories of all the characters.
February 12, 2010
I wasn't crazy about this book, but it was an okay read. I found the female characters, regardless of their marriage status, to be relatively thin and without a lot of deep identifying characteristics. The book seems to be trying to emphasize the search for love in marriage (even in shidduch marriages) but it left me without that feeling. The whole book was just sort of luke warm.
March 10, 2010
Not being Jewish, and even less familiar with Hassid, Hareidi or Sephardic Jewish practices, I struggled through this novel. The characters were interesting and the story line moved at a good clip, but I was lost too often in trying to figure out the terms or customs, and almost felt like the author was trying to inject too much of a ethereal quality.
January 20, 2015
It was a n intriguing view of a life so different from my own. I feel somehow honored to be admitted into Beth's world and to learn a bit about it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read.
You will jump into an absorbing tale of humanity, love, and culture and. learn more about the world we all share.
You will jump into an absorbing tale of humanity, love, and culture and. learn more about the world we all share.
April 30, 2013
I am in absolute awe of Ruchama King Feuerman's writing abilities. She's a fearless writer, tackling the subject of Jewish Orthodoxy and its arcane laws, mysticism, customs and regulations with open eyes and an open heart. She's the Flannery O'Connor of Jewish authors.
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