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The Lev Effect
"Dazzling" A Feel-good Read for Divisive Times A small town Jewish old-folks home is converted to a boarding school and the residents are recruited to mentor the young. The Russian school director, Lev Kyol, stirs up controversy when he celebrates Palestinian national aspirations and honors and feeds the homeless.A victim of persecution for his beliefs, Lev seeks to shatter conventions and dissolve stereotypes. Word of his controversial work goes viral and the media suggests that he is the Messiah. Lev's enemies seek to deport him. His message unifies the community.The Lev Effect is light-hearted yet serious modern-day Passion. A sequel to the critically acclaimed Lost and Found, the novel is larded with warmth, humor, engaging characters, and is a celebration of goodness. "This ...will sing to your soul... read this, absorbing its hauntingly beautiful melody in its message." - BookReviewCrew"A profoundly funny meditation on how one can find strength in religion." - Kirkus Review"Smart, humorous, and socially conscious... Dazzling." - Prairiesbookreview
- GenresFiction
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 3, 2020
6 people are currently reading
1390 people want to read
About the author
Sheldon Greene
12 books10 followersSheldon Greene started young. He was appointed Warden of Insurance of the State of Ohio at age 23. A public interest lawyer, Greene pursued seminal issues literally decades before they achieved national attention, such as our flawed health delivery system, the impact of illegal immigration on the economy, renewable energy, and our public land policies. Greene was a participant in the first Obama national policy team for both immigration and energy. He was one of the founders of the New Israel Fund and helped formulate its unique structure drawing on his experience as General Counsel of California Rural Legal Assistance. He is an executive in a wind energy development company and has been actively engaged in renewable energy for over 25 years. He advocates the formulation of a God concept derived from the life process, stripped of anachronistic anthropomorphic characteristics. He has developed personal guidelines for a balanced, seamless life with spiritual, intellectual, social, and creative dimensions. He is the author of seven published novels.
Of the seven novels already published six have strong Jewish content. The topics range widely from fact based to flights of imagination. Topics explored include aid by Jews to the American Revolution,(Pursuit of Happiness) Jewish influence on Pre-Columbian culture, (The Seed Apple) World War II Jewish partisans, the illegal immigration to Palestine, the Israeli War of Independence (Prodigal Sons) , small town Jewish values,(Lost and Found). One of the novels, (Burnt Umber) moves from Pre World War I Germany to Berkeley during the Viet Nam war with the German artist, Franz Marc and a fact-based Jewish artist and Cal professor as the principal characters. A major theme is the empowerment of women in the 20th Century. Yet another novel (After The Parch) describes California in the near future after the dissolution of the United States.
Of the seven novels already published six have strong Jewish content. The topics range widely from fact based to flights of imagination. Topics explored include aid by Jews to the American Revolution,(Pursuit of Happiness) Jewish influence on Pre-Columbian culture, (The Seed Apple) World War II Jewish partisans, the illegal immigration to Palestine, the Israeli War of Independence (Prodigal Sons) , small town Jewish values,(Lost and Found). One of the novels, (Burnt Umber) moves from Pre World War I Germany to Berkeley during the Viet Nam war with the German artist, Franz Marc and a fact-based Jewish artist and Cal professor as the principal characters. A major theme is the empowerment of women in the 20th Century. Yet another novel (After The Parch) describes California in the near future after the dissolution of the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 15, 2022
This book was one of seven nominations for the Jewish Book Club's October's read in which the theme/topic is "acts of kindness".
I rated this 4* but did ponder the intent.
Because I was looking for the theme to pop right out, a little confusion got me in the first two short chapters. It didn't quite come together until almost halfway through when realizing this theme was subtle as is the book's cover.
//
The Jewish Community Board in a small town votes to start a Jewish Day School and house it inside their retirement home. What does that mean for the residents and will it cripple funds for their other orgs. This is the setting... not at all the meat of this story.
Moving right along past the contentious and humorous board meeting, a decision is made to hire a "superintendent" who will be coming immediately from Russia.
And so it goes that while the board gets to know Lev, they becomes anxious by some of the programs he is insisting on doing; feeling he is stepping way outside their box.
The board asks Lev: "What does raising money and feeding the homeless have to do with a jewish day school.
The board can say no- but Lev has a way about him to convince people otherwise.
The programs Lev does hits the wire and this small town begins receiving feedback of thank-you's, compliments of compassion, and yes -contributions. One letter written is from a woman insisting the soup she was served healed her chronic illness. It wasn't the soup :)
I saw the characters change their opinions little by little; baby steps if you will, simply from watching others perform small acts of kindness that actually became contagious. The people who were still upset came away as proud and impressed with their community taking part in social action action programs.
Near the end, Lev chooses to take the rap for one of his students who would be shortly arrested for hacking a computer or two, and is subsequently fired although the board knew the truth.
Many felt Lev played a Messiah type role of director due to his thought process, actions, and reactions in this small town that ultimately was put on the map as an example of humankind.
I rated this 4* but did ponder the intent.
Because I was looking for the theme to pop right out, a little confusion got me in the first two short chapters. It didn't quite come together until almost halfway through when realizing this theme was subtle as is the book's cover.
//
The Jewish Community Board in a small town votes to start a Jewish Day School and house it inside their retirement home. What does that mean for the residents and will it cripple funds for their other orgs. This is the setting... not at all the meat of this story.
Moving right along past the contentious and humorous board meeting, a decision is made to hire a "superintendent" who will be coming immediately from Russia.
And so it goes that while the board gets to know Lev, they becomes anxious by some of the programs he is insisting on doing; feeling he is stepping way outside their box.
The board asks Lev: "What does raising money and feeding the homeless have to do with a jewish day school.
The board can say no- but Lev has a way about him to convince people otherwise.
The programs Lev does hits the wire and this small town begins receiving feedback of thank-you's, compliments of compassion, and yes -contributions. One letter written is from a woman insisting the soup she was served healed her chronic illness. It wasn't the soup :)
I saw the characters change their opinions little by little; baby steps if you will, simply from watching others perform small acts of kindness that actually became contagious. The people who were still upset came away as proud and impressed with their community taking part in social action action programs.
Near the end, Lev chooses to take the rap for one of his students who would be shortly arrested for hacking a computer or two, and is subsequently fired although the board knew the truth.
Many felt Lev played a Messiah type role of director due to his thought process, actions, and reactions in this small town that ultimately was put on the map as an example of humankind.
February 1, 2021
Brilliantly detailed characters and subtle social observations mark Greene’s unassuming but powerful latest, sequel to the critically-acclaimed, Lost and Found.
When Nudelman presented his idea of converting the little used retirement home to a Jewish boarding school, it didn’t take long for the board members to implement the idea. But the things change drastically after Lev Kyol, a Russian refugee, is hired as the new director for the school. Highly driven and exceptional, Lev’s peculiar decisions which includes admitting a Palestinian boy, scheduling Palestine National Day, and organizing a fundraiser for a Catholic homeless shelter among others rock the small, rigid Jewish community of Bolton. More complications arise with the family that endowed the retirement home sues the board to regain their trust fund.
Imbued with the textures and traditions of a small Pennsylvanian town, the narrative is pulled along by a series of effortlessly incorporated casual happenings of everyday lives of various characters. Intelligent, crisp prose pulls the reader deep into the intriguing storyline. The writing is assured, dialogue sharp, and the novel's pace measured and leisurely.
Through lev’s story, Greene shows the reader the power of perseverance and faith. Though, the novel is imbued with revealing insights and social ideology, Greene, with his intriguing cast of relatable characters and their authentic interpersonal dynamics manages to make it both witty and luminous at once.
Greene’s insightful exploration of faith will resonate with readers looking for complex characters and rich prose. Lovers of literary fiction won’t want to miss this one.
When Nudelman presented his idea of converting the little used retirement home to a Jewish boarding school, it didn’t take long for the board members to implement the idea. But the things change drastically after Lev Kyol, a Russian refugee, is hired as the new director for the school. Highly driven and exceptional, Lev’s peculiar decisions which includes admitting a Palestinian boy, scheduling Palestine National Day, and organizing a fundraiser for a Catholic homeless shelter among others rock the small, rigid Jewish community of Bolton. More complications arise with the family that endowed the retirement home sues the board to regain their trust fund.
Imbued with the textures and traditions of a small Pennsylvanian town, the narrative is pulled along by a series of effortlessly incorporated casual happenings of everyday lives of various characters. Intelligent, crisp prose pulls the reader deep into the intriguing storyline. The writing is assured, dialogue sharp, and the novel's pace measured and leisurely.
Through lev’s story, Greene shows the reader the power of perseverance and faith. Though, the novel is imbued with revealing insights and social ideology, Greene, with his intriguing cast of relatable characters and their authentic interpersonal dynamics manages to make it both witty and luminous at once.
Greene’s insightful exploration of faith will resonate with readers looking for complex characters and rich prose. Lovers of literary fiction won’t want to miss this one.
July 8, 2022
A small Jewish town, an old retirement home, a Russian refugee with ideas of his own, a series of eclectic students, a few more eccentric characters, religion and beliefs strangely combine in a perfect way to give form to this fantastic novel. In The Lev Effect, author Sheldon Greene has created a story that will captivate readers and will leave them reflecting and asking for more. He has employed detailed description to create the characters imbuing them with traits that feel real and convincing. The prose is clear and simple. It accompanies and guides readers along the pages, pushing them smoothly until they reach the conclusion of this wonderful story. I enjoyed it a lot. I laughed, shed some tears and wondered about it; all signs of what a good book provokes in readers. I highly recommend it.
March 23, 2021
This story is a good one. Focused on one man's efforts to make a Jewish school successful, the story is a compelling journey of many people of different cultures and beliefs. I thought the subtle love story of Mendel and his closest friend Estelle was the best part of the book. All of it was an interesting hodge-podge of the crazy happenings of the new Jewish school, which is set in a nursing home that just has a small group left. The addition of children and teachers and a director to the mix, makes for a school that has an impact on the community and many lives. I enjoyed the book and recommend it. There are some gems within that show what one person can do to change things.
April 17, 2022
The story of a small town Jewish community trying to revitalize itself by turning an old folks home (heavily endowed) into a residential Jewish school. So much resonates having spent most of my life in small town Jewish communities. The nuance is exactly right. The Russian director/principal has great ideas but can he really pull them off without the politics that ensue? Israel-Palestine, a Homeless Dinner, computer capers and more. Character development is excellent and sometimes surprising. I swear I have sat through those very board meetings. However, the ending was a surprise...worth the read.
July 6, 2022
To be honest, I am really happy to have purchased this book since it delves into an unknown world for me. I am not Jewish by religion, but I got caught by the Lev Effect’s theme.
This books tells us about how a Russian school director, Lev Kyol, stirs up controversy when he celebrates Palestinian national aspirations and how after being a victim of persecution, he seeks to shatter conventions, what gets controversial and that is what sustains the catchy effect of this narrative.
This book is one-of-a-kind, it touches on a strong theme with a modern view and it’s written in a friendly language. I liked this book a lot.
This books tells us about how a Russian school director, Lev Kyol, stirs up controversy when he celebrates Palestinian national aspirations and how after being a victim of persecution, he seeks to shatter conventions, what gets controversial and that is what sustains the catchy effect of this narrative.
This book is one-of-a-kind, it touches on a strong theme with a modern view and it’s written in a friendly language. I liked this book a lot.
July 7, 2022
The Lev Effect by author Sheldon Greene is a book of religious feuds fueled in a small town in Pennsylvania. When a Jewish old age home is converted into a Boarding school for young children, the Russian Director officiates a series of off-beat practices that agitate the small town. This slowly goes on to cause problems and tensions. What happens next is intriguing and slowly grabs all your attention! With a powerful plot and amusing character lineup, this book is a light-hearted read that entangles around the idea of juxtaposing cultures and religious beliefs. Definitely recommend this book to all!
July 8, 2022
Good vibes in a book
“The Lev Effect” by Sheldon Greene is a story that portrays how good things spread and that no matter the good intentions that someone could have but there will always be someone who thinks and acts differently, and might be against those good acts.
This story reflects reality and life’s ups and downs. The message beneath these paragraphs is that good triumphs.
If I had to change something about this reader, it would be its length. I consider that there are some parts that could have definitely been deleted or cut down in order to make this story flow better. I give this book three stars because I was left with a good and positive feeling after reading it.
“The Lev Effect” by Sheldon Greene is a story that portrays how good things spread and that no matter the good intentions that someone could have but there will always be someone who thinks and acts differently, and might be against those good acts.
This story reflects reality and life’s ups and downs. The message beneath these paragraphs is that good triumphs.
If I had to change something about this reader, it would be its length. I consider that there are some parts that could have definitely been deleted or cut down in order to make this story flow better. I give this book three stars because I was left with a good and positive feeling after reading it.
June 21, 2022
This is a book like no other I've ever read. Proves that being kind is not always easy, but worth it. Based in a senior center we get to see how everyone is important in a community especially when you bring in an original thinker and a drive to make a difference to everyone. Lev was a unique and courageous addition to the town, and his work changed and improves everything. I'll remember him.
May 15, 2023
I like the story, but the writing was so-so.
December 20, 2020
This book is about a Jewish Community that, fighting against a lot of opposition, decided to complement their retirement home with a boarding school. Not satisfied with that bold move, they hire a Russian to be the headmaster. And it's right then when they start to acknowledge that there's always a lot to learn from others. That little gestures are master keys to help others to give and receive, and that generosity, faith in goodwill and kindness are fair tools to help every human being to be a better version of themselves.
I loved this book! What a gem!
I hope to read more from this author.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book! What a gem!
I hope to read more from this author.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews