The Big Kahn: A Sequential Drama

by Neil Kleid, Nicholas Cinquegrani (Illustrator)

Rabbi David Kahn has lived a forty-year lie: he is not, nor has he ever been, Jewish. When at his funeral, the “rabbi’s” grifter brother reveals the truth, it forces the Kahn family to struggle with grief and betrayal as their congregation examines their every move and question their very faith. His son, Rabbi Avi Kahn, the heir apparent, spirals down in an affair with his rebellious sister Lea’s non-Jewish roommate. Lea rethinks the religion she’s run from, strong enough to alter her father’s life, while Eli — the youngest Kahn —  inherits his father’s long-forgotten legacy. Somehow, with the help of the uncle he never knew and his slowly re-awakening sister, he attempts to return faith and order to his family and community and reinstate his father’s good name. Neil Kleid, Xeric Award winning author of Ninety Candles and NBM’s Brownsville, and illustrator Nicolas Cinquegrani offer a drama about loss, lies, belief and renewal in this dramatic graphic exploration of a family secret so well-hidden, it questions the very nature of faith.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Religion, Jewish, Judaism, Realistic Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Dov Zeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me to the end of the book to realize The Big Kahn is, basically, The Big Con, which I appreciate, and which adds a layer to the story for me. Because in a sly and cheeky way, David Kahn, previously known (but never to his wife and children) as Donald Dobbs, was letting his family in on the truth of his origins. That said, though Kahn didn't risk explicitly letting his family in on his origins, which brought them much pain after his death, he was a man whose whole-hearted dedication to Judaism would have pleased the sages of old. Well, at least, perhaps, Hillel.

Hillel was one of the more forgiving and open-minded of the sages and there is a famous story in which a non-Jewish guy wants to convert and asks Shammai (another sage, Hillel's more by-the-book debating partner) if he could teach him the entire Torah while standing one foot. Shammai sent him packing, but when this same man went to Hillel, Hillel accepted the challenge, and said:

"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the commentary--go and study!""

So, the premise is, Kahn is a beloved leader of a shul he pretty much built himself, but when he dies, his biological brother comes into the shul and tells everyone there that Kahn was not really Jewish etc. etc. That part didn't sit right with me. Why would he announce it to the whole congregation? I didn't quite buy it, but anyway, this is how the book begins, with this puzzle, and the family and the community have to figure out how they are going to handle this information.

In many ways, it is destructive, but it is not only destructive. It shakes each member of the Kahn family out of a bit of a stupor, in which they are either trying very hard to fit in to an identity or community without much self-reflection, or rebelling against said identity and community. Here is a great opportunity for asking questions about authenticity and identity.

I can't say this book was terribly well put together. Some things are very predictable, others not fully explored. But I still appreciated some of the philosophical and social questions and criticisms made in here, and the ways different people grappled with loss.

One of my favorite quotes -- spoken by Avi, the oldest son and a rabbi walking in his father's footsteps: "You taught me nothing but the truth, but you were always lying." Not that this book doesn't trouble the lines between truth and lies, pathologically lying con artist and person earnestly trying to start a new and more meaningful life. It does.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

the title is a pun!!!!!!!!!

this was fine i guess

the title is a pun though!!!!!

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins at Rabbi David Kahn funeral. His long lost brother shows up and announces to the congregation that their beloved rabbi was a con artist. And so begins the intimate portrait of the Kahn family spiral through grief and crisis of faith. Roy Dobbs his character was a catalyst that pulls the curtains apart to reveal a family that was splintering. The wayward daughter that has sex at her father funeral service. The rebellious younger son that gambles in school and gets into fights. And Avi the older son the confused, lost rabbi whose congregation abandons him. All the drama is interesting mix as we each how character handles the news in their own way.

The characters are complex each grappling with their own crisis that Roy’s revelation brings into their world. Losing someone you love and coping with loss is hard enough to endure but when you add betrayal of that magnitude on top of that, its unbearable. The one good thing that came from the Kahn’s crisis was strengthening of the family bond and Lea’s reawakening of her faith.

The artwork is all drawn in black and white. I think to symbolize right and wrong, truth and lie in a idealistic black and white world. To represent some high ideal that doesn’t truly exist. Avi confronts this issue when an lapse in judgement leads him to a crisis of faith. He questions his worth, if he’s good enough to be a man of god and so forth. It’s interesting to see how the community turns their back on the Kahns the whispers the looks–when the congregation held him in such high esteem before his death. Just goes to show human nature people can be so hypercritical. I loved that all the emotions were from a real place and the characters were believable. No sugar coating –the end isn’t wrapped up in a bow… just like life it gives way for more story to be told and the readers are left wondering did things work out for Avi in the end?

One thing that annoyed me though was Roy. He shows up unannounced at the funeral of all places and throws this bomb at Avi and his family in public no less. Never apologizes for the destruction it caused. I think he could have handled that better. And did he really have do it in public the family could have self destructed in private. I guess the story would be different then but I think it would have given it some contrast. I gave The Big Kahn 4 out 5. I recommend the Big Kahn for the 18 and older crowd there are a few f-bombs, some alcohol abuse, and sex not graphic but there are some compromising scenes.



4/5

[Sarah]

The book has a lot that people could love -- an intriguing set up, great characters, thought-provoking themes. But it just ends. It is almost like reading the first half of a story, where everything is set up and you can't put the book down. But there is no ending that wraps up these threads. The story just stops. What happens to Rachel and Eli? What does Avi say to the rabbi? Is Lea genuine? Bueller? Bueller?

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starting with the weak pun of the book’s title this never really goes anywhere. Rabbi David Kahn turns out, at his funeral, not to have been Jewish. It’s a great kicking off point that never real gets developed with any wit or depth. The art is overly simple reflecting the unsophisticated nature of the storytelling. Hardly worth the effort.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise was interesting - at a rabbi's funeral, his family finds out he wasn't actually Jewish, but a con man living a lie for 40 years - but the story wasn't developed very well.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read exploring the dynamics of a family grieving over a father and husband that they thought they knew, until his "dead" brother crashes the funeral. Although it serves as a good glimpse into the effects of a devastating loss on a family without any of the expected community support, the way each handles the pain in their own way to eventually reject their insecurities and sins, it's more of a parable than a complete story in the end. Good triumphs and all, tragedy forces a refocus on religious tenets, and beginning new lives.

Unfortunately, it's all a bit shallow, and doesn't really delve deep into the situation, nor do many of the characters move much beyond Jewish stereotypes, the neighbors especially. Avi comes the closest - perhaps he's the one the author identified with the most - and his ending in the final panels is the most intriguing and unique part of the story. Otherwise, it's just another story of grief; moving at times, but done often and by deter hands.

The most powerful scenes are of the past, quiet memories in which dear departed David is impressing Jewish lessons on his children, the honesty in his words intermixed with their present betrayal. The internal battles are mostly left implied, but the questions taper off as everyone finds their new purpose, and are never answered or even revisited.

The art is serviceable, and for the most part makes it possible to tell people apart, but not enough emotion is conveyed to really have the most impact.

[BAYA Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the funeral for Rabbi David Kahn, a terrible secret comes out: he was not actually Jewish, but rather a Gentile grifter, who infiltrated the Jewish community as part of a con until he fell in love and decided to devote himself to the Jewish faith. This revelation impacts both the community in the synagogue who begin to question their former Rabbi's intentions and leadership (and by extension those of his son Avi who hopes to take over as Rabbi), and Kahn's wife and children who all feel both the loss and the deception in their own ways. The Big Kahn is a complex story of faith, grief, and family, written by Neil Kleid and told through beautifully simple comics by Nicolas Cinquegrani. It offers a rich view of contemporary Jewish life and faith (make sure you use the handy glossary in the back) that makes the finely balanced stories of each member of the Kahn family feel all the more real and moving. The book is suggested for mature readers and contains some four-letter words, drinking (including the onset of alcoholism in Rabbi Kahn's wife) and a little bit of sex. I don't think that there's any content here that a mature teen wouldn't be able to handle, but the quiet conflict will probably resonate more strongly with an adult audience.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The scene is a funeral. A beloved Rabbi has died. To Rabbi Kahn’s family and friends’ shock, however, a long-lost brother interrupts the service with a disturbing declaration. Rabbi Kahn was not Jewish, this man claims, he was a con artist claiming to be a Jew when he fell in love and decided to transform his scheme into a lifelong commitment. This news wreaks havoc for Rabbi Kahn’s family. His son is no longer trusted to take over the Shul. His wife begins to drink. His whole family is forced to confront the authenticity of their faiths in entirely new ways. The themes in this graphic novel are mature and nuanced in a way which would appeal largely to people college-aged and above. Although the setting is distinctly Jewish, themes of religion and identity are universal. The creators include a glossary, which is a lovely touch. A strong addition for libraries with graphic novel collections.

[Emilia P · Rating 4 out of 5]

The set-up for this, and the relative unknown-ness of the cartoonist and all of that stuff, made me roll my eyes, but somehow, it worked. After his death, a prominent rabbi is revealed to have started his Jewish life as a Gentile con man, although he ended up doing a lot of good for the community and raising his children to be thoughtful and deeply rooted in Judaism (though in different ways). The story is less about the con itself, and more just a close-up of how the betrayal and the double loss (of their father, and some important part of their Jewish identity) affects the lives of his family. So, it's about family. And Judaism. And it's a lot more thoughtful than I had thought it would be. Sooo yeah. Read it?

[Aneesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would have made a good short story, but as a full-length book it wasn't enough.

Update 2013: Apparently I read this back in April 2010 and completely forgot until I looked it up here. I'm going to have to lower my rating for that.

Update 2022: Well, I got it out of the library again. It did look familiar.

[Leigh Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it always wrong to lie? Well, actually, yes.

So goes the graphic morality play of the Kahn family. When Rabbi David Kahn dies, his mostly devout family (daughter Lea is the black sheep) discovers that the man they thought they knew was actually somebody else entirely. He wasn't Jewish, and his name definitely wasn't David Kahn. We learn these facts in a fairly dramatic way as the story begins, and the rest of the plot revolves around how each family member deals with the fallout from the revelation, which includes community scandal and lots of deep soul-searching.

Each of the three Kahn children, as well as their shell-shocked mother Rachel, copes differently. Rachel sneaks a drink during shiva, but mostly keeps her struggles to herself. Avi, also a rabbi, ends up having sex with a Catholic girl (who just happens to be Lea's roommate). Little Eli gets the worst of it, as he's bullied at school for sins not his own. Lea, for her part, ricochets between rebellion and a deep longing to come back to her faith, if only it weren't all bullshit. How the characters resolve these crises is well worth reading, and while the book definitely has a strong moral thread running through it, it's not preachy, and allows each character to explore the full complexity of human ethical/religious dilemmas.

The art is serviceable enough, nothing fancy, but then again it doesn't distract from the narrative, either. The buildings are especially good: brownstones, shul, home interiors, apartments: they all look fantastic, with great detail. The faces are very simple, and there's not a lot of variety in expression, but perhaps that's because the Kahn's live in such a homogenous community. Readers who like realistic fiction and value story over drawing are most likely to be pleased by this tale, especially if they're concerned with the larger questions of the universe. Recommended for larger graphic novel collections in urban areas.

[Michael Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author and artist of this graphic novel are both new to me, though they seem to have a body of work already on the market. It’s kind of a strange one, too. The story opens with the funeral of Rabbi David Kahn, who helped establish New York’s Congregation Beth Shemesh, served as its leader for many years, and was a noted figure in the community. And his eldest son, Avi, presently his father’s assistant, is the obvious choice for the job. And then the rabbi’s unknown older brother, Roy, shows up to claim that the supposed rabbi was never even a Jew, but a con man named Donnie Dobbs. He’s been playing a role for four decades, ever since he fell in love with Rachel. And then the deceased confesses it all in his will. Despite all the good he’s done in his life as a rabbi, his existence in the religious community is fundamentally a lie. The synagogue’s board no longer wants anything to do with Avi. Avi’s sister, Lea, a very independent and non-religious wild child, begins to rethink her heritage -- Judaism being a matrilineal religion, so she’s covered, even if Avi isn’t. And the youngest sibling, Eli, has to deal with the snickering and name-calling at his religious school. Roy isn’t going to be much help, either.

It’s a carefully thought-out plot, and the highly realistic art works well, . . . but there just doesn’t seem to be much to the story as a whole, after all the initial emoting is done. There’s no real wrap-up to it all, either. A good idea left to wander alone in the wilderness. In the spirit of the theme, about all I can say is “Meh.”

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the premise here, with all the potential themes that it can grapple with and the ways that the different family members can react to the situation. I'm particularly fond of the Hourglass Plot we get with Avi questioning his faith versus Lea becoming more open to Judaism, and how both storylines work out. I do wish that there was more page space to explore each of them, though, and I'm honestly confused by Eli's subplot. We got basically no characterization of him early on, and I don't see how grifting his schoolmates at cards is supposed to make people stop thinking badly of the family.

In other nitpicks, I wish we had seen more of the community supporting the Kahns (though we get a bit with Shimon, and apparently everyone gave Avi good references). Also, while my own knowledge of Orthodox Judaism is secondhand, I did spot some things that I think are inaccurate, like a lack of gender separation, a comment about mezuzot containing psalms, etc. But these don't retract from the main points of the story.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing about this book is that you know what it's about when you go into it and then it just...keeps being about that.
And also it's an absolutely fascinating premise and Kleid plays out the implications incredibly deftly.
The community's callous response was *particularly* on point in all the ways that it excoriates the community while asking the reader to interrogate ALL different kinds of dishonesty and trickery.
And I found the language of "spiritually pure" to not actually reflect how the community talks around either yichus or good middot. But also I see what Kleid is trying to do. But it didn't feel authentic enough to me and I got a little grumpy about it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've liked Kleid's work in the past, but this is his best work so far. A rabbi dies, and his family finds out he's been lying to them for thirty years - he was never even Jewish. Kleid does a great job with the reactions of the family and their personal crises. It's very human, very smart, a little dark, but very moving. The art is a little downer, stiff and inconsistent, but Cinquegrani stays in a solid grid and keeps the story moving effectively.

[Max Hockley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting book with a great premise. The only reason why I didn't rate it higher is that it was too short. There was definitely more story to be told. Each character had a lot more to do. It felt like he should have made it twice as long or at least a 2 part book. Otherwise I thought it was really interesting, thought-provoking and heartfelt. I would read more of Kleid's work.

[Sean Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea was good, the execution okay, the depth of character and emotion was somewhat lacking.

I've become tired of the internal conflict of "am I me, or am I defined by who my parents were?" That may just be me personally, but it seems very overplayed. Some of the deeper themes of Judaism seemed glossed over, but I guess you can only do so much in a short graphic novel.

[Robert Noll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rabbi Kahn, with a wife and three children, dies. His long-lost brother shows up at the funeral to let everyone know that the good Rabbi was actually a reformed Gentile con artist. The story focuses on his widow and three children learning to live their new life.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent story, but one criticism: the "rabbi"--Rabbi Kahn-- tells his young daughter that psalms are written on the mezuzah scroll. What?? Why would he say that? (More specifically, why would the writer write that?) The verses are from Deuteronomy. That's not a minor mistake.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

graphic novel that deals with Jewish issues? Not what I thought it'd be but kept me interested

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this graphic novel which was clearly directed toward an adult audience. Recommended.

[Jacoba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wait, it just ends???

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I did NOT like the ending, I found the whole crux of this book pretty fascinating. What if your life was a whole lie? Who decides if it is or isn't?

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting premise wrapped in not enough of a drama. The set-up is pretty simple: After a beloved rabbi dies, it comes to light that he was actually a con man, not even Jewish, and that he spent his entire time as a rabbi and leader of the community lying about who he was after falling in love with a Jewish girl when he was younger.

It's a great jumping off point into a story that could really wrap into a lot of questions that hit readers in the gut. Is a good man a good man if he lies to become good? Are the good works of a man worth anything if you find he's a fraud? And, especially as religious leader who has raised a son who wishes to follow in his footsteps, are his good works and faith worth anything to the legacy he leaves his son?

Sadly, these questions don't really get answered in any great detail. The story focuses, instead, on creating a kind of simplistic post-reveal world: one where everyone who has known these people for literally decades just suddenly assumes that everything about this family must be worth nothing. I understand "sins of the father" and what have you, but this story could have been so much more if it showed even a single person attempting to really reach out to the family as a whole and not only just to the good son who's still trying to be a rabbi.

Women in the supermarket follow after the rabbi's widow to see if she's still buying kosher. Really? When it's established that she was raised Jewish and Judaism is passed down through the mother? Really?

So clearly it's all a bit shallow, and doesn't really delve deep into the situation, nor do many of the characters move much beyond Jewish stereotypes, the neighbors especially. Avi comes the closest, and his ending in the final panels is the most intriguing and unique part of the story. Otherwise, it's just another story of grief; moving at times, but there was potential for so much more.

The most powerful scenes are of the past, quiet memories in which dear departed "David" is impressing Jewish lessons on his children, the honesty in his words intermixed with their present betrayal. The internal battles are mostly left implied, but the questions taper off as everyone finds their new purpose, and are never answered or even revisited.

The art is serviceable, and for the most part makes it possible to tell people apart, but like the story itself it could have been more detailed, deeper, more shaded, more evocative.

Three-and-a-half stars.

[Hal Schrieve · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is perhaps an interesting story—one with the potential to open up interesting questions about Jewish identity, conversion, evaluating one’s parents and what their mistakes mean and setting the course for one’s own destiny.

But the book doesn’t do that.

None of the central questions opened up in the first half of the story are answered or really explored—will Avi’s faith fracture permanently? Why would it? Is Jewish identity in this apparently insular Jersey Jewish community so fragile that the scandal completely cuts it apart? What other kinds of Jewish spirituality are open to the characters besides this restrictive model? What does it mean for David to have been Jewish for forty years and never formally have converted? What does this story think about converts?

Something that really annoys me is the fairly simplistic attitude taken by the story toward the concerns of its female characters, which are boiled down to “sex”+”community approval”. It doesn’t help that I found the art to fail most spectacularly when it came to depicting the bodies of its characters in a way that came off as anything but awkward. While clunky art can serve its own purpose and no comic artist needs to be a Craig Thompson to have delicate and interesting intimate stories, I felt that more than a lack of skill on the part of the artist there just wasn’t a lot of sense of the characters as bodies or beings with desire or bodily comfort. Maybe that is a weird critique, but when I think about similar family dramas, I feel the most tension comes from the way people feel when squeezed together by chaotic family events and feel deep apprehension and fear about the spaces they inhabit. The bright black and white and light grays of this book, combined with consistent thin lines and a lack of commitment to exploring stylistic possibilities, have reduced what could have been a simple and ambiguous fable with emotional resonance into a much drier piece of work.

[Heather Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now here’s a tale that couldn’t possibly get further away from classic themes. The Big Kahn is the story of a family that wakes up one morning and discovers that the man of the house, the Rabbi David Kahn, was not only lacking in any formal rabbinical training, but he wasn’t even Jewish. Too bad for the family that the outing happens publicly at Rabbi Kahn’s hesped, or funeral. The scandal causes Kahn’s son, also a rabbi, to lose his job; Kahn’s wife is tormented by two-faced housewives; Eli, the youngest, gets beaten up in stairwells; and daughter Lea carries on all the more unkosherly. This is a story about waking up a cockroach, or at the least waking up to find that you are not what you thought you were. “What are you going to eat if you didn’t have to keep kosher?” asks a friend. It’s also a story about belief and truth—in gods, marriages, and selves. Rather primly told and illustrated, the book would be an interesting addition to all high school, community, and church libraries. Excellent for book clubs and study groups as well. (September)

[Tate Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel done right. It was short and sweet, kept me engaged the whole way through, provided insight into the Jewish community and the challenges this family has to face, was based on an interesting premise and religous rejection that is common to many faiths. I really enjoyed it, in part because i related to it although from a christion perspective. Yes, it is not perfect, the drama is mild and it feels like it has been cut short a little too early. Too many graphic novels over-reach, go on for too long (I'm pointing at you Alison Bechdel)and fail in their attempt to be complex.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really enjoy this too much. The art was somewhat immature and overly complicated and hard to understand. A lot of the people were drawn too similarly so that hurt it as well. Then there were random slips like when the mother looks into a bathroom mirror when all the mirrors should have been covered with black cloth and how a lot of people evoked Jesus when they swore. The ending itself was very quick and tidy. It could have been very enjoyable but was mostly confusing and a little pat.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel. The story is fascinating but I did not think the drawings were great. Unlike, Persepolis in which the pictures enriched the text tremendously, I just did not feel that these did. I wanted more development of the story and had quite a few questions about the characters so I was left feeling dissatisfied, which is why I gave 3 stars.