Jewish Book Club discussion

You've found the spot to discuss Elie Wiesel's memoir, Open Heart. Were you surprised that the title's meaning is both literal and figurative? In what ways is the memoirist showing love and care for the Jewish people? What are your thoughts?
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Read the whole thing in one class period. I’m waiting for other readers to comment. It didn’t take much effort to get it done.

I have read it too. I don't think it's really open to spoilers -- except the title is more than metaphorical. But you find that out right away.

Exactly and even though it’s just reflections, he’s Elie Wiesel and his words are moving. It was soothing reading them being in public school where I am limited in my interactions with Jews.

The short chapters might be considered to be prose poems.

Brina wrote: "Exactly and even though it’s just reflections, he’s Elie Wiesel and his words are moving. It was soothing reading them being in public school where I am limited in my interactions with Jews."

Brina, this really resonated for me. I wasn't going to read this one (honestly, I really stink at reading along with a group), but I've just ordered it & will download it one my lunch break.

I don’t really read well with a group either but once I read a book I might as well participate in the discussion. I read this in a 45 bell when my students were working so you can easily read over lunch.

I found this book to be so emotionally powerful. Elie Wiesel faced what we all have to face: our mortality. He does it with such an open heart. His writing is universal and personal. A beautiful book.

Deena wrote: "Brina wrote: "Exactly and even though it’s just reflections, he’s Elie Wiesel and his words are moving. It was soothing reading them being in public school where I am limited in my interactions wit..."

Deena,
Ha, You are not the only one who doesnt follow group books one by one. At a point, we get to some of them. Most times a review from a member may pinch us to add it or read at the moment.

I listened to the first twenty minutes of this book being read-it is only an hour-but I had to return it to the library because I found it so pompous and pretentious that I just couldn’t listen to one more word. His piety and extensive love and respect for Judaism really turned me off. I’m not in the least bit ashamed to be Jewish-but this book reminded me of the hypocrites I used to see in my father’s synagogue as a child and I didn’t want to hear any more of this.

Alan wrote: "I listened to the first twenty minutes of this book being read-it is only an hour-but I had to return it to the library because I found it so pompous and pretentious that I just couldn’t listen to ..."

Alan,
Im sorry you feel this way. Could it have possibly been the narrator's tone?

Liza wrote: "I found this book to be so emotionally powerful. Elie Wiesel faced what we all have to face: our mortality. He does it with such an open heart. His writing is universal and personal. A beautiful book."

Liza,
I havent read this book yet. It sits on a shelf in my library waiting for me. I look at the cover and see Elie Wiesels face on the cover.
I was extraordinary fortunate to meet Mr Wiesel and his wife on a boat before he passed away. His son Elisha wasnt there. I often wonder what Elie would say today, if he were alive, and the words he would choose to express those thought.
Below is a link you might find interesting. It was if he heard my
thought. https://www.bloomberg.com › news › articles › holocaus..

Stacey-tone definitely affects the way I appreciate a book so perhaps you are right and it didn’t work for me. I’ve learned over and over again that as we age-books that might not have worked at one point become much more treasured later on. Perhaps I will feel this way at some other point in time.

Alan, out of curiosity I listened to the sample of the audiobook. It didn't bother me at 1st but as it went on I could see what you mean. It is as if the author is trying to imbue it with extra weight. Maybe he was overawed because it was Elie Wiesel's book. Some books just don't work well via audio.

When I read it I didn't think he was impressed by himself, i.e., pompous. I thought he was humble, and no matter how many books he'd written and what had happened, he was just another person facing his mortality. Some books by him don't work as well as others I think. For example I couldn't quite get into his "The Trial of God."

I think he did his best, did what he could. I did wonder if he would have felt like an abject failure if he were still living and seeing what's happening now.

Alan wrote: "Stacey-tone definitely affects the way I appreciate a book so perhaps you are right and it didn’t work for me. I’ve learned over and over again that as we age-books that might not have worked at on..."

Alan, I understand and agree. Books dont change, we do :)
I have only listened to three audio books out of all the books I read. I cant concentrate on what Im hearing compared to the words in front of me on my kindle. And I fought using a kindle when first it came out for months. I love holding books in my hands. I was won over when traveling with an extra small suitcase just for books. Too heavy, and my husband was not a happy camper.

Stacey B wrote: "Liza wrote: "I found this book to be so emotionally powerful. Elie Wiesel faced what we all have to face: our mortality. He does it with such an open heart. His writing is universal and personal. A..."

Thank you so much, Stacey, for that link. It's an eye-opening and powerful article. I DO WISH that Elie were alive to speak out, but because he is not and even if he were still alive, our voices are needed more than ever!

I’ve tried to listen to three non-fiction books in the last week on audio. I totally agree that seeing the word printed on the page leaves a mark in your memory. They don’t always work. I’ve decided to read the print version of these books because they were really wonderful,I just couldn’t keep track of who was whom. One of them was Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died Under Nazi Occupation which is very interesting. This author wrote a book about Ethel Rosenberg which I thought was fantastic.

Most of the time, if I listen I like to have the actual book at the same time. Especially nonfiction.

Hi all, new here. The book is slight but it’s nice to spend a little time with such a voice. I appreciated best his struggle with how to relate to and understand God. As he writes, “I confess to having rebelled against the Lord, but I have never repudiated Him”. He like many finds it hard to accept a God who has remained silent during such Evil - “Shall I have the nerve to reproach Him for His incomprehensible silence while Satan was winning his victories?”

But he also blames himself for not defeating evil, which is perhaps a little arrogant to think he himself could ever be capable of such a grand feat! “For example, in my combat against hatred, which I wished to be unrelenting, did I in fact invest enough time, enough energy, in denouncing fanaticism in its various guises? Evidently not, since all of us who have fought the battle must now admit defeat.” Of course, he did more than enough in this great human struggle.

Ultimately he comes to a conclusion I like, writing that “the patient that I am, more charitable, repeats, “Since God is, He is to be found in the questions as well as in the answers.”” Yes, I think so too, we may not have the great answers but He is there in our questions.

I've decided to read it for Pesach.

Deena wrote: "I've decided to read it for Pesach."

Deena,
A wonderful thought!!!!

Lee wrote: "Hi all, new here. The book is slight but it’s nice to spend a little time with such a voice. I appreciated best his struggle with how to relate to and understand God. As he writes, “I confess to ha..."

Hi Lee,
Welcome . Happy you joined our group. I love your your sentence "The. book is slight but its nice to spend a little time with such a voice." It is a beautiful and well put phrase.
IMHO -Wiesel struggled to understand G-d. In all actuality, the last several months have been difficult to understand. He wrote books as his way of communicating, as he "lived" the camps every day of his life.

OK- I am jumping in the deep end on this one. While I understand he was a great person who went through unimaginable horrors, to me this felt like a random collection of thoughts put down to try to make up for the money he lost to Madoff. His earlier works were far more compelling, and thoughtful on the true meaning of life. That is not to say there is not something there, I just personally found this to be slight in more than one way - especially when compared to his own work.

Kszr wrote: "OK- I am jumping in the deep end on this one. While I understand he was a great person who went through unimaginable horrors, to me this felt like a random collection of thoughts put down to try to..."

Kszr,
I dont recall reading this one so its impossible to agree or disagree. I would hate to think of him as having this character trait .

...but, Kszr and Stacey, I have read that not all his work is on the same level. For example I read The Trial of God: and struggled. It didn't work very well for me, or I couldn't get into it very well. And just because an author has to work so he can earn money doesn't mean he's venal or even avaricious. He may have needed to earn money. Has happened to many authors!

...I think that in my review of the one I didn't like, I referred to "the sainted Elie Wiesel," so likely in speaking out I felt some of the same things, Kszr, and it led me to be a little sarcastic. Just thinking back....

I remember that when I read it I enjoyed it but it felt less compelling or cohesive than his other work. I felt more sad that he may have had to do this because of Madoff.

I loved this book! It was so heartfelt and reflected Elie Wiesel's experience of his open heart surgery and how that impacted his family and his perspective on life. It brought me to tears. In interviews Elie Wiesel gave about this book, Madoff had nothing to do with his motivations. Anyone interested can research Elie Wiesel's experience with Madoff, which occurred in 2008. This book came out in 2012. Here are some fantastic interviews that speak to his motivations to writing Open Heart. There is so much to learn from this great man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBoYC... Oprah interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y37nf...
And this one from CUNY - The Open Mind: https://tv.cuny.edu/show/openmind/PR2...

Liza wrote: "I loved this book! It was so heartfelt and reflected Elie Wiesel's experience of his open heart surgery and how that impacted his family and his perspective on life. It brought me to tears. In inte..."

Thank you, Liza.

It strikes me we should also remember he wasn't feeling so well when he wrote it! At his age and with his type of surgery he was having a long recovery period.

Back when I read this, I did look him up and found that he lived five more years. His testimony in the book itself indicated he was still struggling with fatigue at that point and did have to slow down.