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4
MEWS Cum OF CONGREGATION BETH MOM
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Reli of
1'
.bear able
■
invites you to attend an
•
These stories are filled with sadness
selves. I was questioning all along, as I
as well as humor, as the characters face
was trained to do."
the mysteries of their lives.
Englander says that he started writ-
In this reviewer's favorite story,
ing seriously "when I gave up on wanti-
"The Wig," Ruchama makes beautiful
ng to be a writer." Living in New York
wigs for Orthodox women who "circle
City, he got a job working in a high-
the globe to see Ruchama, because
rise building that enabled him to spend
they are trapped in their modesty and
time concentrating on his writing. A
want to feel, even as illusion, the sim-
friend's mother, whom he describes as
ple pleasure of wind in their hair."
his "patron saint," was his first editor,
On trips into the city for supplies,
working with him on The Twenty-
uchama steals looks at glossy
seventh Man" and convincing him to
women's magazines to see the latest
attend the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
hairstyles, and fantasizes about the
In 1995, his first story was sold to
lives of the women in the shampoo
Story magazine, and from there his
ads, and about her own long, beautiful
career grew, and he met the agent who
hair, cut off when she married. When
sold the collection to Knopf
she sees a delivery man with long,
Englander seems to take none of this
thick curls, she convinces him to let
success for granted, repeatedly
her cut and buy his
over the course of the inter-
1-air, and she secret-
view thanking the people
ly fashions an
who helped him. "I'm
For
immodest wig for
numb. There's too much to
herself
absorb. It's not reality yet,"
Englander, whose
he says.
own shoulder-length
Englander says that his
6
black hair is in ringlet
work is "extremely autobio-
curls, understands the
graphical, not in setting and
Orthodox world inti-
tone, [but] the more ethereal
mately. Although his
stuff" Readers who share his
lifestyle is now decid-
knowledge of Hebrew will
S
edly secular, he grew
appreciate some insider's
up in an Orthodox
plays on words; those who
lander
N1 athan
community in West
don't won't miss anything
Hempstead, Long
essential to the story.
Island, and attended
In "The Tumblers," the one story
yeshiva through 12th grade, and later
set in Europe during World War II,
graduated from the State University o f the two groups of Chasidim in the vil-
New York at Binghamton.
lage of Chelm are the Meykil and the
> In an interview, he says that it's
Mahmir. The former, as their name
really important to him that the
implies, are more lenient in their inter-
halachic reasoning that governs his
pretations of Jewish law while the lat-
characters' lives be absolutely accurate.
ter choose to base their observance on
"I've left that fold, but I think halachi
the strictest interpretations.
cally," he says, noting that his knowl-
Englander expresses Jewish ideas in
edge is not from book learning," but
a natural way, never breaking the nar-
'what he was raised on.
rative for definitions or to explain
"I don't know how many religious
Jewish holidays. "I have no concerns
eople spend as much time wrestling
whatsoever except for what the story
with Jewish halachic issues as I do," he
needs. I'm not trying to show that I
says, noting that he does this in order
can quote Gemara or do the first
to get the stories right, to be certain
aliyah of my bar mitzvah.
that the characters' actions are consis-
"Writing is the most important
tent with their hearts and with the
thing in the world for me," Englander
halachic mind.
says. It's also work, hard work. "I don't
He traces his love of writing back
sit around waiting to be inspired. It's
to his yeshiva days, which he found
like yoga or religious training. You
iffocating"; writing was one of his
have to do it every day."
few outlets. When exposed to litera-
The author has been living in
ture in high school, he felt "naturally
Jerusalem for the past 2 1/2 years,
drawn to it." In college he studied lit-
although all of the stories in For the
erature and Jewish studies, and kept
Relief of Unbearable Urges were written
up his religious lifestyle until he
in the United States. His next work is
attended Hebrew University in
a novel, set in Argentina.
Jerusalem during his junior year and
How does living in Israel impact
discovered the existence of "function-
his writing? "I don't know yet," he
ina cultural Jews who respected them-
says. I'm processing that world." L
b
7)
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•
keiefgoh
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4
♦
4
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Sunday, May 16, 1999
•
•
with an elegant wine, cheese, and hors d'oeuvre reception
at
4
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• 4
Congregation Beth Shalom • 14601 W Lincoln Blvd • Oak Park
A dmission: $5.00 in advance, $7.50 at the door
For more information or tickets contact the office (248) 547-7970
Proceeds to benefit the Education Center
Door Prize and Raffle
• Preview 7:00PM
4
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Auction 8:00PM
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• Dili Delacroix Ed% Eba Haenreets 3 Lautm McKnight • •
• • Tiro, Neiman, Picasso, Rand, Rockwell Vasarely 1 Vickers, •
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Wooster, Scott and more artists
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Lithographs — Etchings — Engravings — Watercolors — Enamels
Original Oils
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Various mixed media. All magnificently framed.
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••• ••• ♦ • ••• ■♦ ••• ••• ■ • ••• •• • ••• •••
•
.
MoaesTa's
Fox a
Maronable
Marbeies Day.
RisToRanTe Di ModesTa is now Taking
xeseRvaTions pox a lionTed MoTheles Day
seaTing, May 9Th.
REMEMBER TO MAKE
PLANS TO JOIN US
FOR OUR
ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION,
SUNDAY, JUNE 27TH.
We'll he pearuging
oux TizadiTional,
awand winning
cuisine, an
exTensive wine LIST
and op counse oux
casually eleganT
annosphelze.
rt
Make IT Di ModesTa
pox MoTberes Day.
CATERING • PRIVATE PARTIES • SPECIAL EVENTS
(RISTORfl1111
01 (7100E5Tfl
294-10 NORTHIVESTERN HIGHWAY / SOUTHFIELD
Call To wake yoi. u z
MoTbeR's Day ReseRvanons ToOny.
4-
3 5 S . 0 3 4 4
Detroit Jewish News
4/30
1999
93