OPEN MOTHER'S DAY!

On The Bookshelf

Come experience a revolution in
dining and atmosphere that will
change your image of Thai

Cuisine forever!

is in jail is just revenge, she disagrees,
wanting something more.
She comes to her own definition:
"Revenge is when you can walk away.
But somehow, you cannot. Something
pulls you back."
After she tells her father what she's
learned from the Khatibs, he raises the
question of whether she's placing herself
in danger. And, he wonders whether
there might be a bit of g'neyvat daat,
Concealed by dark robes, she visits
SANDEE BRAWARSKY
stealing knowledge, in what she's done.
the Grand Ayatollah Abdul Karim
Special to the Jewish News
As he explains, "when you try to ben-
Musavi Ardebily, former chief of Iran's
efit
from the information people give
judiciary, at the school he runs in
hile walking in the Old
you,
you're not telling them the truth."
Qom, and poses a series of hypotheti-
City of Jerusalem dur-
She continues to visit the Khatibs,
cal
questions
about
just
compensations
ing a visit from New
and she begins a correspondence with
for crimes, startling him by asking,
lipir York in March 1986,
Omar, using family members to smug-
"What if a Palestinian shoots a Jew?"
Rabbi David Blumenfeld was shot by
gle her letters into the prison.
She learns that, according to Islamic
a Palestinian terrorist. He survived, the
Returning to Ramallah to deliver let-
law, if he's a tourist in Jerusalem, he's
bullet just grazing his head.
ters
and pick up the replies, she keeps
A dozen years later, his daughter Laura entitled to retaliation.
up
her
deception and, since no visit can
In Israel, Leah Rabin responds to her
Blumenfeld, a reporter on leave from the
be short,.she gets to know the Khatibs.
question
of
how
much
revenge
is
enough
Washington Post, set out to find the
She's not sure how to react when
by saying, "None. Because there's not
shooter, and exact her own version of
one
of the women gives her a ring as a
enough revenge in the entire world."
"an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth."
gift
and
another tells her that they're
She learns from Bibi
Revenge: A Story of Hope
going
to
name a new baby Laura if it's
Netanyahu that he doesn't
(Simon- & Schuster; $25) is
a
girl.
While
she's planning revenge,
seek personal revenge
Laura Blumenfeld's account
they
tell
her,
"You're
family."
against the person who
of her journey to under-
In
her
letters
to
Omar,
the reporter
killed his brother Yoni. For
stand the concept of revenge
asks about his background and about
him,
revenge
is
a
national
and ultimately act on it.
the crime, too. Initially, he answers
issue.
She comes to realize that
with
what sounds like his political
She speaks to other mili-
her goal is to get the shooter
manifesto,
but he also shares more
tary and government leaders
to realize that what he did
thoughtful
responses.
in Israel, and also to a
was wrong; she's not inter-
Their correspondence unfolds in
Bedouin who avenges the
ested in forgiveness.
interesting
ways; Blumenfeld wonders
wrongs of several of his
Her book is layered with
if
she
is
naive
or whether he is indeed
wives by writing unflatter-
Middle East politics, details
showing hints of transformation.
ing
poetry
about
them.
of her parents' divorce,
Laura Blumenfeld
To tell the rest of the story would
But wherever she is doing
cross-cultural examples of
take
away some of the pleasure in
research, the story comes
revenge and the author's self-
reading
Blumenfeld's account, which
back to her father. When he visits her in
revelation.
has
moments
of real drama and sus-
Jerusalem, they go to the site of the
"You are what you avenge,"
pense
and
some
surprising turns.
crime and go over the details.
Blumenfeld says in an interview near
Omar
does
come
to express his
After they contact government
her home on the Upper West Side of
regret
and
even
gratitude
to
authorities and learn the name of the
New York.
Blumenfeld. When his family finds
shooter,
Omar
Khatib,
she
travels
to
Recently, while doing a press inter-
out her real identity, they continue to
Ramallah in search of him and learns
view by telephone, the conversation
embrace her and later say they are
that he is in prison.
was interrupted by a call from
pleased by her actions.
In the course of the narrative, she
President Clinton, who told her he
They wouldn't have gotten to know
refers to Omar mostly as "the shooter"
couldn't put the book down, that it
and
love her as they did had they
rather than using his name. As she
helped him to understand why - the
known
she was a Jew, and that she was
explains, "You have to not lose sight of
violence in the Middle East continues.
the
daughter
of Omar's victim.
what the person did to you."
Blumenfeld is a:very good writer
In a letter to Rabbi Blumenfeld, Omar
She
introduces
herself
to
the
Khatib
and a bold reporter. Over the course
writes — as Laura recites by heart — that
family as simply Laura, an American
of her honeymoon year in Jerusalem,
journalist doing research for a book The his daughter was "the mirror that made
she tracks down the whereabouts of
me see your face as a human person
family greets her with warm hospitality,
the shooter and the mastermind of his
deserved to be admired and respected."
gathers relatives, and they all laugh
terrorist cell.
Bloomenfeld explains she got her
about the fact that their son and brother
She also travels extensively: to
revenge
by restoring her father's
was in jail for shooting "some Jew."
Palermo, Sicily, "cradle of the vendetta,"
humanity,
in Omar's eyes.
Blumenfeld tries to laugh too.
to interview the mayor and others, and
"These are dark times, but I do think
Although
she
speaks
Hebrew
fluently,
to northern Albania, where she meets a
she speaks only Arabic and English with my story offers a glimmer of hope, that
leading member of the Blood Feud
we can get past the animosity."
Committee, who is an expert on its writ- them, so they won't realize she is Jewish.
And, she adds; "We can't let go of
When it's suggested to Blumenfeld
ten canon compiled in the 15th century
that
hope." El
that perhaps knowing that the shooter
that sets out the rules of revenge.

Seeking Revenge

Writer Laura Blumenfeld finds the Palestinian
terrorist who shot her rabbi father — and discovers
a new version of 'cin eye for an eye."

Mon —Thur. Ham -ropm • Fri. II am- ir pm
Sat. 12 pm-rr pm • Sun. rz-ro pm

Lunch served 'Of 3pm Mon-fri

WoOdward Ave.
Royal, Oak, M148073

30923

in

13 mile &I Woodward
Shopping Center

The Northwood

(248)

2.88.0002. Fax: 248.288.0006

.

Or leaalta.t e Veda

Pizza • Catering • Carry-Out • Delivery

Let Us
Cook for Mom
on Mother's Day!

248-626-4888

Open 7 days a week after 4:00pm • Catering Anytime!

The Detroit
Jewish News
speaks to your
interests an
your concer

To order your subscription , .kts.
for family or friend4pIEMAcat

5/10
2002

107