The Long Tradition of Literacy in the Jewish Community
Art, education and literacy have long been hallmarks of the Jewish culture. Jewish authors have produced many of the world’s greatest literary treasures, offering a compelling and distinctive voice on matters both personal and universal. Here are just a few of our favorite Jewish scribes and storytellers.
Franz Kafka—Giving Voice to the Surreal
Perhaps the Jewish writer to whom the most people have been exposed, Kafka spoke to the alienation many felt at the turn of the 20th century. The Metamorphosis, his signature work, describes the terror of a person who sees himself turning into what he perceives to be a monster. Throughout his work, there’s a theme of absurdity, as his protagonists encounter almost other-worldly situations.
Saul Bellow—The Jewish Experience in the Modern World
Bellow, a Canadian who emigrated to the United States, was born just before the onset of the first World War and wrote for nearly 70 years, chronicling the spiritual challenges experienced by many in a world that had seen the Holocaust, a world with atomic weapons and decreased attachments to place and people. A Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner, Bellow penned such classics as Humboldt’s Gift, Henderson the Rain King and Herzog.
Jonathan Safran Foer—A Voice for the New Millenium
Known for both fiction and non-fiction, Foer has explored traditional Jewish themes in his novels, such as the Holocaust and tensions in the Middle East. In his other works, he has written about the moral implications of the corporate meat industry, as well as global warming. His first two novels, Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, were both well-received and made into feature films.
Nicole Krauss—A Strong Modern Female Voice
The author of four well-received novels, including A History of Love and Man Walks into a Room, Krauss is also a highly regarded short story writer. Her works connect Jewish history and identity and often address the role and importance of memory. Hi
Bernard Malamud—Documenting the American Immigrant Experience
Malamud’s most well-known work, The Natural, was made into a highly regarded movie starring Robert Redford. His 1966 novel The Fixer, a fictionalized account of the trial of a Jew wrongfully imprisoned in Tsarist Russia, earned him the Pulitzer Prize. The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Malamud used his experience to chronicle the poverty and persecution faced by many foreign nationals who came to the United States.
Isaac Bashevis Singer—Chronicling the Polish-Jewish-American Experience
Singer, whose family escaped Poland in the early 1930s before Germany invaded, watched the events in his homeland from afar and put voice to the sufferings of ordinary men and women during World War II. Another Nobel Prize winner, he penned more than 20 novels, including his seminal work Enemies: A Love Story, a powerful exploration of the struggles of Holocaust survivors to find some sense of “normal” in their lives.
Gutterman’s and Gutterman Warheit—Meeting Your Funeral and Burial Needs for Five Generations
At Gutterman’s and Gutterman Warheit, with chapels in New York and Florida, we have provided comprehensive funeral and burial services to individuals and families in the Jewish community for more than 125 years. We can provide guidance and support on every detail after the death of your loved one, helping you select a monument, working with you to put together the order of service for the memorial, selecting a casket, making preparations for sitting Shiva or creating a Yahrzeit calendar. We will also work directly with the Chevra Kadisha to ensure proper ritual cleansing of the body before burial.
To learn how we can be of assistance, contact us by email or call us at one of the numbers listed below.
Gutterman’s & Gutterman Warheit — Where Relationships Matter
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