Dei'ah veDibur - Information & Insight
  

A Window into the Chareidi World

18 Sivan 5762 - May 29, 2002 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
NEWS

OPINION
& COMMENT

OBSERVATIONS

HOME
& FAMILY

IN-DEPTH
FEATURES

VAAD HORABBONIM HAOLAMI LEINYONEI GIYUR

TOPICS IN THE NEWS

HOMEPAGE

 

Produced and housed by
Shema Yisrael Torah Network
Shema Yisrael Torah Network

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home and Family
BOOK REVIEW
Jewish Adventure in the Swiss Alps
The Legacy

by Sarah Kistner
Reviewed by Yonina Hall

All right, I admit it. I read every installment of The Legacy when it was serialized in the English Yated a few years back, and even clipped each chapter to share with my nieces abroad. The themes were interesting, the characters diverse, and the overall message one of hope and faith.

So imagine my excitement when I heard that The Legacy was just published in book form and distributed worldwide by Feldheim!

Having the whole story in front of you is even better than waiting for weekly installments. The delightful twin protagonists, Tami and Menachem, have grown up a bit from the original serialization, casting a more mature slant to the story that will appeal to adult readers as well. And the stunning graphic design, starting with the magnificent cover image of a Swiss chalet nestled in the towering Alps, makes every chapter an exciting experience of discovery, intrigue and just plain fun.

When Miriam Braun, a Jerusalem mother of ten, brings Tami and Menachem to visit their grandmother in Zurich, the twins are introduced to the strange new world of Swiss precision, cleanliness, and courtesy. Chief representatives of this sanitized worldview are their own Uncle Robert, Aunt Vera, and cousins Margie and Peter, who in turn are astounded by their religious relatives' warm-hearted, giving nature.

Coincidentally, an Austrian villain with the same last name has arrived in Switzerland to rob the Jewish People of unclaimed Holocaust era assets. Herr Braun and his unlikely group of conspirators keep running into Tami and Menachem at every turn, unconsciously involving the visitors in international intrigue. The race is on as both heroes and villains try to discover the number of one particularly valuable secret Swiss bank account.

The Legacy easily appeals to readers of all ages. Children will enjoy the fast-paced action, the meaningful conversations that are maddeningly interrupted time and again, and the bumbling villains who keep falling short of their sinister plans. Adults will enjoy the interactions between Jews of different countries and backgrounds, and the gentle way the religious Brauns win over their non-religious relatives.

What makes this novel especially endearing is its portrayal of Torah Jews. The image is positive without being preachy. It is conveyed through Tami's infectious laughter, Miriam's loving concern, and the incredible hospitality of people like their newfound Swiss friends, the Grossmans. The reader, too, desires to be entertained by the elegant, hospitable Savta Braun or the warm and welcoming Lefkowitz family, owners of a Jewish Alpine resort. Margie and Peter, secular products of the most prestigious Swiss schools, are simply bowled over by the depth and richness of a heritage they never knew was theirs, as well.

Sarah Kistner, a popular Israeli author and editor of the Hebrew Yated's weekly children's magazine, Yated Shelanu, peppers her story with special touches that add depth to the narrative. For example, both Savta Braun, a child of Berlin's pre-war Jewish community, and Count Hans, a rich, pampered Swiss magnate, reminisce longingly about "the good old days" - - but for very different reasons. Meanwhile, Miriam, Tami and Menachem paint captivating word-pictures of the beauty of Torah life, gradually convincing their Swiss relatives to try Yiddishkeit on for size.

In one lovely scene, Margie brings her Aunt Miriam to a spot high in the Alps to paint an idyllic scene of shepherds leading their flocks up the sides of snow- capped peaks. As she assembles her paints, the girl asks her aunt what the scenery looks like in Eretz Yisrael. Miriam responds with a medley of description covering everything from the geographical diversity of the Land to the magic of its cities to the spiritual grandeur of Jerusalem itself:

"Miriam sat, detailing Jerusalem in all its glory, while the day slowly turned golden. Margie could not hear enough, and kept asking for more and more details. Noontime neared, but neither one of them noticed time or place. The snowy mountains had disappeared, and in their place stood a wall surrounded by arching gates with doves circling above it.

"Margie did not see the snow blending with the forests, nor the flock climbing up the mountain, nor the shepherds with their hats and their whistles, nor the lovely Swiss chalets. Margie's brush painted on the canvas as though of its own accord the Jerusalem that was in her heart."

The Legacy is the latest addition to a growing library of books produced by a new publisher on the Jewish literary scene, Jerusalem Publications. Like the already-published Walking Together by Yehudis Schreiber and the instant bestseller Tightrope by Leah Fried, The Legacy is Jewish fiction at its best -- translated, edited and packaged especially for the English language audience.

 

All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted.
Click here for conditions of use.