Kin or Country - Book Review and interview with Paul Alster

The secular versus ultra-orthodox division in Israeli society which already exists today has, by 2048, been exacerbated by the increasingly inward focus of a nation that had already reached a peace deal with the Palestinian Arabs in the 2030's. The cast of characters is drawn from left and right, religious and secular. It focuses on the ultra-orthodox Tenenbaum family of Jerusalem with its overbearing patriarch Baruch, Baruch's good-hearted brother Shmulik and his long-suffering wife Yocheved.

Among their multiple offspring, Alster focuses on the two youngest. We first meet them as teenagers – the rebellious Hila and her younger brother Zvi. Hila goes on to be the black sheep of the family in Tel Aviv while Zvi becomes a charismatic rabbi and political figure.

In fact, one of the strengths of the story is that the ultra-religious are not presented as a monolithic, homogeneous entity. Their factions and indeed individual differences of character and political stance are highlighted. (In fact its varied charedi characterisation is reminiscent of the popular Israeli series, Shtisel, in the way that human emotions and family tensions are universal in appeal.)

The tangled web is intricately woven with other protagonists who include a highly politicised rabbi who views himself as the putative president of a prospective new State of Judea, the chief rabbis, the prime minister and would-be prime minister. Interference from outside powers complicates matters further in the form of an American, evangelical, political leader and Iranian interests. The majority of them exhibit what Alster categorises as "flawed morality across the political spectrum".

In addition to the nervous tension created by the referendum, part of the tension of the story revolves around a murder. The reader can savour an almost delicious sense of dramatic irony created by knowing whose body is found in the Jerusalem hills and how the murder came about, whereas the public and the novel's characters cannot until the investigation unfolds.

As the novel reaches its conclusion, there is a certain grim satisfaction experienced by the reader as the murderer is exposed, while the result of the referendum is not a foregone conclusion and may ultimately surprise.

In fact, in a foxnews.com op-ed from September 2020, the author expresses surprise at how the Covid pandemic and its repercussions "have already seen many of the issues I envisioned rush to the fore much faster than expected."

Alster notes when discussing the book, "It foresees a scenario that could easily become reality ... unless drastic societal changes come to pass in the next few years."

Asked to elucidate on what these societal changes might be, the author refers not only to required changes in attitude in the charedi world but also to the necessity for greater tolerance on the part of the secular sector.

He ventures to suggest relevant attitude changes: "The charedim need to become more open to the mainstream way of life. In fact, that seems to be happening. During COVID it has been seen that more young charedi men have expressed an interest in leaving the fold. Changes would also occur if the number of children they have is reduced - as is happening among the Arab population."

In fact, he points out to me that there do exist voices from "the more moderate wing of the ultra-religious world' calling for changes. For example, in his foxnews.com op-ed he quotes what he sees as an 'extraordinary recent Facebook post' by Rabbi Dov Halbertal, fomer director of the Office of the Chief Rabbi of Israel: "The religious establishment corrupts the fabric of the state and the state corrupts the fabric of religion. It is not moral that the secular public should fund the religious or the blessed birth rate among the ultra-Orthodox …. There is nothing more outrageous than the phenomenon of receiving a generous amount from the secular public, then spitting in its face."

It would seem that the book's character of Rabbi Zvi Tenenbaum is drawn presciently like that of Rabbi Dov Halbertal, someone who represents a more progressive strand within Charedi socio-political thinking.

"Kin or Country" by Paul Alster is available as a paperback on Amazon at $14.99.

It is also available as a Kindle or ebook download at a variable price.

Producer and International Distributor: eBookPro Publishing

ISBN 9789655751741