Saturday, January 5th, 2008...11:02 am
The Weekend: The Yiddish Policemen’s Union
A novel by Michael Chabon
As Chassidic Jews living in Sitka, Alaska, my family and I occupy what one could call, a narrow demographic. No focus group here. You can imagine our entertainment at learning of Michael Chabon’s book, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union. No longer are we called Mushugenneh Yidden in Yenemsville; now we enjoy the appellation, “the Frozen Chosen.”
I have to admit to being a bit uncultured when it comes to murder mystery novels. I leave the literary review of Mr. Chabon’s book to more able hands. I did read the book in haste for Mr. Chabon’s visit to our little community and as a Sitkan and a Jew, I dove into his fantastical premise: What if the modern State of Israel never existed, and the Jewish refugees from the Holocaust were granted a temporary, semi-autonomous state in Sitka? I surfed through Mr. Chabon’s world of Chassidic ghettos and Brooklyn High-rises, a world where my friend John Straley was the only goy in Sitka, a land of corned beef and smoked salmon, and a world where the Jewish conspiracy to redeem the world originated in my backyard. Mr. Chabon’s descriptive prowess is without question, and his shadowy day-dream of a Yiddish Sitka brought a smile to this “black-hatter” wearing rubber boots. But beyond interesting discussion around a campfire fueled by L’Chaim and Smirnoff, I began to look for the book’s neshamaleh (its soul).
Mr. Chabon’s book in part, captures the Jewish people’s existential angst. We are a nation blessed, and seemingly cursed, as an eternal people. Chabon’s Jews exhibit the desperate exhaustion that comes from weathering countless pogroms at the hands of countless empires - the inherited unease that causes one hand to build a home, and the other to dig an escape tunnel for the inevitable need to flee. In this book, a mere fifty years after absorbing the deafening blow of the Holocaust, the Jews of Sitka are once again faced with expulsion from their enclave. Chabon’s Jews cry out: “Ad Masai?” How Long is this Exile?
To be honest, Mr. Chabon’s writing does exhibit a misunderstanding of Jewish mysticism and an irreverence in the guise of art. However, he does capture this cry of exile, in various holy and unholy angles. Mr. Chabon’s conspiracy is based on the prophetic teaching that a Moshiach (Messiah) is born to each generation. If the generation merits, the Moshiach becomes fully revealed and both the wandering and the suffering is healed. According to this ancient teaching, when the match between the Messiah and the generation clicks, the Jewish people will return to the Land of Israel and the world will be redeemed from its spiritual and physical exile. The parallels between Mr. Chabon’s Sitka and modern day Israel illustrate that this match still eludes us - that even with the creation of the modern State of Israel, we are not yet home.
Mr. Chabon’s story gives my generation of Jews a creative platform to explore our exile. The Kabbalah teaches that our modern wanderings parallel the biblical wanderings in the desert. Each place we are led contains trapped sparks of light, and through refined behavior in that place, we release this light. The mystical process of finding and redeeming the sparks of light is called Tikkun Olam (Repair of the World). This is the secret of the Jews of Sitka, and the Chassidic teaching: “Mach Da Eretz Yisroel” (Make this Place the Land of Israel). Whether in Sitka or Jerusalem, the present generation’s work toward Tikkun Olam remains unfinished. Mr. Chabon’s story brings this struggle to the mainstream, and it is quite possible that The Yiddish Policemen’s Union will not only entertain its readers, but will also cement Sitka’s rightful place as a key factor in the conspiracy to redeem.
Note: Mr. Voluck is an attorney who practices in Sitka, Alaska.
3 Comments
January 8th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Thank you for providing a perspective from your “narrow demographic”, which I would have not wagered existed. I must preface by saying that my exposure to Jews and Jewish culture is extremely limited so if I mis-use or mis-interpret in the following please forgive.
I have read the book and was at once captured by Chabon’s fantastic premise of a soggy Jewish State and their impending displacement. As a murder mystery, which I do often read, Chabon kept me engaged more through my interest in the culture which he depicts rather than the mystery itself. I found myself considering the “Jewish State” as a people instead of a land.
I am often captivated with protagonists who are packing a good bit of baggage and Chabon shines with this creation and its supporting cast. The bits of Alaskana are well blended and from my perspective it appears that Chabon has done a good bit research.
Again, thanks for your review. I will have to be diligent to fully consume your comments.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
p.s. to above-
Would the reviewer be so kind as to expand his comments and provide opinion to the character of the “boundary maven”, which I found fascinating but left me feeling though I never quite fully understood the character’s cultural significance.
January 20th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Mr. Voluck responds:
In response to the question regarding the cultural significance of the Boundary Maven: Halachah (literally “Way of Walking” but mostly translated as “Jewish Law”) does not permit one to carry objects outside of your home (Private Domain) into the Reshus HaRabim (Public Domain) on Shabbas (the Hebrew Sabbath). To do so is called “Carrying” and can violate the Shabbos which breaks one of the primary mitzvos of the Torah and a central aspect of Jewish religious identity through the millennia.
Halacha does allow certain rabbinical experts to construct an Eruv around the Public Sector. By purposefully encircling the Public Domain with the Eruv (which is like a fence), Jewish law views the Public Domain as being converted into one large Private Domain by the Eruv/fence. Once successfully encircled by the Eruv, observant Jews are able to carry objects (strollers, prayer books, food, gifts, etc.) with them as they walk outside of their home on Shabbos. A proper and Kosher Eruv can be an extremely important aspect of an observant community on the Sabbath. However, many religious Jews are reluctant to rely on the Eruv, because it must constantly be checked by a G-d revering Jew to make sure that it is not broken or compromised in any spot. If the Eruv goes down and becomes ‘unkosher’, tens of thousands of Jews who have grown reliant on the Eruv’s existence could be “carrying” on Shabbos without a proper Eruv in place, thus violating the core mitzvah of Shabbos.
So, the long answer to your question is, I don’t totally remember the actual character of the Boundary Maven in the story. What I do remember is, he was trusted by all the different Chassidic sects living on that particularly religious Island. You may not know the old adage - if 2 Jews were trapped on a Desert Island, they would need to build 3 synagogues. Jewish people are famous for arguing amongst ourselves (much like most families), and it is not uncommon for religious groups to form different opinions about how strict is strict when it comes to Kosher (ritually sound). So today there are groups of religious Jews who will not accept the religious supervision of other groups because they worry that the other group is not strict or careful enough for their liking. Sooo, for this Boundary Maven to be accepted as “Kosher” by all the different groups, and that his Eruv was accepted and used by all the different groups, then he must have been a unique and special Jew who was welcome and respected in “all 3 synagogues,” using the joke above. He would have to be man of impeccable character and religious reverence and was literally and figuratively a unifying force in the community. I think his special character was respected by the Rebbe, who probably wanted such a unifying force to have an effect on his prodigal son, thus leading to their chess relationship (if I am remembering correctly). Further, the very nature of his job requires that he constantly be traveling the length and width of the community to check on, and repair any compromises in the Eruv. This makes him a razor sharp set of eyes in the Community, and a great informant for a homicide detective.
So anyway, not a bad choice for such a character by Michael Chabon. Although Mr. Chabon is not an observant Jew himself, he does have a keen insight into many of the undercurrents of Jewish religious life ….
Anyway, hope this was somewhat on-point and informative.
David Avraham Voluck
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