This is one of the stories collected in the 2015 100 Years of Best American Short Stories, edited by Lorrie Moore. The first story in this collection was written by Edna Ferber in 1915 and the last by Lauren Grof in 2015.
I have read this story before, probably in The New Yorker, which I have subscribed to for 50 years. Sadly I don't always read the stories now but you if you subscribe you can read most of them in their archives. Also some of them are read aloud.
Two Jewish couples meet in Miami after many years. The two women were childhood friends. One couple lives in Israrel now and is ultra-orthodox and has a family of twelve children. The other is secular and has one child. A lot of the conversation is over this chasm. Can you be a Jew and not religious? Can you be a cultural Jew? The more secular woman though is obsessed with the Holocaust and is always thinking of how they can hide if they need to. The four play a game, deciding who would hide them if they needed hiding. It ends with one woman deciding her husband might not hide her if she wasn't a Jew. (They call the game the Anne Frank game).
There are lots of great things about this story. It is not often in stories that people discuss real issues rather than relationship issues or family issues. I also found it interesting to contrast how evangelical Christians are so much the same and yet so different from religious Jews. This foursome is drinking and smoking pot, which would never happen with evangelicals that I have known. All of the dialog is expertly written and their behavior was consistent with how real people act.
I have read four stories in this collection and this was my favorite. I have read many of the other stories before but will probably read them again.
13 comments:
I need to read this, Patti. It sounds like a fascinating way to explore the issues. As you say, it's not often you see a story like that.
I think this is the only story I have read by Englander. I want to look for more.
I've read some stories by Nathan Englander but not this one. I'll check it out.
I have not read anything by Englander. Maybe I will check this out although I usually hate fiction dealing with religious ideas.
I am not sure if all of this stories do. Jeff, who is in Boston, might know.
That sounds like a fascinating story. I have always enjoyed novels about Jewish culture.
Me too. And TV shows. Like Shtisel or Unorthodox.
I read that as part of an awards committee I was on in 2012. I recall this story a decent amount and my notes reminded me how the Florida were a bit hesitant to meet the Orthodox couple from Israel. They were worried the Orthodox would be weirdos.
Yes. That's what they feared.
Sorry for the delay. Yes, all of Englander's stories I've read so far have a Jewish theme. He grew up in an Orthodox community on Long Island. I read his first book and thought it was mostly good but nothing great. So far, the second (What We Talk About...) seems a big step forward. I agree this story is his best I've read so far, terrific all the way around. The one I read today was more fantasy, almost surreal. "Peep Show" is about a (formerly?) religious Jew married to a shiksa, who visits a peep show on 42nd Street (as they existed in the bad old days) with unexpected results. I definitely like Englander, especially the second book.
I finished the Best collection and would recommend many of the stories and authors - Junot Diaz, Z. Z. Packer, Sherman Alexie (I've read a bunch of his), Tobias Wolff (ditto), Julie Otsuka, etc.
Hope you are having fun, Jeff. Have always loved Boston.
Very hot eyes. Cooler today but extremely human. Went to Cape Cod yesterday, Salem and Newburyport today.
I hate autocorrect.
Hot yesterday, not eyes
Today was humid, not human
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