Goodreads Review: Israel Zangwill: The Melting-Pot, Chosen People

Israel Zangwill, a renowned author of the early 20th century, was celebrated for his wit and intellect. His skillful use of dialogue is evident in his traditional four-act play, a work that echoes the spirit of modern playwrights of his time. Of particular note is Teddy Roosevelt's enthusiastic praise for this drama, a commendation that sparked my interest. Zangwill's use of the term' melting pot' as a metaphor further adds to the play's significance. 

I appreciated the protagonist, David, a gifted Jewish violinist and survivor of a deadly Russian pogrom who immigrated to America at his Uncle Mendel's place for freedom. Although idealistic, Zangwill gives David his best lines, referring to America as the crucible where immigrants blend and mold together, leaving the past behind for a brighter future. The plot thickens when he falls in love with a noble Russian, Vera, who rebelled from Tsarist Russia and her antisemitic parents. Their journey is not without its challenges, and I found myself deeply empathizing with their struggles. They grow together when Vera uses her connections to help David become recognized in New York- the pot boils as their backgrounds flare up and Vera's parents enter the scene along with her antisemitic admirer.

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Goodreads Review: The Storyteller of Jerusalem: The Life and Times of Wasif Jawhariyyeh, 1904-1948

Told through the eyes, heart, soul, and intelligence of an accomplished oud musician, Wasif Jawhariyyeh’s memoirs provide a philosophical, realistic, and artistic perception of life, culture, and society from childhood in the Ottoman Empire through the British Mandate and eventually Israel’s independence, where insufferable conditions forced his family to migrate from Jerusalem to Beirut leaving his beloved oud collection behind. Through simplistic storytelling, his memoirs reveal the integrity and flavor of the transitions and the strife of his family, friends, artists, and accounting associates at his day job with the transitory government tax departments. Wasif Jawhariyyeh’s memoirs are a perfect stepping stone for those wanting to learn about existence, customs, and civilization in Palestine during this turbulent epoch. 

As a lover of string instruments, I appreciated the distinctions Wasif drew from Western and Middle Eastern music notation as a cultural phenomenon. He also dealt with the resistance of European music teachers in Palestine, who pushed for Western notation on Arabic music, negating the Middle Eastern sound from which Wasif stood his ground, emphasizing the original aesthetic, and drawing the European experts on the differences between Western and Eastern music.

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