Page 16-THE NEWS-Aprll, 1988
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The Strange Nation of Rafael
Mendes. Moacyr ScUar. Trans
lated by Eloah F. GoacomeUi.
Harmony Books, 225 Park
Ave. So., New York, NY
10003. 1988. 309 pages.
$19.95.
Moacyr Scliar, a practicing
physician in Brazil, is also
the best-selling author of 10
novels and 7 short story coUec-
tions in his homeland. Four of
his books, published in the
U.S. as original paperbacks,
have received widespread crit-
ic£il acclaim. The Washington
Post likens Scliar’s writing
technique to “that of I.B.
Singer...to integrate the
magical emd the fantastical in
to the real world...It infuses
his work with humor, fantasy,
authenticity and ethical sub
stance."
The Strange Nation of
Rafael Mendes combines fan
tasy and reality, politics and
history. From the prophet
Jonah in the belly of the whale
forward to Rafael Mendes in
present-day Brazil, this novel
brings the distant past and
the present equally to life and
explores the benefits and dan
gers of knowing one’s history.
The novel reflects the power
ful influences of the author’s
nationality and his religion. It
blends Jewish and Brazilian
history and myths to create
the geneaology of Rafael. The
miwmiL
A novel
character’s fictional ancestors
include Jonah, Maimonides, a
mapmaker to Columbus, and
the Brazilian 18th century
hero Tirandentes, who is said
to have been a Marrano.
Scliar traces Mendes’s
lineage from the prophets to
Egypt, then to the Portuguese
Inquisition, Hollemd and Bra
zil from colonial times to the
present. The history of Jews in
Brazil is a history of conflicts,
Scliar says. There is not only
conflict between the cultures,
but also between myth and
history, between irrational
stren^h and frail logic, and,
sometimes, between simple in
terests. This novel reflects
Scliar’s belief that the emo
tional effects of the Inquisi
tion are still present in Brazil.
“The Inquisition was a condi
tioning factor for the political
and emotional life of Brazil,”
he says. “People hid their emo
tions and lied during the In
quisition. The systematic
persecution of the Marranos in
Brazil generated a climate of
fear and uncertainty, and ly
ing and dissimulating became
a question of survival. The in
fluence of the intolerance in
the Brazilian ethos today is
difficult to evaluate, but it cer
tainly exists,” he says. “In my
book, I tried to connect the
past events of Brazilian his
tory with today’s conditions...
for example, the lies of politi
cians, corruption and eco
nomic scandals.”
Scliar is a public health
physician in the city of Porto
Alegre, where he was born.
This city, in the south of
Brazil, was the first organized
Askenazi community in the
country. Scliar’s parents both
arrived there as children in
about 1915, coming with their
parents from Bessarabia.
There are about 10,000 Jews
living today in Porto Alegre,
concentrated in the Bom Fim
section. Many of the original
Jewish settlers came from
Eastern Europe.
“One laughs with him, but make no
mistake about it: Mr. Scliar is a tough
writer, one of the bitterest to come out
of Latin America in a long time."
— New York Times
— Library Lines —
By Lenora Stein
During the past few months, under the auspices of the Speiz-
man Jewish Library, the children of the Charlotte Jewish Day
School, Temple Beth El V’Shalom Reli^ous School and Tem
ple Israel Religious School have participated in the Great
National Jewish Read-In for the benefit of the Jewish Braille
Institute. This is a program which encourages both reading and
tzedakah. The young people obtained sponsors who pledged
money for every book which was read during a designated time
period. All funds raised go directly to the Jewish Braille In
stitute, an agency which provides services and materials for the
visually impaired. In addition to the school-wide sponsorship
of this program, all classes took part in a blind awareness pro
gram, conducted by the Metrolina Association for the Blind.
This included a hands-on demonstration, a movie and discus
sion on age-appropriate levels to sensitize our students to the
issue of visud handicaps.
I am pleased to report the results of the Read-In. The three
schools together raised a grand total of $553.20. The individual
top-achieving students by school are:
Charlotte Jewish Day School
Most money raised—Sara Seiferheld
Most books read —Sara Seiferheld
Temple Beth El V’Shalom
Most money raised—Heather Shane
Most books read Stacy Blumenthal
Temple Israel
Most money raised—Elissa Golembe
Most books read — Korey Jaben
KOL HA-KAVOD for a job well done! Certificates and prizes
will be awarded to all children who participated. The Jewish
BraiUe Institute is very appreciative of the efforts of our
students. We can be very proud of their dedication to reading
and tzedakah.
J
Jewish Calendar
Candlelighting
—
Apr.
7 - 7:31 p.m. (7th eve of Pesach) •‘vi'-
Apr.
8-7:32 p.m. (8th eve of Pesach) il-
Apr.
15 - 7:37 p.m. ’ H Ir-
Apr.
22 - 7:43 p.m. ^ ^
Apr.
29 - 7:49 p.m. jLT
May
6 - 7:55 p.m.
s
r
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