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January 19, 2005
The Hebrew Kid in Boston
This story recently appeared in the Boston Jewish Advocate. By Penny Schwartz, Advocate Staff
The stuff of a Yeshiva boy's dreams fills the novel, The Hebrew Kid and the Apache Maiden. Mention the wild west and most folks won't free associate yeshiva bocher. That was before Hollywood screenwriter Robert J. Avrech took up pen and paper at the hospital bedside of his gravely ill, 22-year-old son, Ariel, who combined rabbinic studies with his love of literature and American history. Ariel died a young, tragic death from cancer, and in his honor, Robert Avrech and his wife, Karen have launched Seraphic Press, named for the Seraphim, the First Order of God's angels. Seraphic Press will publish new works of fiction — three to four novels each year — which will appeal to Orthodox Jews but push the envelope in terms of quality and on temporary taste. "We're devoted to publishing that can have a crossover appeal, but our main mission is for orthodox families," Robert Avrech told The Advocate in a phone conversation from his California home. "Ariel was interested in American history," Avrech said of his son's passion. He recognized a special love affair between America and the Jews. "When Ariel became ill and too sick to learn, and was confined, I picked up notes from a previously started novel," Avrech recalled. Avrech, known in behind the-scenes-Hollywood as the screenwriter for the film, "A Stranger Among Us," an official selection of the Cannes Film Festival, also won an Emmy Award for his film adaptation of Jane Yolen's, "The Devil's Arithmetic," the Holocaust novel which has become a must read for young adults. Ariel, who his father said adored "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, and who maintained a large collection of his favorite young adults books, helped write The Hebrew Kid and the Apache Maiden, especially reviewing the difficult Halachic questions. "I wrote it to keep him amused and happy," Avrech said. The first of several planned Seraphic Press publications, "Hebrew Kid" is a Wild West, coming of age, young adult adventure, complete with real-life historical figures, Doc Holliday, the notorious gunfighter; and Lozen, a legendary Apache warrior girl who rode with Geronimo. In the novel, Ariel is the about-to-turn 13-year-old hero of the tale of a family that fled the pogroms of Europe. His devout father, a rabbi from the old country (ordained by the great and pious Rabbi Velvel Soloveitchik) and a follower of the Jewish mystics, uses his wits and Talmudic wisdom to barely stay out of trouble. He leads the family and their growing entourage of oddfellow-travelers across Apache country in search not of a pot of gold, but for the world's Lamed Vovniks, the 36 righteous men who live in each generation on whose merits the world depends. Rebecca is Ariel's older,dreamy-eyed sister who desperately wants her father to tone down his lofty ideals, settle down and adopt more American ways. Orthodox boys and girls will enjoy the far-off perils, and searches for life's meaning which Ariel faces as he prepares and studies to become a Bar Mitzvah. Along the way of the page-turner, he discovers that his faith doesn't prevent developing ride-'em-cowboy fearlessness and friendship with non-Jews. "It's hard for Orthodox boys to put themselves in certain imaginative places," Avrech said. "It's hard to be an Orthodox secret agent. Putting yourself in another time and place, adventure and fantasy become more possible. The story allows the imagination to fly." Wandering in a different desert wilderness — dangerous Apache territory — the family encounters a variety of lost souls: a Jewish soldier who's joined the cavalry, running away from a bad shidduch; a young couple searching for a preacher to give them a proper marriage; and the hard-living, criminal on the run, Doc Holliday. Scenes between Ariel's newfound friend, the young and intriguing Lozen, are rich with self-exploration and yearning for knowledge beyond the limits of his family's religious observances. In a near-miss with death, Lozen saves Ariel's life. Ariel is confused and confronts her, asking why she and her brother, known for cruelty, would save his life. "The missionaries tell Apache that your tribe killed their God. That your tribe is evil," Lozen admits. "My heart sank. Even here, even deep in Apache territory the old lies, the old hates had managed to follow us." Avrech doesn't miss the chance to lighten the dangerous journey with the ultimate peacemaker — Mama's kugel, which, not surprisingly becomes the favorite of all the desert dwellers. "American history is very romantic," Avrech said of his choice of the western genre. Through his extensive research, he was fascinated to discover that with the lack of preachers in desert country, many young couples blazing new territory had no means of getting married — one of the subplots in the story. Why the Apaches? "They were the last tribe to surrender and I read about Lozen, a fascinating character. She never married, which was very unusual. I saw these parallels with Judaism," Avrech said. "They are monotheist, have their own brand of Kashruth. It reminded me of the times of Jehuda Maccabee. They were a very romantic people." Avrech likes the relationship between Ariel and Lozen, "probing each other, developing a friendship. But there's a wall. They are locked in their own culture, creating a tension. An implausible relationship develops but they can't help but be drawn to each other." He's had some disapproval from Orthodox circles because of the relationship between a non-Jewish girl and a Jewish boy. "It's clear they won't get married, but some don't like any relationship. I have no argument, but I see things differently," he said. So do young readers, Avrech has found out, as the book, just released, is selling like hotcakes at the Judaica shop, 613, The Mitzvah Store in Los Angeles. He overheard two young Lubavitch girls whispering about the book, which gave him a chuckle. Can a Western adventure written by a screenwriter be far from the silver screen? Avrech is already speaking with some studios and is at work on the sequel, which brings a Torah to Tombstone. Other books planned for release include: The Shidduch Diaries, a humorous look into the Orthodox Jewish dating scene by Michael Levin a popular talk show host and novelist, and Maccabee and Me, by Avrech. The books will be distributed by Jonathan David Publishers. For more information, go to www.seraphicpress.com.
It's always nice to receive a good review. It's even nicer when the writer gets the facts right. This is something that is all too rare in journalism. Thanks so much, Ms. Schwartz.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at January 19, 2005 07:45 AM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.