Summary of Discussion By David Leader
Five of us met for the 17th session of the JCC Israel Book Club at Congregation Beth Hatephila at 9:30 a.m.
Our book for this month was by Amoz Oz, The Same Sea, which was artfully facilitated by Cathy Klein. Cathy started out with a refresher bio of the author, which was extremely helpful, as it assisted one member (me) in better understanding the potential author “message” for the readers. This forgotten fact was the author’s loss to suicide of his mother when he was 12. Cathy stated that she had read in a review that the characters in the book existed in triangular relationships, and that these could fit into a Star of David. While that review did not provide a pictorial, Cathy made one for us.
Themes that were discussed included the sense of loss experienced relatively acutely for most characters and somewhat longer ago for one. Their longing and desire was quite clear, as well as the characters struggle to deal in their own ways with being left behind and forging new connections. The universality of this was also processed, as was the question of whether these characters were being self-absorbed or merely selfish in their behaviors. It was discussed that this was a very lyrical work, quite unusual and beautiful in its poetic/artistic elements. We discussed the idea of aloneness for social beings.
We were able to potentially understand why the author himself became a character in the novel, forming relationships and interconnections with these fictional characters: the author potentially representing an element of hope and healing, years after the devastating event of his early and brutal loss of mother. The thought of the special meaning for those in a country where loss is endemic also was processed. The impact of the book on two group members who are dealing with loss was powerfully expressed. We even discussed why the author’s desk seemed to have such a prominent role.
Other interesting elements of the discussion included the sense of the solitary process of reading and the social and interactive elements of this and other book clubs, wherein our thoughts synthesize and play off one another, until the book becomes potentially differently experienced (and in the case of several of our members, better appreciated). Also discussed was the potential impact of the vagueness in parts of the book, including the lack of a clear resolution of issues raised.
Finally, we discussed my recent 2 week trip to Israel, and some of the feelings evoked by that set of experiences and connections. I promised to pare down my 700+ photos and to make a more formal presentation of the trip in the near future.
Our next meeting is on April 18 at 9:30 am at CBHT. The next book in our series is A Trumpet in the Wadi, by Sami Michael and will be facilitated by Alene.
