Jerusalem as a Second Language
- 300 pages
- 11 hours of reading
In 1998, the aftermath of the Soviet Union leaves new Russia steeped in corruption and despair. Manya and Yuri Zalinikov, secular Jews, navigate this harsh reality by selling black market electronics until they are threatened by a mafioso demanding protection money. Yuri, engulfed in a Chekhovian melancholy, declares his desire to 'live as a Jew' in Israel, leaving Manya and their daughter, Galina, questioning how to achieve this. Their journey unfolds as a blend of tragedy and comedy, filled with unexpected twists. In Israel, Yuri seeks a Talmudic teacher who balances faith with a taste for luxury, while Manya secures a job at The White Nights supper club, run by a wealthy Russian with a questionable past, who offers her a semblance of love. Galina, attending Hebrew University, explores dance clubs and relationships, hoping to find a partner who might shield her from military service through marriage. Amidst a backdrop of matchmaking shows, investment failures, and a suicide bombing, the Zalinikov family grapples with the complexities of faith and identity, pondering what it means to be fully human and Jewish, and the significance of the Mazel gene in their lives.
