Heaven 2024: December Book Club: The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
This was the first book that introduced me to Michael Chabon. I have subsequently read all of his books. A little information about the book, courtesy of Wikipaedia.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a 2007 novel by American author Michael Chabon.[1] The novel is a detective story set in an alternative history version of the present day, based on the premise that during World War II, a temporary settlement for Jewish refugees was established in Sitka, Alaska, in 1941, and that the fledgling State of Israel was destroyed in 1948. The novel is set in Sitka, which it depicts as a large, Yiddish-speaking metropolis.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union won a number of science fiction awards: the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Locus Award for Best SF Novel, the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and the Sidewise Award for Alternate History for Best Novel. It was shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel and the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel.
Questions will be dropped between the 20th and 23rd.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a 2007 novel by American author Michael Chabon.[1] The novel is a detective story set in an alternative history version of the present day, based on the premise that during World War II, a temporary settlement for Jewish refugees was established in Sitka, Alaska, in 1941, and that the fledgling State of Israel was destroyed in 1948. The novel is set in Sitka, which it depicts as a large, Yiddish-speaking metropolis.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union won a number of science fiction awards: the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Locus Award for Best SF Novel, the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and the Sidewise Award for Alternate History for Best Novel. It was shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel and the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel.
Questions will be dropped between the 20th and 23rd.
Comments
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is my favorite of his books, but The Yiddish Policemen's Union is excellent as well.
Thankfully only one person had minor injuries, but the perpetrators haven't been caught or identified yet. I also attended the funeral of a close friend's mother who died in a house fire last week so this is causing me painful thoughts on her death as well. I will try to persevere with the book, but given the subject matter I may take a break or read it slower than planned.
I have just got to a pivotal moment in the novel so definitely want to read the rest at some time.
@Mili that sounds very traumatic.
(((((Mili)))))
Praying for everyone in that situation, and your friend’s mother and your friend and you.
The Slattery Report is part of the impetus for the novel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slattery_Report
1) Why does Meyer Landsman feel a special kinship with the murder victim in Rm. 208 of the Hotel Zamenhof, and how is that affinity responsible for his career's decline?
2) To what extent is Bina Gelbfish sympathetic to Meyer's professional situation? How does their current involvement as police department colleagues reflect the complicated nature of their history with one another?
3) Why does the prospect of Reversion compromise Meyer and Berko's ability to solve their outstanding cases, and what does that possibility mean to both of them?
4)How would you characterize the nature of the interaction of native peoples and Jewish immigrants in Sitka, Alaska, and its environs?
5) How surprising is the coincidence of the deaths of Naomi Landsman and Mendel Shpilman, given the small-world sense of "Jewish geography" in Sitka and the Alaskan panhandle?
6)Why does Willy Dick agree to help Meyer and Berko in their efforts to uncover the truth behind the Peril Strait, and what does his doing so reveal about his allegiances?
7) How does the author explore variations on the theme of fathers and sons in the relationships between Meyer and his father, Meyer and Django, Berko and Hertz, and Mendel and Rebbe Shpilman in this novel?
8)How does the author's use of copious historical facts throughout the novel impact your reading of The Yiddish Policemen's Union as a work of fiction? To what extent does the Jewish settlement in Sitka, Alaska, seem like an actual community?
9)Why do Meyer, Berko, and Bina agree to suppress their knowledge of a vast conspiracy, and what does that decision reveal about their own sense of the balance between justice and self-preservation?
10)Of the many eccentric and unforgettable characters in The Yiddish Policemen's Union, which were the most memorable to you, and why?
1) Why does Meyer Landsman feel a special kinship with the murder victim in Rm. 208 of the Hotel Zamenhof, and how is that affinity responsible for his career's decline?
They were both down on their luck, living isolated in a run down hotel and suffering from addictions and mental health problems. Landsman was also drawn to Mendel Shpilman by the chess connection as chess had played a big part in his childhood and his relationship with his father. I felt his career was already on the decline and with the time drawing near when Sitka would revert to being a part of the United States, Landsman saw little to lose in taking on the case, even when he was investigating while suspended.
2) To what extent is Bina Gelbfish sympathetic to Meyer's professional situation? How does their current involvement as police department colleagues reflect the complicated nature of their history with one another?
Bina was still in love with Meyer and therefore cared about him personally and professionally. Working together, despite Bina being in the awkward position of being Meyer's boss, the events of the novel ended up bringing them back together as a couple. It is unlikely Bina would have supported Meyer's secret investigation if they were strangers or if she was vengeful over the breakdown of their marriage.
3) Why does the prospect of Reversion compromise Meyer and Berko's ability to solve their outstanding cases, and what does that possibility mean to both of them?
There was a big possibility Meyer and Berko would no longer be able to live in Sitka after Reversion, especially Meyer who had made no effort to organise paperwork to stay. If they were allowed to stay, there was no guarantee they would be kept on in the police force. I believe at least some of their cases were unsolved due to Meyer's personal problems affecting his ability to perform his work and this may have affected both their chances of staying employed. Knowing the bigger story it seems they may have been forced to move to Israel and may have been employed in the police force there, whether they wanted to or not.
4)How would you characterize the nature of the interaction of native peoples and Jewish immigrants in Sitka, Alaska, and its environs?
The nature of interactions were similar to both the interactions of colonised people and colonisers and in some ways to the interactions of Israeli's and Palestinians. There was historical violence and prejudice as well as continuing encroachment of the Tlinglit's territory by some of the descendants of the Jewish immigrants. As someone of mixed heritage, Berko struggled to be totally accepted in either community, but had connections to both.
5) How surprising is the coincidence of the deaths of Naomi Landsman and Mendel Shpilman, given the small-world sense of "Jewish geography" in Sitka and the Alaskan panhandle?
There was a sense of predestination in the book. If Mendel Shpilman really was the messiah of his generation, it seemed things happened for a reason. If God is real in the world of the novel did things turn out as God would want, or did the sins of humans prevent God's will? Were events influenced by the supernatural or forced by the hand of the characters' religious beliefs?
6)Why does Willy Dick agree to help Meyer and Berko in their efforts to uncover the truth behind the Peril Strait, and what does his doing so reveal about his allegiances?
Willy Dick recognises that after Reversion the United States Government might not honour the Tlinglit's land and human rights and would probably not only take Sitka, but may want more power and resources from the areas of Alaska where the Tlinglit's lived. He perhaps wanted to know the truth to try to discern the future for himself and his people and if there was a chance to take actions to improve that future.
7) How does the author explore variations on the theme of fathers and sons in the relationships between Meyer and his father, Meyer and Django, Berko and Hertz, and Mendel and Rebbe Shpilman in this novel?
The father/son relationships were mostly troubled in the novel. It was a relief to see that Berko was being a better father to his sons and hopefully Meyer would be a better father too, if he and Bina had more children. He and Bina made a difficult choice over Django and obviously cared for him and Meyer wondered if they made the right decision. Hertz and Meyer's fathers seemed to be too damaged by their pasts to be good fathers and Rebbe Shpilman only had conditional love for his son. Mendel was not the son he wanted to take over his empire.
8)How does the author's use of copious historical facts throughout the novel impact your reading of The Yiddish Policemen's Union as a work of fiction? To what extent does the Jewish settlement in Sitka, Alaska, seem like an actual community?
The Jewish settlement in Sitka did come to seem to be an actual community. I was left wanting to know more about how the community operated before everyone became influenced by the impending Reversion and what happened to the residents afterwards. I knew some of the history and religion the novel was drawing on and researched areas I was unaware of to further understand the story.
10)Of the many eccentric and unforgettable characters in The Yiddish Policemen's Union, which were the most memorable to you, and why?
There were a lot of characters and it was a bit tricky to keep track of them all, their names, allegiances, and the how they were connected to the bigger story. Some seemed like bit players and then turned out to be a really significant part of the crime story. Apart from the two main couples, I would have liked to know more about the life of Batsheva Shpilman and if she had any influence over the events. I also found Zimbalist to be an interesting character who seemed to know a lot of what was going on in Sitka through his work placing Eruvim throughout the Orthodox community. I had learnt of Eruvim before, but never thought of how complex it could get or people being employed to map the community and create the Eruvim for others in the community.