Yosl Rakover Talks to God
by Zvi Kolitz
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Description
There are two stories here. One is the now legendary tale of a defiant Jew's refusal to abandon God, even in the face of the greatest suffering the world has known, a testament of faith that has taken on an unpredictable and fascinating life of its own and has often been thought to be a direct testament from the Holocaust. The parallel story is that of Zvi Kolitz, the true author, whose connection to Yosl Rakover has been obscured over the fifty years since its original appearance. German show more journalist Paul Badde tells how a young man came to write this classic response to evil, and then was nearly written out of its history. With brief commentaries by French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas and Leon Wieseltier, author of Kaddish, this edition presents a religious classic and the very human story behind it. show lessTags
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A legendary tale that is a quest for understanding; that attempts to find meaning where meaninglessness and godlessness seem to abound. The most remarkable aspect of this story is Rakover's deep and abiding faith in God in the face of such horrible circumstances.
A legendary tale that is a quest for understanding; that attempts to find meaning where meaninglessness and godlessness seem to abound. The most remarkable aspect of this story is Rakover's deep and abiding faith in God in the face of such horrible circumstances.
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Author Information
7 Works 237 Members
Awards and Honors
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Serie Piper (2666)
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Jossel Rakovers Wendung zu Gott
- Original title
- Jossl Rakowers Wendung zu Goot
- Original publication date
- 1946
- People/Characters*
- Jossel Rakover; Jossl Rakower; Zvi Kolitz
- Important places*
- Warschau, Polen
- Important events*
- Holocaust
- Epigraph*
- Ich glojb in der Sunn, afile wenn sie scheint nit; ich glojb in der Liebe, afile ich fihl ihr nit, ich glojb in Gott, afile wenn er schweigt.
- First words*
- In ejner vun die Churwes vun Warschewer Getto, zwischen Hojfens vun varsmaljete Stejner un menschliche Bejner, is gefunen geworen, varsteckt un varstoppt in a klejn Fläschel, der folgender Testament, geschrieben van a Jiden ... (show all)mit'n Nomen Jossl Rakower in die letzte Scho'en vun Warschewer Getto.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Ist es wirklich wahr", fragte er, "dass diese Blätter nun also tatsächlich unter einem Haufen verkohlter Steine und menschlichem Gebein begraben liegen?"
- Original language*
- Jiddisch
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, General Fiction
- DDC/MDS
- 892.4 — Literature & rhetoric Literatures of other languages Afro-Asiatic literatures Jewish, Israeli, and Hebrew
- LCC
- PJ5129 .K549 .Y6713 — Language and Literature Oriental languages and literatures Oriental philology and literature Hebrew Other languages used by Jews Yiddish
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 182
- Popularity
- 179,769
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.18)
- Languages
- 7 — Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Yiddish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 18
- ASINs
- 4
