Sarah Blumenthal's Widowhood

A rabbi and mother survives her husband's murder by returning to the work of evolving Judaism and accepting a new love.

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The Assistant Rabbi at Temple Emanuel

The Assistant Rabbi at Temple Emanuel Context Sarah Blumenthal is a rabbi in her late thirties, with two young sons and a quiet home life. She works at Temple Emanuel and lives with Joshua in a brownstone on the Upper West Side. Pem meets her when the cross is found on the roof and is immediately struck by her freshness, honesty, and unpretentious learning. Significance Sarah's grounding in both tradition and modern scholarship makes her the perfect partner for Joshua's radical project. She has no need of cosmetics or jewelry; her authority comes from rigorous reading. Pem recognizes in her a soul of immense inherent decorum. Consequences Their meeting with the Episcopal priest initiates a friendship that will survive Joshua's death and remake all their lives.

Widowhood in the EJ Brownstone

Widowhood in the EJ Brownstone Context Sarah brings Joshua's body home from Vilnius and struggles to continue leading the Synagogue of Evolutionary Judaism. She resigns from Temple Emanuel and works for the small congregation. Her grief is deeper than mourning, almost a state of being suspended. Significance Sarah's widowhood is complicated by her desire to honor Joshua's memory and her need to raise their sons. Her commitment to the EJ is both a continuation of their partnership and a way to keep him present. She is not saintly; she is simply holding the line against despair. Consequences Pem's affection for her deepens into love, though he knows she is still in love with a dead man. He waits with a patience that is alien to his temperament.

Leading the Friday Night Seminars

Leading the Friday Night Seminars Context Sarah conducts services as rabbinically directed seminars rather than sermons. She guides discussions on the documentary hypothesis, the soul, and the ethical core of the commandments. Everett notices that she is patient, smart, beautiful in a nonsexy rabbinical way, and increasingly in control. Significance The seminars demonstrate Sarah's independent theological voice. She does not simply carry Joshua's ideas forward; she makes them her own. Her ability to hold skepticism and reverence together becomes the model for Evolutionary Judaism. Consequences Pem's conversion studies proceed with a different rabbi, but his growing intimacy with Sarah is conducted in the seminar room, where intellect and faith are intertwined.

A Courtship with Pem

A Courtship with Pem Context Sarah and Pem travel together to JFK to unseal the archive. She wears a raincoat and suit, and Pem notices how well shaped her pantleg is above the knee. She is moved by the photo of her father as a runner. Later, at dinner with Everett after the EJ services, Pem confesses he is in love with her. Significance The archive unsealing is an emotional milestone for Sarah. She begins to allow Pem into her grief, and he in turn is drawn by her serene, grave beauty. Their courtship is slow, marked by mutual respect for Joshua's memory and by the sheer difficulty of two wounded people finding each other. Consequences Sarah decides not to wait for the completion of Pem's conversion before marrying him. The civil ceremony is a principled choice, followed by a reception that blends both families.

A New Marriage and Maternal Home

A New Marriage and Maternal Home Context Sarah marries Pem downtown and celebrates at a small reception hosted by her aunt Myrna Fein. Joshua's sister Judy is the best woman, and Sarah's sons Jake and Davey are present. She dances with Everett, then with her older son, her arms outstretched and her face serene. Significance The marriage is not an escape from grief but a step into a larger life. Sarah has found a partner who understands her serious, smiling, irrevocable widowhood. Her sons have a man who plays with them in Central Park and does not try to replace their father. Consequences Sarah becomes the rabbi of a growing EJ community, a wife to a converted Christian priest, and the guardian of the recovered archive. The shadow of Joshua remains, but it no longer keeps her from joy.

before Joshua's death, when Sarah works as an assistant rabbi at Temple Emanuel

after Joshua's death, in the first year of her mourning

during the second year of mourning, as the EJ congregation slowly grows

after the recovery of the archive, when Sarah begins to see Pem differently

at the wedding reception in the Jefferson hotel