The Husk and Kernel of Judaism

The persistence of Jewish faith beneath the forms that were shed in the process of Americanization.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Fortress Within the Pale

The Fortress Within the Pale The Second Wall Inside the Czar's wall was another wall higher and thicker: the religious integrity of the Jews. The Czar's minions and the priests could not pierce it. The Torah as Balm In the study of the Torah the Russian Jew found balm for every wound. Minute observance of rites became the expression of spiritual craving. The Dream of Restoration Even the dream of a return to Palestine helped the Jew forget the world. The face of God was behind the mummeries.

The Grandmother's Piety

The Grandmother's Piety Rachel's Sacrifice Grandmother Rachel pawned her shawl and Sabbath cap to pay the rebbe's fee. She carried Pinchus on her back through the snow when he had no shoes. The Pious Family Tree The family prided itself on descent from Israel Kimanyer, a zaddik whose holy life redeemed a poor clan. Piety was the greatest inheritance. The Cost of the Law Sacred learning was bought with hunger and cold. The Jew was willing to starve for God.

The Rebbe's Rote

The Rebbe's Rote The Song of David Mary chanted Psalms in Hebrew with a mechanical intensity that sounded intelligent. She loved the full, dense sound of the words. The Empty Questions Her questions about God received no real answers from Reb' Lebe. The husk of ritual could not satisfy her. The Seed of Individualism Even while playing at piety, she was already a skeptic. The kernel of Judaism was buried under forms she could not digest.

The Mother's Yom Kippur

The Mother's Yom Kippur The Ancient Stirring Hannah Hayye kept the same day of rest as her Gentile neighbors all year, but when the ram's horn blew on Yom Kippur her soul stirred as of old. The Kernel Retained She had dropped the husk of orthodox observance and retained the kernel of Judaism. Years of instinctive selection had worked in her. The Faith of the Mothers The Jewish faith in her was deeply rooted, as in the best of Jews it always is. The covenant survived the wig's abandonment.

The Unalienable Heritage

The Unalienable Heritage The Forfeit in the Contest The conflict between the first generation's tradition and the second generation's American life is inevitable and hopeful. The nation watches because humanity has a stake in it. The Persistence of Israel Mary doubts that the conversion of the Jew to alien belief or disbelief is ever thoroughly accomplished. The faith of Israel is a heritage no heir can alienate. The Future Witness Her descendants may testify to the persistence of Judaism in the blood. The burning bush still lights the gloom long after the prison is gone.

the religious life of Polotzk

Pinchus's boyhood

Mary's Hebrew lessons

the American years

the closing reflection of the religious chapter