So, as Trachim B...the man whose wagon plunged to the bottom of the Brod River...lies (so we think dead) pinned under his wagon in the river, a baby floats to the surface of the river. No one knows what to do and can only speculate as to how a baby would appear and from where. I figured some type of reference to Moses would emerge, seeing as this is a book based in some form or another with Judaic roots, but it did not.
The baby is some form of a conundrum to the crowd. (The baby ends up being Alexander's (the man who this story is being narrated about by Foer) great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother...or as he states very great grandmother.) They speculate the baby could be Trachim's soul because he has unfinished business in this life and was not ready to go to Heaven, or wherever. They speculated that his wife, if he was married, could have been having the baby as he was driving the cart and he could have looked away from the road for a split second and they could have been thrown into the river. But, there was an absence of an umbilical cord. So, this was out. So, the town turned into one of those towns where everyone becomes nosy. It was basically transformed into a Southern Baptist Church.
The Well-Regarded Rabbi of the Upright Synagogue...not the Slouching Synagogue (both were in debate over sacred and secular customs for the town...decided to take the baby into the church. She became a relic, so to speak, for the town. She was housed in the Synagogue and watched over. From the discovery of the baby and the death of Trachim (or supposed death) the town formed an annual festival to celebrate looking for him. People would dive to the bottom of the river and search. All of the girls would dress like the twin girls that witnessed the whole debacle. The festival went on for 150 years (he died in 1791) until the shtetl proclaimed a dead body would be gone in about two years after sitting in the bottom of a river.
So, the baby was placed in the Upright Synagogue. Men were allowed in, but women were not allowed to worship within the walls because the Well-Regarded Rabbi said that men would think of sex and nothing else. Later on, women were finally allowed to worship, but it was in a dark area under the synagogue with a glass roof...but, the men concentrated on the women below but their "clothing became more form-fitted." So, it was changed to the women only being able to look and listen from a hole about the size of an egg.
A lot of the book so far is based on the Rabbi's hilarious lecture. The Jewish humor is hilarious. I feel like I have been in a conversation with a Jew while listening. Working in Skokie is a daily dose of hilarity. Jewish men and women are extremely creative, witty and sometimes sarcastic. I think my best interactions are with them. They are always friendly and full of life...and...I love their accents. I think it is pretty universal.
So, to wrap it up, the Rabbi decides the town needs to have some sort of lottery to discover who will become the legal guardian of the baby. All of the men put their names on a piece of paper and submitted it to the Rabbi. Each sheet of paper had reasonings as to why the man would be worthy of being this famous baby's father. Dead people even ended up on the roster---huh, pretty appropriate for someone living in Chicago to read a book where dead people have rights. I think the dead still vote in Chicago at this point (if you do not understand what I mean, just read the history of this city: the dead have always had a say in politics). So, the Rabbi did not know what to do. He did not want to turn to the townspeople for answers because that would question his authority; he decided it would be best for the baby to "pick" the father. So, he dumped all of the slips of paper in the crib. The baby did not "choose" immediately...it took a couple of days.
Finally, the baby "picked." Yankel was to be the father. I am assuming this is going to be a crazy thing. By the tone of the Rabbi, it will be crazy.
This is it for today. Barnes was a bit crazy. A lot of recovery. I also had a slammin' good workout with my friend Dexter today. He pushed me to my limits. This is a good thing. Well, I am excited about continuing my reading in Everything Is Illuminated. I might put it on Staff Rec at Barnes especially since we are in Skokie. I might be able to push a Jew or two into buying it because it is quality literature.
And by the way...a gefiltefishmonger is someone who grinds the bones (I think) of the traditional Eastern European gefilte fish. Who knew? I will have to consult customers.
Oh...some really cool things, too. I think it is awesome how most of the Jewish population of Skokie speaks Hebrew. I was telling my parents how interesting it was to be in Lizard's Thicket in Lexington, SC listening to a bunch of blue haired old ladies speaking American English. I am not used to it. I hear mostly Hebrew or Polish at work. It is really cool to hear language preserved, especially after it has traveled over time and seas to make it to Skokie. Many of the Jewish population takes time to go to the Middle East to visit Jerusalem or Israel every year. They often go to see family, friends or to take a pilgrimage. I worked with a guy at Barnes who moved over here from Israel this past year. Kevin spoke Hebrew and English. He spent most of his life in Israel. I think it is so cool to be so in touch with culture. I wish I knew what I was. My family is not very in tune to roots...and this is not a bad thing, many people are not...it would just be really nice to know exactly where I came from.
Illinois Holocaust Museum (located on Golf Rd behind Old Orchard)
Pretty imposing
Well, I guess this is enough thought process for the evening. Tomorrow is a Barnes day at 4. I also hope to be able to get ahold of some schools to to get a job. I have faith that I will find something soon. I think my connections are building and my mind is getting a little stronger. These are good things.
Have a wonderful night. :)
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