The Lithuanian-born physician, Gabriel H. Shohet, MD (1892-1976) devoted his spare time to writing a book called Kinships, based on the belief that “fundamental ties unite all men.”
He set the semi-autobiographical work in a small New England city of the early decades of the 20th century (the author’s adopted hometown of Portland, Maine).
Shohet, the son of a rabbi, and Hebrew tutor in his youth, strove to write fiction in the “powerful, delving, yet poetic style of the Eastern European 19th century Talmudic scholars”, his own forebears. The many allusions in the work to Biblical writings and Hebraic and Talmudic literature are the vehicles to express his “aching yearnings for the land of his childhood, fused with a glowing paean to that glorious beacon, “Mother America,” of the early 1900’s”.
By Shohet’s account, one of the most moving passages explores “the relationships of a rabbi with his G-d, his wife, and his “flock”. The novel’s main idea, however, is that we must “rekindle our belief and confidence in America’s promise”. In becoming “American”, Shohet fought nostalgia for the Líta to absorb in totality the younger nation’s social customs, mores, pride, optimism, and politics, with the understanding that, somehow, in this great, new universe, this “shining America”, an immigrant Jew would find his place.
On the 20th-century literary scene, Shohet would not succeed. His novel was turned down by several U.S. trade publishers – either “too Jewish” for its Yankee setting, or not ethnic enough for a niche appeal. How could a Jewish immigrant penetrate the underpinnings of New England society? How could a nice Jewish doctor from Boston be both a non-conformist and an optimist about “man’s inner sensibilities, spiritual qualities, and metaphysical questionings as to his place”? To which choir did this man preach?
Shohet had his own ideas about what was too “controversial or offensive” in his work. “Is it the chapter on Judaism,” he asked one publisher bluntly, “or the ‘Wisdom of the Stars’ bit that is out of kilter?” The tepid response was always that the story did not have mass appeal.
A half-century after the only good copy of Shohet’s manuscript made the rounds, it has been digitized and made available in hopes that, to borrow the author’s own expression, “the recognition of its flaws are tempered by that of its virtues.” Shohet longed for his “life’s work”, his “soul child” to reach “a real editor, one with understanding.” Through new channels of communication and a new type of nostalgia for the immigrant experience, Shohet might finally reach an audience larger than his adoring daughter Estelle, who dedicated her own labored study on shared symbols among ancient cultures to her father, “and his belief in kinships on a human and cosmic scale”.
– Jessica Dello Russo (Hanukkah, 2017)
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Table of Contents
Part One – School Days
Chapter 1: His Father’s Voice Kinships Book 1, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Miss McDowell Kinships Book 1, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: The Heavy Hand Kinships Book 1, Chapter 3
Chapter 4: From the Depths of My Salvation Kinships Book 1, Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Clara Kinships Book 1, Chapter 5
Part Two: Shadow and Substance
Chapter 1: The Old Tower Kinships Book 2, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Wallace Barton, Editor Kinships Book 2, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: And God Said, “Let there be Fire!” Kinships Book 2, Chapter3
Chapter 4: The Prodigal Kinships Book 2, Chapter 4
Chapter 5: A Dedicated Hour Kinships Book 2, Chapter 5&6
Chapter 6: A Moment Dedicated to a Mother Kinships Book 2, Chapter 5&6
Chapter 7: Virgin or Coward Kinships Book 2, Chapter 7
Chapter 8: Shadow and Substance of Sex Kinships Book 2, Chapter 8
Chapter 9: Creation and Decay Kinships Book 2, Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Pacific Street KInships Book 2, Chapter 10
Part Three: Adolescence
Chapter 1: 1911 Kinships Book 3, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Blanca Kinships Book 3, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: At the Grave Kinships Book 3, Chapter 3
Chapter 4: Mr. Forrest Has Compulsions Kinships Book 3, Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Mr. Black & Mr. Forrest Kinships Book 3, Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Will You Remember? Kinships Book 3, Chapter 6
Part 4: Heritage
Chapter 1: Talmudic Tomes Kinships Book 4, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: The Year 1883 Kinships Book 4, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Nechemiah Kinships Book 4, Chapter 3
Chapter 4: World Without Shadows Kinships Book 4, Chapter 4
Book 5: They Had the Likeness of Man, Every One with Four Faces
Chapter 1: Mr. Black Shows a White Hand Kinships Book 5, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Summer Lyrics Kinships Book 5, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: 1911 Kinships Book 5, Chapter 3
Chapter 4: The Crux of the Matter Kinships Book 5, Chapter 4
Chapter 5: The Likeness of Man Kinships Book 5, Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Kinships Kinships Book 5, Chapter 6
Part 6: Love
Chapter 1: The Challenge Kinships Book 6, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: The Hob Turns Gentleman Kinships Book 6, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: The Day After Tomorrow Kinships Book 6, Chapter 3
Chapter 4: When Old Friends Meet Kinships Book 6, Chapter 4
Chapter 5: A Brief Farewell Kinships Book 6, Chapter 5
Part 7: Solomon
Chapter 1: Between Two Worlds Kinships Book 7, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Of Thee I Sing Kinships Book 7, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Saturday Night Kinships Book 7, Chapter 3
Part Eight: Summer’s End
Chapter 1: The Game Kinships Book 8, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Orbits and Seasons Kinships Book 8, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Harold Impresses Kinships Book 8, Chapter 3
Part Nine: The Facade
Chapter 1: Spring Again Kinships Book 9, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Parting Rites Kinships Book 9, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Reconciliation Kinships Book 9, Chapter 3
Chapter 4: Tonight and After Kinships Book 9, Chapter 4
Part Ten: College Days
Chapter 1: Mother Campus Kinships Book 10, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Life & Liberty on the College Campus Kinships Book 10, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Monday Night Kinships Book 10, Chapter 3
Chapter 4: The Soul & the Flesh Kinships Book 10, Chapter 3
Chapter 5: Alone Tonight Kinships Book 10, Chapter 5
Part Eleven: Life is in Moments
Chapter 1: Post Election Kinships Book 11, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Shining Stars Kinships Book 11, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Herman “Dutchy” Kennard Kinships Book 11, Chapter 3
Part Twelve: Retribution
Chapter 1: Homecoming Kinships Book 12, Chapter 4
Chapter 2: His Mother Kinships Book 12, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: It Came to Pass Kinships Book 12, Chapter 3
Book Thirteen: The Challenge
Chapter 1: The Moment Kinships Book 13, Chapter 1
Book Fourteen: Infinity
Chapter 1: At the End of Days Kinships Book 14, Chapter 1
Book Fifteen: The Web of Living
Chapter 1: One of Them Kinships Book 15, Chapter 1
Chapter 2: It’s the Thing Kinships Book 15, Chapter 2
Chapter 3: When We Dance Kinships Book 15, Chapter 3
Chapter 4: If You Live At All Kinships Book 15, Chapter 4
Chapter 6 (5): At the Campus: Kinships Book 15, Chapter 6
Chapter 7: The Pact Kinships Book 15, Chapter 7
Chapter 8: Cause & Effect Kinships Book 15, Chapter 8
Chapter 9: Time is a Fool Kinships Book 15, Chapter 9