I began this project because I wanted to create a platform to discuss the notion of Jewish survival. With the increase in antisemitism around the globe, I am thankful every day that the State of Israel assures not only a home and refuge for Jews around the world, but also a powerful advocate for the Jewish people amongst the nations. While we need not go back too far in our history to recall a time when virtually every nation closed its borders to the Jewish people in their most dire hour, today we again wonder how many nations today harbor the same ancient resentments that have plagued Jews for centuries. While antisemitism on European streets is never surprising, the surge in Jewish hatred in the United States has shocked the American Jewish community. My intention was to convey this shock through Eitan. The level of antisemitic vitriol he witnesses in the United States rivals what he saw in Europe, a development he never imagined discovering. Only then is he forced to ask the question, is the future of American Judaism headed in the same bleak direction as European Jewry? And, if so, is immigration to Israel the only remaining answer? While I think the end of the book answers optimistically for American Judaism, these are the questions I hoped to raise with this book.
I could not have completed this project without so many who helped me along the way. I am most thankful to Elizabeth Biondo, who supported me and edited my manuscript from the very beginning. I am grateful to Erica Ellis at Ink Deep Editing who offered me invaluable advice and guided me along as a first-time novelist. Her advice and contributions were invaluable. I am thankful for several friends who supported me along the way including Alan Brooks, Lori Friedman, Les Standiford, Jeremy Schwartz, Jonas Kushner, David Deutch, Miryam Knafo Schapira, and Adrienne Messing. In addition, I want to thank all my colleagues, staff and friends at Temple Beth Am in Pinecrest, FL for all of their love and support.
This book is dedicated in every way to my family. It is for my parents, who have given me every opportunity to succeed in life, and who instilled a passion for Zionism in me from my earliest days. It is for my children, Ella and Ethan, who always support me and allow me to do the work that I love. And most importantly, it is for my wife Jodi who encourages me, advises me and makes every day of life a gift from the Divine.
Am Yisrael Chai!