2/1/2017 0 Comments Blog #3I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stella Suberman’s The Jew Store. Though it was a work of nonfiction, the story flowed in a way similar to that of a novel, and provided the most authentic look possible into the world of a Jewish immigrant family in the 1920s American south. Whereas Jewish Roots in Southern Soil gave a starker view of race relations and treatment of the Jewish people in the south, I felt that The Jew Store made these issues more accessible and personable. In sharing her family’s experiences with her readership, Stella Suberman allowed a new generation to share in the Bronsons’ struggles and watch them work to overcome them.
What I found particularly striking about Suberman’s memoir was her account of the conflict between Jews, specifically between Aunt Sadie, Aunt Hannah, and Reba Bronson, and between the Rastows and the Bronsons. I understand the desire to preserve religion and faith to the highest order, but it seems that Aunt Sadie’s presence was a nuisance and hindrance to the other members of the family more than anything else, especially in terms of individual and personal growth. For Aunt Hannah, she puts a stop to her engagement to Manny, and with Reba, Sadie bullies her into the realization that Joey must attend cheder in New York. In these situations, the Jewish religion overpowered the value of family, which was a harsh reality to grapple with as a reader. The conflict between the Rastows and the Bronsons was also unexpected, as I would have assumed that two Jewish families relatively alone in the south would bond rather than clash. Instead, it seemed that Mrs. Rastow looked down on the Bronsons, and was far less concerned with preserving her family’s Jewish identity to the extent that Reba was hers. These harsh realities both worked to shatter the stereotypical image of camaraderie amongst Jews far and wide, especially that which Reba had hoped for and expected.
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