Title: Dancing on Tisha B'av Author: Lev Raphael Published by: St. Martin's Press, 1990 ISBN: 0-312-04862-9 [hardcover, 231 pages]
When the title story of this collection appeared in Men on Men 2, it was widely acclaimed for breaking fresh ground. Hailed as "a classically perfect short story " (Christopher Street), "Dancing on Tisha B'Av" asked how a young Jewish woman could learn to deal with the fear, shame, and revulsion she felt over her brother's homosexuality.The stories in this collection continue to confront us with new and challenging questions. How do the children of Holocaust survivors find meaning in their parents' lives -- especially when those parents are in too much pain to speak of their past? Can those children ever connect, ever comprehend their parents' suffering, and what kind of Jewish lives will they be able to lead? How does one reconcile being gay with being Jewish, and can Jewish families and communities assimilate their gay members? Does Judaism have any meaning for contemporary young men and women living in a secular environment?
Whether dealing with the conflicts between divergent sexuality and traditional religious beliefs, confronting anti-Semitism and homophobia, bearing witness to the Holocaust and its aftermath in individual lives, both shattered and reunited -- these passionate stories open up new worlds, illuminating our society and our time with questions that touch us all.
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