Naomi Ragen

I have finished reading "The Enemy Beside Me", by Naomi Ragen.
It is difficult to articulate my thoughts, because it was a powerful read for me on many levels.

Milia Gottstein-Lasker accepted an invitation from Dr. Darius Vidas, to be the keynote speaker at a Holocaust conference, in Lithuania.
She is the head of the Survivors Campaign, and perceived as a public enemy by many Lithuanians. From the moment the plane lands, and she steps foot in Lithuania, the nightmares unfold.

The depictions of the atrocities against the Lithuanian Jews were horrific, brutal beyond comprehension.… (more)

Very interesting. Sometimes the author's observations about human nature were quite insightful. The plot moved along well too. A very 'successful' Jewish American couple has their life torn apart as the dad, a leading accountant, is accused of funneling money to terrorist groups. Now successful is in quotes on purpose--imagine air quotes--and that is where the observations on human nature and Jewish society come in. It's a lot about people finding themselves, and a lot about contemporary Jewish communities.
Mother and daughter relationships are a consistent theme and the romantic element is a major part of the story, neither of which I found very convincing, a bit too pat.… (more)

Thirty-four-year-old Leah (formerly Lola) Howard has had a tumultuous past. She was raised by her single mom, Cheryl, an atheist. Leah's fiancé, whom she adored, died tragically and she subsequently endured additional personal and professional tribulations that left her heartbroken. Her life has been capricious if not cruel, and Leah wonders if she will ever be happy again. She longs for stability, and gravitates towards the structure and spirituality of Orthodox Judaism. After taking the first steps towards her goal of becoming religiously observant, she consults Rabbi Weintraub of Boro Park, Brooklyn, about what to do next. She continues to pursue her Jewish studies; takes a job at a local yeshiva; and even volunteers to provide babysitting services for a widowed scholar. Much to her mother's displeasure, Leah dresses modestly, prays regularly, and keeps the Sabbath and other holy days.

Meanwhile, forty-year-old Yaakov Lehman, a Talmudic scholar, was widowed when his wife, Zissel Sara, died thirteen months earlier. Yaakov is in debt and three of his children—fifteen-year-old Shaindele, five-year-old Chasya, and fifteen-month-old Mordechai Shalom--are not coping well. Like a guardian angel, Leah Howard steps in, washing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and providing the Lehman children with much-needed affection. Unfortunately, Shaindele resents Leah's competence and close relationship with Chasya and Mordechai, and the teenager hatches a plan to rid her family of this do-gooder. When Yaakov and Leah decide they they have feelings for one another, they encounter fierce opposition among those who oppose the possible union of a Talmudic scholar and a ba'alas teshuva—a previously non-observant Jewish woman who returns to the fold.

Naomi Ragen sensitively and skillfully explores such hot-button issues as hypocrisy, bigotry, family dysfunction, the economic hardships confronting men who choose to study Torah instead of earning a living, and the stigma of mental illness. Leah is likeable and appealing but a bit too good to be true. She uses her degree in marketing to make a comfortable living and showers love on Mordechai Shalom and Chasya who, in turn, adore her. Ragen portrays Yaakov more realistically. He is conflicted, naïve, and until now, has relied on others, particularly his mother-in-law and Shaindel, to take care of the practical matters he neglects. Although "An Unorthodox Match" holds few surprises, the author insightfully describes Yaakov and Leah's hardships and determination to imbue their lives with meaning and holiness. She also exposes the selfishness, short-sightedness, and prejudice of certain sanctimonious individuals, but at the same time, lavishes praise on religious Jews who are virtuous, sincere, and welcoming towards their newly-observant brethren. This is an entertaining, poignant, humorous, and engrossing novel that looks behind the facade that many people adopt in order hide their character from public scrutiny. "An Unorthodox Match" should appeal to a wide audience, and will likely generate lively discussions among its readers.
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"An Observant Wife" is a follow-up to Naomi Ragen's "An Unorthodox Match." Yaakov Lehman and Leah Howard are now married. Leah was brought up in a secular Jewish household but now follows the Torah's commandments. After the wedding, the newlyweds live in Yaakov's house with three of his five children (two older boys attend yeshiva in Baltimore). Leah runs a successful computer business from home; cooks, cleans, shops, and does laundry; and takes care of Yaakov's six-year-old daughter and two-year-old son. Unfortunately, seventeen-year-old Shaindel, who has never gotten over her mother's tragic death, is struggling emotionally. Meanwhile, Yaakov works full-time at an accounting firm and pursues his religious studies in the evenings. The sweet-natured Leah handles her responsibilities with her usual grace, but she is exhausted, and wishes that her husband would spend more time with her.

Leah, Yaakov, and Yaakov's former mother-in-law, Fruma Esther Sonnenbaum, are appealing characters who regret their past mistakes and are devoted to promoting their family's happiness. However, Ragen's writing style is florid and her plot is melodramatic and predictable. She once again disparages a sizable segment of the Jewish community, giving the impression that a significant number of those who live in a particular Brooklyn neighborhood are gossipmongers. In addition, readers may be dismayed if not downright offended by Ragen's portrayal of a predatory male "therapist" to whom prominent rabbis refer troubled girls for psychological help.

Naomi Ragen decries those who "keep to the letter of the law but forget its spirit." She is justified in suggesting that not everyone who professes to be pious is committed to performing acts of kindness and charity. There are hypocrites in every segment of society, and they deserve to be condemned. The problem is that "An Observant Wife" divides people into overly neat categories. Good-hearted and compassionate Orthodox Jews are pitted against their mean-spirited counterparts. The latter range from the verbally malicious to those who resort to physical violence in order to intimidate those who threaten their authority. Ragen stacks the deck to make her point, and then offers a pat resolution to end on an upbeat note. This author, who has long been critical of certain elements in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, allows her heavy-handed message, not the story, to take center stage.
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