Tightrope: Six Centuries of a Jewish Dynasty, by Michael Karpin is an amazing 750-year saga of the Backenroth family. That the author was able to delve into archives, historical records, documents, newspaper articles, diaries (one written by Leon Thorne, a Backenroth relative, wanted to make sure that there was documentation in case there weren’t any Jews alive), oral histories, and any and every record he could garner information from, etc., is an incredible feat, in itself.

The work of non-fiction is epic in its proportions, and from the moment I read the first page, I was spellbound by the familial history before me, and the events that make up the complexities of their background. In fact, the first few pages had me extremely enthralled…and the presentation of the Backenroth family’s move from Ashkenaz to Eastern Europe in the 14th century was reminiscent in many aspects of the individuals who founded the American west. The family moved in covered wagons, to new frontiers in Eastern Europe, much like the caravans that traveled over the plains and mountains towards the new west.

The clan had resided in Ashkenaz for several centuries, and were merchants. The Backenroth’s moved in 1350 to escape the Black Death (the bubonic plague), and the move had them charting new territory when they picked up and and left. The Backenroth’s familial leader, Rabbi Elimelech made all the decisions, and he chose to settle in Galacia, in the salt mining town of Drohobych. From there begins an intense and compelling epic story, rich with history, Jewish life, and family dynamics.

The Backenroths eventually settled in a town known as Schodnica, one that they actually founded, and from there, mingled with the Kahane family in Bolechow. They were among those who integrated Kabbalah within the Hasidic Jewish community. Hasidism ruled within the family, and was a primary force in their lives, due to the elders of the family joining the Hasidic movement. Generations of Rabbis ensued, thereafter.

The family’s saga through almost eight centuries is incredibly woven into a tight tapestry, that spans the threads of time, through the most turbulent of history’s events. From the pogroms to World War I, this Jewish clan struggled to stay alive, using every available resource. Their faith and courage saw them through the Holocaust, although most of the family members didn’t survive. Several family members were deported from Drohobych in 1941. The family banded together in order to overcome their struggles, and in order to survive to bear witness. They were aided along the way by well-intentioned individuals, whose names have been added to The Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem.

From poverty to wealth, to poverty and back again, the Backenroth’s were balancing on a constant tightrope, as they made their way through life. Each generation demonstrated significant fortitude, use of emotional, mental and physical resources in their quest to survive the situations dealt to them. Their story is inspiring on so many levels.

The family tree is rich with names that link the Backenroths to the Kahanes, the Graubarts, the Sobels, the Bronickis, the Weiss family and the Asad family, the Feigenbaums, and many more families. The history of the family crosses not only centuries, but modes of earning a living, filled with occupations ranging from tailoring to oil to agricultural land leasing, to name a few. The family’s survival instincts never lessened through the generations.

Karpin’s dedication to research is apparent in the extremely vivid details that fill the reader’s senses. It is as if we are back in time, looking through his eyes, inhaling the past, within each generation of the Backenroth family, at any given moment in each century. It is a work of non-fiction that is amazing in its content, and its demonstration of familial solidarity through every crises encountered. We are witness to the events and struggles that evoked the courage, steadfast determination, values and loyalty that saw one family through the ages, right up to the present time.

Tightrope is extremely fascinating, and I found it difficult to put the book down. It is a compelling book that details Jewish life in the fullest sense, from hardship to wealth, horrific times to joyous moments, and to the Jewish values and traditions upheld by one family throughout the generations. Their determination, and their Judaism saw them through life’s bleakest moments. This reader found herself quite emotionally taken throughout some of the poignant and intense pages. Tightrope is extremely inspiring, and is a book that is filled with invaluable historical information. It is a testament, not only to the Backenroth family, but also to the tenacity of Karpin.

Michael Karpin is eloquent in his writing, and Tightrope is well-articulated, extraordinary and stunning in its content. He traveled far and wide in order to make certain the information was accurate, and left nothing unturned. I highly recommend Tightrope to everyone, and feel it belongs in every library, school, college, university, and personal library.

Thank you, Paula Krapf, for the review copy!
~~~~~~
Jew Wishes…Peace to you all.
© Copyright 2007 – All Rights Reserved – No permission is given or allowed to reuse my photography, book reviews, writings, or my poetry in any form/format without my express written consent/permission.

Thursday February 19, 2009 – 25th of Sh’vat, 5769

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• On: The Island Within, by Ludwig Lewisohn
• On: Three Daughters, by Letty Cottin Pogrebin
• On: Benevolence and Betrayal
• Chronicling Your Life