Laish, by aharon Appelfeld, is a novel that slowly weaves its way through the pages, depicting a six-wagon caravan of Ukranian individuals wandering through Eastern Europe, trying to make their way to Jerusalem. It is a tapestry that, in many ways, can be compared to the exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

The narrator is a fifteen-year old boy named Laish, who is an orphan, and was taken in by the tribe of Jewish individuals on the caravan. He initially does work for a man named Fingerhut, who in return gives him a coin and some food for his efforts. Laish’s perspective of the journey is told simplistically, through the eyes of a young boy, within short sentence structure. Appelfeld barely uses adjectives to enhance the tone. In fact, if any are used, the adjectives don’t intensify or illuminate the tone of the story, but rather darken it.

This is one of Appelfeld’s strengths in the format he used in Laish. I think he chose this to underscore the harshness of the trek that the caravan undertakes. It is composed of varied characters, from learned old men to the despicable wagon drivers (most are convicts), from the sickly and dying individuals to the merchandise dealers who delay the journey by stopping in towns to sell their wares. This causes the old men to be discontent, wanting the journey to continually move forward without delays. Within their discontent, there also lies fear. The caravan is composed of several thugs and seedy individuals.

The old men are devoted to Torah, and study every day, and one in particular teaches Laish Torah. According to Laish, they are clean, decent and honorable individuals. Routine and ritual are extremely important. They are fearful of the wagon drivers and the dealers, and afraid of being harmed or robbed. The wagon drivers are perceived as leaders, and most of the people live in fear of them. Thievery runs rampant in the caravan, and most individuals have sewn their money into their clothes. Some stop at nothing in order to rob others, and murders and “disappearances” often occur.

The novel offers biblical comparisons and contrasts to the caravan (other than the Book of Exodus), including the title itself. Dan is a town in the Bible, written about in the Book of Judges. It was formerly known as Laish. It was perceived to be a blend of Israelite tribes, tribes in which there was no main authority or governing system. They were known as the Tribe of Dan. The people were led by improvised and impulsive individuals who were perceived as leaders, and they were called Judges. They were known as people of the ship. The Judges were brutal individuals, displaying rage. The Tribe of Dan didn’t have a fixed city or town in which they lived, but roamed the earth looking for a place to eventually settle.

Laish is a decent boy, and the old men offer him structure and discipline, which he accepts without complaint. His heart is good, and he is kind to those around him. He tries to make his situation as positive as possible within the adversity. His viewpoint of the caravan’s journey is filled with the difficulties they encounter in the towns they stop at, from religious hatred to fear, bad weather, murders, arguments, natural deaths, robberies of townspeople, typhoid epidemics, burying the Jewish dead, and more. Throughout the hardships, horror and extreme situations, they plod along, hoping to finally make their way to Jerusalem.

As the journey moves forward, the caravan population dwindles, due to deaths, due to some giving up and leaving, and due to other circumstances. It is important to the old men that the deceased be buried in Jewish cemeteries, properly washed. There is a lack of time and place, yet Jewish tradition and culture exist within the journey. All of the spiritual tests, physical, ethical and emotional tests, are just that, stepping stones on the way to their final destination. A destination that gives them hope, hope that is constantly renewed through the struggles they endure.

What one has to do in order to survive and reach their goal is a statement of their mental, physical and spiritual endurance. Some of the actions of the caravan members are not necessarily ethical, or filled with moral code. There is a constant ritual that occurs each day within this Jewish caravan, from praying, studying, and eating, and always being mindful of their spirituality and need for tradition and education. This is fostered by the old men, the men of religious fortitude. In my opinion, this is one of Appelfeld’s messages…within the darkness, struggles, and adversity, there is hope that their tedious and suffering journey will bring them to Jerusalem. Laish, the novel, is a testament to endurance and overcoming extreme adversity. It is not a fast read or page-turner, but a book of clear reflection within the sentences that often have loose ends or are choppy. Aharon Appelfeld has delivered a strong message within the simplicity of the written word.

I personally own and have read this book.
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Wednesday August 26, 2009 – 6th of Elul, 5769