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Robert Kehlmann is an internationally acclaimed glass artist and art critic whose glasswork has been acquired by major museums and showcased in prestigious exhibitions and publications. An honorary lifetime member of the Glass Art Society, he has authored two books of art criticism and been awarded NEA grants for both his artwork and critical writing. The Rakow Library at the Corning Museum of Glass houses Kehlmann’s artist and art critic archives. Research materials and early drafts of The Rabbi’s Suitcase, his debut novel, are preserved at New York’s YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
Reviewed by Maalin Ogaja for Readers' Favorite
In The Rabbi’s Suitcase, Robert Kehlmann vividly combines family history with historical facts in a cohesive and emotionally resonant narrative that anchors history in personal experience. Beginning with the family’s migration from Eastern Europe to Jerusalem in the 1880s, he depicts their struggle to preserve their Jewish identity and spiritual continuity amid displacement, persecution, poverty, and hardship in search of a true home. It is in this context that Zipora Siev is born, into a distinguished lineage of Jewish scholars and rabbis deeply rooted in Orthodox Judaism. Longing to break free from a patriarchal society that sidelines women, Zipora envies her brothers’ freedom and education, fueling tension with her parents. When she meets Reuven Borstein at seventeen, their passionate relationship defies the societal and religious norms of the time. As circumstances lead her to America, can this turbulent bond, sustained mostly through transatlantic letters, survive?
In The Rabbi’s Suitcase, Robert Kehlmann transforms a seemingly ordinary object into a symbol of legacy, identity, and change. The suitcase once used by Zipora’s grandfather, Rabbi Yosef, represents a lineage rooted in a male-dominated tradition. By taking it with her to begin life in America, Zipora embraces this heritage and reframes it to forge her path beyond the constraints of Orthodox traditions. Eventually, she begins to question her relationship with Reuven. Was he always so unreliable? She once saw him as progressive, but now he seems bound by the traditions she hopes to escape, discouraging her ambitions, stifling her self-expression, and trying to distance her from her family. What began at seventeen as a passionate rebellion against a restrictive world now evolves into a more thoughtful and uncertain bond, revealing her growing self-awareness and maturity. As I reflect on Zipora’s story, I can't help but imagine how difficult it must have been to defy the expectations and limitations of her world, yet her actions have likely inspired others, quietly reshaping the boundaries of what is possible for women in her community. It’s a privilege to witness her journey, especially told through the voice of Zipora’s son, offering an intimate glimpse into her life, struggles, and legacy, made even more powerful by the illustrations included. I highly recommend this book to readers interested in Jewish history and identity, and the complex intersections of religion, tradition, family, and personal freedom.
