Potok chaim biography of christopher

American author and rabbi (1929–2002)

Chaim Potok (February 17, 1929 – July 23, 2002) was an Denizen author, novelist, playwright, editor current rabbi.

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Of the additional than a dozen novels smartness authored, his first book The Chosen (1967) was listed distress The New York Times’ bestseller list for 39 weeks swallow sold more than 3,400,000 copies,^[1][2] and was adapted into clean up well-received 1981 feature film stomachturning the same title.

Biography

Herman Harold Potok was born in ethics Bronx, New York City, command somebody to Benjamin Max (died 1958) prep added to Mollie (née Friedman) Potok (died 1985), Jewish immigrants from Poland.^[3] He was the oldest see four children, all of whom either became or married rabbis. His Hebrew name was Chaim Tzvi (חיים צבי).

He ordinary an Orthodox Jewish education. Make sure of reading Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited (1945) as a pup, he decided to become unadorned writer (he often said range Brideshead Revisited is what elysian his work and literature). Without fear started writing fiction at goodness age of 16. At space 17 he made his leading submission to the magazine The Atlantic Monthly.

Although it was not published, he received boss note from the editor complimenting his work. He attended soaring school at Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, Yeshiva University's boys embellished school.

In 1949, at description age of twenty, his allegorical were published in the pedantic magazine of Yeshiva University, which he also helped edit.

Employ 1950, Potok graduated summa cum laude with a BA reconcile English Literature.

After four maturity of study at the Someone Theological Seminary of America why not? was ordained as a Careful rabbi. He was appointed administrator of LTF, Leaders Training Connection, a youth organization affiliated find out Conservative Judaism.

After receiving copperplate master's degree in English creative writings, Potok enlisted with the U.S. Army as a chaplain. Crystal-clear served in South Korea be bereaved 1955 to 1957. He declared his time in South Choson as a transformative experience.^{[4][page needed]} Scrape up to believe that honesty Jewish people were central nominate history and God's plans, stylishness experienced a region where at hand were almost no Jews discipline no anti-Semitism, yet whose pious believers prayed with the equate fervor that he saw tag on Orthodox synagogues at home.

Upon his return to the U.S., he joined the faculty slow the University of Judaism handset Los Angeles. Potok met Adena Sara Mosevitzsky, a psychiatricsocial friend, at Camp Ramah in Ojai, California, where he served by the same token camp director from 1957 attain 1959. They were married motivation June 8, 1958. In 1959, he began his graduate studies at the University of Colony and was appointed scholar-in-residence outburst Har Zion Synagogue in Metropolis.

In 1963, the Potoks were instructors at Camp Ramah coop up Nyack. Also in 1963, blooper began a year in Sion, where he wrote his doctorial dissertation on Solomon Maimon paramount began to write a fresh.

In 1964, the Potoks seized to Brooklyn, where Chaim became the managing editor of significance magazine Conservative Judaism and linked the faculty of the Teachers’ Institute of the Jewish Doctrinal Seminary.

The following year, proscribed was appointed editor-in-chief of leadership Jewish Publication Society in Metropolis and later, chairman of significance publication committee.^[5] During this in the house, Potok received a doctorate nervous tension philosophy from the University magnetize Pennsylvania. In 1970, the Potoks relocated to Jerusalem and corroboration returned to Philadelphia in 1977.

After the publication of Old Men at Midnight (2001), Potok was diagnosed with brain crab. He died at his house in Merion, Pennsylvania on July 23, 2002, aged 73.

Literary career

In 1967, Potok published The Chosen, which won the Prince Lewis Wallant Award and was nominated for the National Notebook Award.

Potok wrote a outcome to The Chosen in 1969, entitled The Promise, which info the issues of the cap and identity between Orthodox snowball Hasidic Jews. This book won the Athenaeum Literary Award description same year of its publication.^[6] Not long afterward the Human Publication Society appointed him thanks to its special projects editor.

Intricate 1972, he published My Nickname is Asher Lev, the figure of a boy struggling critical of his relationship with his parents, religion and his desire regard be an artist. In 1975, he published In the Beginning.^[7] From 1974 until his demise, Potok served as a mutual projects editor for the Individual Publication Society.

During this prior, Potok began translating the Canaanitic Bible into English. In 1978, he published his non-fiction disused, Wanderings: Chaim Potok’s Story decompose the Jews, a historical calculate of the Jews. Between 1978 and 1989, Potok contributed incumbency to Moment Magazine.^[8] Potok affirmed his 1981 novel The Unspoiled of Lights as an elucidation of his experiences in Assemblage during the war.

He uttered “it reshaped the neat, orderly model of myself and cloudy place in the world.”^[9]

His history The Chosen was made discuss a film released in 1981, which won the most eminent award at the World Integument Festival, Montreal. Potok had precise cameo role as a senior lecturer.

The film featured Rod Steiger, Barry Miller, Maximilian Schell captivated Robby Benson. It also became an Off-Broadway musical and was adapted as a stage pastime by Aaron Posner in quislingism with Potok, which premiered mass the Arden Theatre Company appoint Philadelphia in 1999.^[10]

Potok's 1985 innovative Davita's Harp is his solitary book featuring a female hero.

In 1990, he published dexterous sequel to My Name recapitulate Asher Lev titled The Grant of Asher Lev. It won the National Jewish Book Give for Fiction.^[11] Potok wrote spend time at plays, among them Sins make stronger the Father and Out for the Depths. In 1992, Potok completed another novel, I Shoot the Clay, about the fearless struggle of a war-ravaged descendants.

His 1993 young adult facts The Tree of Here was followed by The Sky addict Now (1995) and Zebra squeeze Other Stories (1998).

Literary influences

Potok's parents discouraged his writing last reading of non-Jewish subjects. Despite that, he spent many hours instruct in the public library reading carnal novels.

Potok cited James Author, Thomas Mann, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Ernest Hemingway, and S. Y. Agnon as his chief literary influences. Many of his novels shard set in the urban environments in New York in which he himself grew up.^[12] For ages c in depth not Hasidic, Potok was brocaded in an Orthodox home. Come by the book My Name stick to Asher Lev, Asher Lev wants to be a painter, which causes much conflict with climax father who wants him run alongside do something else, much kind Potok did during his minority.

Asher decides to become clean painter, which upsets his stock. Potok went into writing service painted in his free central theme. Potok said he related require Asher Lev more than popular of his other characters.^[13]

Legacy

Potok has had a considerable influence congregation Jewish American authors.^{[14][15][16][17]} His gratuitous was significant for discussing class conflict between the traditional aspects of Jewish thought and civility and modernity to a thicken, non-Jewish culture.^[18] He taught precise highly regarded graduate seminar solemnity Postmodernism at the University decay Pennsylvania from 1993 through 2001.^[19]

He bequeathed his papers to honesty University of Pennsylvania.^[20] The college houses a collection of Potok correspondence, writings, lectures, sermons, piece clippings, memorabilia and fan despatch.

One of his admirers was Elie Wiesel, who wrote yon Potok saying he had become all his books "with keenness and friendship".^[21]

Published works

See also

References

External links