Tightrope: Six Centuries of a Jewish Dynasty
Jewish history from the Middle Ages to the present, told through the captivating story of one family\ Nearly twenty years ago, a chance meeting with a Backenroth family member spurred journalist Michael Karpin to years of research that spanned the globe and several centuries. In Tightrope, he shares the amazing tale of a family that was in many ways extraordinary and in many others typical of Eastern European Jews. Offering a unique portrait of Jewish life through such pivotal events as the...
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The 750-year epic tale of the extraordinary Backenroth family, this is at the same time an engaging, scrupulously researched narrative history of Jewish life since the Middle Ages. Throughout this time span, the Backenroths could be found at some of the most important events in Jewish history: the migration of their community from western to eastern Europe, the creation of the Hasidic movement, the birth of Zionism, and the loss of so many of their family during the Holocaust. As they struggle to survive, the Backenroths marry, find their fortune in oil, and spawn families with last names that are still widely known. This sweeping family saga is shaped by real people — talented and creative women and men swept by the dramatic tides of the history into distant regions and complex situations, where they were forced to display resourcefulness and courage in order to survive. Time and time again they slid from prosperity and opulence to profound poverty and distress, and time after time they managed to surmount crises by virtue of their personal abilities, their tenacious belief in their values, and family solidarity.
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Chapter 1 Transfer. Chapter 2 The Tavern Keeper. Chapter 3 The Miracle. Chapter 4 Oil Fever. Chapter 5 Backenroth the Hasid. Chapter 6 Ecological Disaster. Chapter 7 King is Born. Chapter 8 For God, Emperor, and Homeland. Chapter 9 Crime and Punishment. Chapter 10 The Drasha Speech. Chapter 11 Pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Chapter 12 The Road to Mecca. Chapter 13 Love Story. Chapter 14 Deceptive Fate. Chapter 15 The Wedding Chapter 16 The Communist. Chapter 17 Judenrat. Chapter 18 Parting. Chapter 19 A Perfect Riding Hall. Chapter 20 Ullo’s Best School. Chapter 21 Stolen Identity. Chapter 22 Phoenix-Like. Chapter 23 Interlude on the Way to Anchorage. Bibliography.
