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The Sisters Weiss A Novel Naomi Ragen Books

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The Sisters Weiss A Novel Naomi Ragen Books

This fascinating book tells the story of Rose and Pearl Weiss, two sisters in an ultra-orthodox Jewish family in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, starting in 1959.

Rose, the elder sister, is fascinated by the broader American culture, esp. photo-heavy magazines like Life and Look. In grade school, Rose's class is encouraged to open a bank account and Rose saves enough to receive a free, but not very good, camera. This sets her on a path that leads her to run away from home at the age of seventeen on the evening of her arranged marriage.

The second section of the book is about Rivka, Pearl's daughter, and the sins of the past are repeated. Rivka, too, yearns for freedom and, inspired by the aunt she has never met, runs away, again on her wedding night. She finds Rose who now must relive and confront her own rebellion as well as her unresolved feelings about what she did to her parents and sister. In the end, things come more or less full circle.

I enjoyed the depiction of life for women in the Orthodox community, though I was often horrified. The women are not just expected to be wives and mothers but also have to work to support their scholar husbands. The misogyny is striking in The Sisters Weiss because of the contemporary setting. Well worth reading for a glimpse into a unique culture.


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The Sisters Weiss A Novel Naomi Ragen Books Reviews

Author Naomi Ragen is adept at weaving a tapestry of family relationships, incorporating Jewish beliefs, and moral dilemmas, and sets them within contemporary times. She uses actual teachings of the Torah (Five Books of Moses), Talmud (the study of the texts and its commentators), and Pirkai Avot (The Ethics of the Fathers) to explain Jewish beliefs and rituals. Then, Ragen uses situations in modern times to contrast her (sometimes conflicted) characters' points of view. Ragen's own point of view is clear; she is a Jew who does not follow the extreme beliefs and practices of the Haredi sect.

While this is a book for every reader, some will have the advantage of prior knowledge; whether from studying Judaism, or its practice. The story would be a good source for a class learning about women's roles in society and how different cultures perceive women. The sequestering of women by different religions is a topic for discussion, too.

For those who subscribe to Adlerian psychology, this story is a perfect learning device. Just as in the physical sciences, where each action is followed by an equal and opposite reaction, in this novel, there are consequences for our choices. Some are negative, some are positive. But, nothing in one's own universe goes without consequences.
"The Sisters Weiss" tells the story of two Hasidic Jewish sisters, Pearl and Rose. Although separated by age several years, Rose adores her younger sister Pearl, bright, mischievous, beautiful and full of life, and with her mother busy with all the chores necessary to care for her family and husband, Rose takes over much of Pearl's daily care. That often includes covering for Pearl or rescuing her from the consequences of her bold behavior as she seeks the spotlight in a religious culture where women hold a carefully restricted role in the shadows of society. Who would guess that it would be Rose that disgraces the family, fleeing on the eve of her wedding, never to return? Years later the story repeats, this time with Pearl the pious mother and her daughter Revick that flees the strict Jewish community to avoid an early unwanted marriage and shows up on the doorstep of Hannah, Rose's daughter. As history repeats itself, The situation forces Rose to face the consequences of her actions so many years ago as she helps Revick to understand her own actions and the price she will be forced to pay. Rose, Hannah, Pearl, and Revick must individually examine their own expectations for womanhood and the cost of freedom. Naomi Ragen does an exceptional job of exploring each woman's inner struggle to fit in within the strict confines of womanhood as prescribed by their religion and culture. Yet she takes the issue of individual freedom beyond the conflicts within this specific culture to address women's struggle for individual expression, and personal choices to include all women. As Ragen examines the complicated interactions between these mothers and daughters and sisters and cousins, the readers recognizes the same issues reflected in the familial relationships of all women. This is a marvelous work that keeps the reader tightly involved with the story of these women which may mirror experiences of our own. Women of all ages and all cultures struggle to find the right balance between demands of being mother and wife and our inner hunger to be free to discover our own individuality. Ragen evocatively captures the essence of this female struggle in this well-written thought-provoking novel. I highly recommend this novel to all readers, male and female alike, interested in the sociological construct of womanhood,yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
The Sisters Weiss is a book about choice, It's a book about consequence, It's a book about conflict. The problem with this book is that it is a book about so many things and can't seem to settle on one. The first half of the book has Rose taking care of a spoiled little sister. She is a dutiful and obedient daughter. An encounter with a less religious student introduces her to a world outside of her own, and she develops a fascination for the art of photography. She realizes she is smothered in her tight community and runs away on the eve of her marriage. When she abandons her faith and family the book unravels. It jumps back and forth in time, teasing out the rest of Rose's life, falling apart when her runaway niece leaves the faith and becomes her responsibility. I enjoyed the first half of the book, the glimpse into Rose's religious world, but was unsatisfied with the outcome. I did get the conundrum that religious people dedicate their lives to being respectful of following a righteous path, yet their intolerance of anything different is not seen as wrong. When Rose observes that once something is seen, it cannot be unseen, I thought the book was headed in one direction, but it took off into a maze of confusion. Was Rose happy, satisfied with her life. Was it the right decision? There was just no "Aha" moments for me.
This fascinating book tells the story of Rose and Pearl Weiss, two sisters in an ultra-orthodox Jewish family in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, starting in 1959.

Rose, the elder sister, is fascinated by the broader American culture, esp. photo-heavy magazines like Life and Look. In grade school, Rose's class is encouraged to open a bank account and Rose saves enough to receive a free, but not very good, camera. This sets her on a path that leads her to run away from home at the age of seventeen on the evening of her arranged marriage.

The second section of the book is about Rivka, Pearl's daughter, and the sins of the past are repeated. Rivka, too, yearns for freedom and, inspired by the aunt she has never met, runs away, again on her wedding night. She finds Rose who now must relive and confront her own rebellion as well as her unresolved feelings about what she did to her parents and sister. In the end, things come more or less full circle.

I enjoyed the depiction of life for women in the Orthodox community, though I was often horrified. The women are not just expected to be wives and mothers but also have to work to support their scholar husbands. The misogyny is striking in The Sisters Weiss because of the contemporary setting. Well worth reading for a glimpse into a unique culture.