Hasidic Worlds in Fiction 
Anouk Markovits and Eishes Chayil (Judy
Brown)
Monday,
October 15, 7:30 pm
Tickets: $10, Discounted $8
Buy the Books
Two novelists who left the confines of their Satmar Hasidic
upbringing offer in-depth looks at this ultra-Orthodox New York community. Anouk
Markovits’ I Am Forbidden delves into
the clash between unwavering love and unyielding law over four generations,
while Eishes Chayil (Judy Brown)’s Hush explores
how sexual abuse is dealt with in the Hasidic world. Moderated by Festival
director Lili Kalish Gersch.
Anouk Markovits grew up in France, in an ultra-Ortho
dox Satmar
home. She attended a religious seminary in England instead of high school.
After she left home at the age of nineteen to avoid an arranged marriage, she
attended Columbia University's School of General Studies. She has a Master of
Architecture from Harvard and a PhD in Romance Studies from Cornell. She has
worked as a set designer on major films, including The
Unbearable Lightness of Being. Her first novel, Pur Coton, was
written in French (Gallimard). I Am Forbidden is her
English-language debut.
Praise for I Am Forbidden:
“The
wonder of this elegant, enthralling novel is the beauty Ms. Markovits unearths
in the Hasidic community she takes us into. Ms. Markovits, big-hearted and
surprising, tenderly captures the complexities of adulthood for the one who
stayed....I Am Forbidden whips by, its extravagant narrative
steadily cast with complicated, thoughtful characters.”—The New York Times
Judy Brown chose the pseudonym Eishes Chayil when Hush
was first published because of feared backlash from her community. Since
publication, her identity has been revealed, she has left the Chassidic
community, and she has been profiled in The
New York Times Magazine. She was raised in a world of Chassidic schools,
synagogues, and summer camps and is a direct descendant of the major founders
of and leaders in the Chassidic world. She holds a master's degree in creative
writing and has worked as a journalist for several international Orthodox
newspapers. She lives in New York City.
Praise for Hush:
"In
this stunning debut, Chayil…[has] a wonderful way of getting inside a child’s
head…this is powerful stuff and a glimpse into places not often seen."—Booklist
Click here to read a selection from I Am Forbidden
Co-Sponsor: Moment Magazine
See the entire Festival line-up here!
