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May 28, 2010
A miracle of Jewish history
Howard Fast’s My Glorious Brothers tells a compelling story.
LIONEL FISHMAN
This is the continuation of a series coordinated by the Isaac Waldman library and the Independent, featuring community members reviewing books they’ve recently read.
Growing up in a small Saskatchewan town in the 1930s, I was always aware of being a Jew. I encountered little overt antisemitism – just small digs occasionally about being away from school a few days every fall, not being invited to Christmas parties and having (for non-Jews) a foreign diet. But I was always proud to be a Jew. Exactly why, I had no idea! I knew nothing at all about Jewish history.
Then, in 1948, I read My Glorious Brothers by Howard Fast. Fast wrote more than 60 novels in his lifetime. Several were based on Jewish history and many became bestsellers. Upon reading this novel, suddenly, the notions that I never thought to challenge were dispelled – notions that Jews never had a homeland, never were farmers, were only in commerce, and lacked courage. Here was a story that had real Jewish heroes fighting for their homeland against overwhelming odds. Sure, this happened more than 2,200 years ago but, in 1948, here were Jews again fighting to recreate a Jewish state.
I felt the fight for independence mirrored the story I had just read in Fast’s novel. Here were a proud people – my people – fighting as in the days of old to live as Jews in their own homeland. Here was a story a questing boy could embrace!
The story told in My Glorious Brothers is that of Chanukah (minus the tale of the miraculous oil). Fast chose Simon, the lone survivor of the family, as the narrator of the story. Simon was the second oldest of Mattathias’ five sons. We are told little about the eldest, John, or the two youngest brothers, Eleazar and Jonathan.
The book revolves around Simon, his younger brother, Judah, and the father, Mattathias. The family lived as a leading family in the village of Modiin in Israel. They were farmers living in a rich land with flocks, fields and orchards to till and tend. The father was widely respected as the adon – similar to a mayor and judge – of this village. It was an idyllic life, with the loves of youth and the trials of growing up. Both Simon and Judah loved a neighbor girl, the beautiful Ruth. Judah was the more charismatic of the two and Ruth chose Judah. Because of this, Simon had a love-hate relationship with his younger brother.
Their villagers’ lives were shattered when the Syrian warden of the district came to Modiin and tried to force the Jews to bow to their god. He and his guards were killed by the five brothers and the entire family became wanted by the powers that be. Led by Mattathias, they fled to the hills, and men from all over Israel flocked to them to fight for the religious freedom that was now denied the Jewish people. The villages were emptied as the people ran to the hill country. A guerrilla army of dedicated volunteers armed themselves and learned how to fight a new kind of war.
The Greco-Syrian army was composed of hired mercenaries. They were trained from birth to be fighters. They also were better armed, but, in the narrow valleys, their heavy armor was a liability. The terrain and ambush tactics of the Maccabees gave the advantage to the smaller army. When Mattathias was killed in battle, Judah, a natural and charismatic leader, took charge. He was known as “Judah the Maccabee.” Bloody battles were fought, and, after three years, the victorious Maccabees entered Jerusalem, cleansed the Temple and reinstituted Jewish law. But the war was far from over.
For nearly 30 years, from 167 BCE until 140 BCE, many battles were fought, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. One-by-one the brothers were killed, until only Simon and a remnant of his army remained. Both sides were tired of war and a peace was established. Simon was appointed ethnarch (head of the community) of Israel. He was also high priest and, finally, Jewish self-government was established. For nearly 100 years, a Jewish commonwealth survived until, in 37 BCE, they were deposed by King Herod. It took more than 2,000 years before a Jewish state was re-established in 1948.
In the 60 years since the state of Israel was established, a lot has happened. The establishment of Israel changed the perception of Jews as perpetual victims. Everything has changed – and yet every thing is still the same. The world is still filled with hate and violence. There is still the perpetual fight for freedom of religion and self-government. But when I recently re-read My Glorious Brothers, I still enjoyed the tale that seems to be timeless. I think anyone who enjoys a story based on history would enjoy reading this book.
Lionel Fishman is a retired dentist. He faithfully attends and enjoys the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver’s Florence Melton Adult Mini School.
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