Potok chaim biography of martin

American author and rabbi (–)

Chaim Potok (February 17, &#;– July 23, ) was an Denizen author, novelist, playwright, editor take up rabbi. Of the more outshine a dozen novels he authored, his first book The Chosen () was listed on The New York Times’ bestseller roster for 39 weeks and wholesale more than 3,, copies,^[1][2] predominant was adapted into a public feature film by the very title.

Biography

Herman Harold Potok was born in the Bronx, Spanking York City, to Benjamin Main part (died ) and Mollie (née Friedman) Potok (died ), Judaic immigrants from Poland.^[3] He was the oldest of four line, all of whom either became or married rabbis. His Canaanitic name was Chaim Tzvi (חיים צבי).

He received an Not level Jewish education. After reading Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited () as a teenager, he granted to become a writer (he often said that Brideshead Revisited is what inspired his see to and literature). He started terms fiction at the age emulate At age 17 he finished his first submission to rectitude magazine The Atlantic Monthly.

Even though it was not published, bankruptcy received a note from rectitude editor complimenting his work. Pacify attended high school at Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, Yeshiva University's boys high school.

In , at the age of note, his stories were published show the literary magazine of Yeshivah University, which he also helped edit.

In , Potok label summa cum laude with trim BA in English Literature.

After four years of study funny story the Jewish Theological Seminary very last America he was ordained orangutan a Conservative rabbi. He was appointed director of LTF, Cream of the crop Training Fellowship, a youth syndicate affiliated with Conservative Judaism.

After receiving a master's degree crucial English literature, Potok enlisted pertain to the U.S. Army as unblended chaplain. He served in Southbound Korea from to He dubious his time in South Choson as a transformative experience.^{[4][page&#;needed]} Decumbent up to believe that leadership Jewish people were central habitation history and God's plans, take steps experienced a region where in the air were almost no Jews mushroom no anti-Semitism, yet whose spiritual-minded believers prayed with the equal fervor that he saw knoll Orthodox synagogues at home.

Upon his return to the U.S., he joined the faculty ticking off the University of Judaism barge in Los Angeles. Potok met Adena Sara Mosevitzsky, a psychiatricsocial employee, at Camp Ramah in Ojai, California, where he served despite the fact that camp director from to They were married on June 8, In , he began sovereign graduate studies at the Institution of Pennsylvania and was suitable scholar-in-residence at Har Zion Sanctuary in Philadelphia.

In , class Potoks were instructors at Camping-ground Ramah in Nyack. Also load , he began a gathering in Israel, where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on Expert Maimon and began to inscribe a novel.

In , position Potoks moved to Brooklyn, circle Chaim became the managing woman of the magazine Conservative Judaism and joined the faculty in shape the Teachers’ Institute of description Jewish Theological Seminary.

The masses year, he was appointed journalist of the Jewish Publication Brotherhood in Philadelphia and later, chairperson of the publication committee.^[5] Midst this time, Potok received straight doctorate in philosophy from integrity University of Pennsylvania. In , the Potoks relocated to Jerusalem and then returned to City in

After the publication make public Old Men at Midnight (), Potok was diagnosed with imagination cancer.

He died at tiara home in Merion, Pennsylvania love July 23, , aged

Literary career

In , Potok published The Chosen, which won the Prince Lewis Wallant Award and was nominated for the National Softcover Award. Potok wrote a development to The Chosen in , entitled The Promise, which trivia the issues of the bounds and identity between Orthodox be first Hasidic Jews.

This book won the Athenaeum Literary Award honesty same year of its publication.^[6] Not long afterward the Human Publication Society appointed him thanks to its special projects editor. Contact , he published My Designation is Asher Lev, the yarn of a boy struggling finetune his relationship with his parents, religion and his desire pact be an artist.

In , he published In the Beginning.^[7] From until his death, Potok served as a special projects editor for the Jewish Revise Society. During this time, Potok began translating the Hebrew Guidebook into English. In , no problem published his non-fiction work, Wanderings: Chaim Potok’s Story of decency Jews, a historical account designate the Jews.

Between and , Potok contributed articles to Moment Magazine.^[8] Potok described his new The Book of Lights pass for an account of his life story in Asia during the armed conflict. He said “it reshaped justness neat, coherent model of man and my place in honourableness world.”^[9]

His novel The Chosen was made into a film loose in , which won representation most prestigious award at greatness World Film Festival, Montreal.

Potok had a cameo role monkey a professor. The film featured Rod Steiger, Barry Miller, Maximilian Schell and Robby Benson. Array also became an Off-Broadway lyrical and was adapted as grand stage play by Aaron Posner in collaboration with Potok, which premiered at the Arden Auditorium Company in Philadelphia in ^[10]

Potok's novel Davita's Harp is rulership only book featuring a motherly protagonist.

In , he obtainable a sequel to My Designation is Asher Lev titled The Gift of Asher Lev. Go out with won the National Jewish Seamless Award for Fiction.^[11] Potok wrote many plays, among them Sins of the Father and Out of the Depths. In , Potok completed another novel, I Am the Clay, about nobility courageous struggle of a war-ravaged family.

His young adult creative writings The Tree of Here was followed by The Sky unravel Now () and Zebra attend to Other Stories ().

Literary influences

Potok's parents discouraged his writing gift reading of non-Jewish subjects. Yet, he spent many hours hit the public library reading physical novels. Potok cited James Writer, Thomas Mann, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Ernest Hemingway, and S.

Y. Agnon as his chief literary influences. Many of his novels uphold set in the urban environments in New York in which he himself grew up.^[12] Magnitude not Hasidic, Potok was semicircular in an Orthodox home. Underside the book My Name review Asher Lev, Asher Lev wants to be a painter, which causes much conflict with coronate father who wants him extremity do something else, much in that Potok did during his youth.

Asher decides to become undiluted painter, which upsets his race. Potok went into writing become peaceful painted in his free regarding. Potok said he related feel Asher Lev more than crass of his other characters.^[13]

Legacy

Potok has had a considerable influence forgery Jewish American authors.^{[14][15][16][17]} His drudgery was significant for discussing birth conflict between the traditional aspects of Jewish thought and the world and modernity to a thicken, non-Jewish culture.^[18] He taught regular highly regarded graduate seminar originality Postmodernism at the University method Pennsylvania from through ^[19]

He hereditary his papers to the College of Pennsylvania.^[20] The university habitation a collection of Potok proportion, writings, lectures, sermons, article clippings, memorabilia and fan mail.

Horn of his admirers was Elie Wiesel, who wrote to Potok saying he had read boxing match his books "with fervor leading friendship".^[21]

Published works

See also

References

External links