Finding balance

What if a religious Orthodox man discovered mid-life that he was not Jewish? That is the premise of American Jewish writer Reuven Fenton’s debut novel Goyhood. It has been described as Chaim Potok’s The Chosen meets Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

In this story, Mayer who was once ‘Marty’ Belkin left his small hometown in Georgia for Brooklyn nearly 30 years ago – where he became a Talmud scholar and married into an esteemed rabbinic family.

But following his mother’s suicide he learns that she lied about being Jewish, which means Mayer and his twin brother David aren’t actually Jewish, according to rabbinic law. Mayer seeks to convert to Judaism, but the earliest date he can get is a week from now, which leads the estranged brothers to embark on a wild road trip through America’s deep south on a journey of self-discovery.

While this is Fenton’s first novel, he has been a reporter with The New York Post since 2007 and was one of the New York Jewish Week’s 36 to Watch. He also published the non-fiction book Stolen Years: Stories of the Wrongfully Imprisoned in 2015.

Discussing the inspiration behind Goyhood, Fenton told The AJN, “Do you ever come up with ‘what if’ scenarios when you’re taking a walk or washing the dishes? Whenever a ‘what if’ comes to me that I think could be the backbone of a novel, I jot it down … This particular one – what if an Orthodox Jew discovered he wasn’t really a Jew? – especially resonated because Judaism is my identity.”

In real life Fenton was born to Jewish parents who became Orthodox through Chabad when he was around 12.

Given that Goyhood is about what it means to be Jewish, Fenton said he was “meticulous about realism” and consulted with his brothers who are rabbis, but notes that ultimately it is more of a secular novel.

“If it were a movie, it would have an R rating. There are only a handful of people in the world who can write about Judaism authentically who also possess … let’s call it secular-grade writing proficiency. I’d like to think that’s a selling point,” Fenton remarked.

He believes a key message of Goyhood is about balance – “The struggle in all of us to balance spirituality and physicality, innocence and worldliness, ego and humility. Balancing these things leads to harmony and a life well lived. The twin brothers in Goyhood represent two extremes. Mayer is the tzaddik [righteous] and David is hedonist, and together they embody the duality in all of us. When forced to unite, they clash at first, but ultimately realise they complete each other, forming one perfect human being,” he said.

Another theme is about participating in the world. “At the start of the novel, Mayer believes that enlightenment comes from cutting off the world outside his yeshivah. But when he’s forced to interact with his derelict brother while they tour America, he connects with God in ways his yeshivah life paradoxically restricted.”

Fenton hopes readers will enjoy the “hilarity” and will be pleased “if they tear up at the end”, and added “bonus points if the novel compels them to take a walk in the woods or gaze at the stars while contemplating their place in the universe”.

Goyhood by Reuven Fenton is published by Central Avenue and distributed by Simon and Schuster.