Potok asserted that the conflict between tradition and modernity is constant and that the tension between religion and art is lifelong. And yet, in all honesty, I confess that my accusers are not altogether wrong: I am indeed, in some way, all of those things. So strong words are being written and spoken about me, myths are being generated: I am a traitor, an apostate, a self-hater, an inflictor of shame upon my family, my friends, my people also, I am a mocker of ideas sacred to Christians, a blasphemous manipulator of modes and forms revered by Gentiles for two thousand years. As a matter of fact, observant Jews do not paint at all-in the way that I am painting.

Yes, of course, observant Jews do not paint crucifixions. My name is Asher Lev, the Asher Lev, about whom you have read in newspapers and magazines, about whom you talk so much at your dinner affairs and cocktail parties, the notorious and legendary Lev of the Brooklyn Crucifix. (Click on thumbnail to view larger image.)Īnd in case you haven't read the compelling story that is My Name is Asher Lev, here's how it begins: 'Brooklyn Crucifixion' (shown at left) hung in Potok's home. In a fascinating intersection between art and life, Potok himself created 'Brooklyn Crucifixion,' a painting central to the heartrending climax of My Name is Asher Lev.

Potok was an accomplished painter, in addition to being a writer and a Rabbi. In the front of this book is a quotation from Picasso: 'Art is a lie which makes us realize the truth.' My Name is Asher Lev, which Potok called his most autobiographical novel, is the struggle of a gifted artist torn between his art and his orthodox traditions that reject art. Potok is arguably best known for his novel, The Chosen, which was made into a film and a Broadway play. In his lifetime, he wrote nine novels, three children's books, and numerous stories, plays, and articles. Potok was raised as an Orthodox Jew and was ordained as a Rabbi.

The late Jewish writer Chaim Potok (1929-2002) is probably best known for his novels, many of which explore the struggle to reconcile religion and modernity.

The gift of asher lev by chaim potok