MY NAME IS ASHER LEV

Chapter 7

Andrew Beck

Period 7 2/23/99

Mr. Luizzi

Chapter seven really marks a big change in Asher’s life. First, Asher prepares to become a man in the eyes of the Ribbono Shel Olom and in the eyes of the Jewish community. With this achievement one would believe that more pressure would be put on Asher to work harder in school and to believe in the tradition of the Lev family. Yet, in effort to prevent Asher from “breaking off” of the Jewish community, the Rebbe takes a different route. He deviates from a normal plan of action and instead goes with a much more different approach. The Rebbe asks Jacob Kahn to take young thirteen year old Asher under his wing. Under Jacob Kahn’s tutelage, Asher will begin to mature both as an artist and a person. Jacob Kahn knows that by heeding the Rebbe’s wisdom he will become an enemy of Aryeh Lev.

Aryeh Lev says that he “can’t reconcile myself to it.” Asher’s father does not understand that the boy must do what he loves, that this may be the only way of saving him. The Rebbe understands this and that is why he asks the favor of Jacob Kahn. Rivkeh is torn between the two family members. She cannot split herself between her son’s overwhelming joy and her husband’s animosity towards the event. Perhaps because Rivkeh’s childhood was so tumultuous she has even more difficulty with inter-family problems. The loss of one’s own parents, twice, as she describes it due to the death of her brother can be devastating to later life events. This has even more significance when she witnesses her son’s painting- the Brooklyn Crucifixion one and two.

The good years as Jacob Kahn calls them are very short. While it is supposed to be a very joyous and festive time, members in the Lev family are not so. Most of all is Asher’s father, who carries his pain and concern throughout the holiday. This rather large chip that resides on Aryeh Lev’s shoulder is carried back with him on the plane to Europe, possibly a constant reminder of what he has traded off in his life to carry on the tradition and serve the Rebbe. Possibly, if he held a different non-traveling position his son would be different.

This door of opportunity is a way of escape for Asher Lev. It is a possibility of escaping the family’s traditions in the Jewish community and pursuing other, more personal interests-art. This door will show to Asher how mush bigger the world is and what the world has to offer, if his father doesn’t intervene.