A Time for Trimming
The grotesque and macabre world of a rabbinical burial unit in the Israeli army is the background of Haim Be’er’s epic novel. Nahum Gevirtz is posted to rabbinical headquarters after being found medically unfit for combat. A complex relationship develops between the ambitious army rabbi and his sensitive, withdrawn subordinate. The action takes place between 1965 and 1967, years of messianic fervor and dreams of “the beginning of redemption.” Gevirtz’s paramilitary instructor believes that his students will be charged by the nation with the mission of “liberating the Holy City from captivity.”
The Israeli Catch-22″… “a riveting book”… “a ruthless settling of accounts – these are just some of the phrases used by the critics to describe A Time for Trimming.
-
“ There has never been a book like this, there has never been an insider with the courage to probe this open wound and tell the story of Judaism's most malignant failure, the story of the total downfall of religion in its encounter with reality. ”
-
“ Talmudic tales and allusions add a sense of allegory and parody. The author's humor and irrepressible love of life enliven the dark voyage.”
-
“ A sophisticated and relevant book, rich in malice and meaning. ”