Everlasting Life

Hanoch Hazan, born and raised in Tunisia and now living in Jerusalem, is consumed by an unquenchable spiritual thirst. A civil engineer, he is married to the beautiful Atalia whom he adores and who, as the scientist she is, counters his explorations of God and faith with pure logic and fact. They have two children – Nirda, a high-school student, and Elad, a confused young man. Haunted by the tragic death of his father and by his incessant, insatiable yearning, Hanoch is about to embark on a spiritual journey that will lead him not only to a distant country, but to revelations of hitherto unfamiliar realms of consciousness. It is a journey that will change his life irrevocably.

Hanoch is desperate to escape from the spiritually barren existence of modern consumer society; from the need and insecurity of Atalia, who, despite her unwavering rationalism, lives life as though she is always on the brink of catastrophe; and from routine. He seizes the opportunity to travel to Cuba and work on a large-scale housing project, eager to live someone else`s life, as it were, if only temporarily. This extraordinary, enchanting place does indeed expose him to a different mentality and way of life; it also sparks a process of coming to terms with the ghosts of his past, a search for inner peace, an understanding of man`s relationship with God, of redemption and grace.

Despite his initial disinterest, Hanoch becomes involved with a Cuban woman, Marta, whose religious fervor, spiritual steadfastness, and exotic beauty captivate him. However, his relationship with Marta, who becomes pregnant with his child, ends tragically. Hanoch finds spiritual guidance in Ireland, where he meets a former priest informed by the principles of Buddhism, and in Jerusalem, where a chance encounter leads him to a devout Franciscan monk. His all-consuming, ultimate quest, hinted at in the epigraph, is for “incomparable serenity, coming to terms with the love of God.”