Relay Race

In an old-time Haifa neighborhood, there’s a famous patisserie that has seen better days. Karol Schmidt, who came from Europe, opened it over fifty years ago, and people who appreciate good cake and don’t care about their waistlines have remained loyal to him to this day. Karol, a widower since the death of his unhinged wife, is attracted to his waitress Betty who has also seen better days. But her heart belongs to Yossi, the head baker, who loves her in return. Meanwhile, Ionel, a devoted customer and a good friend of Karol’s, has fallen in love with Deborah, who is taller than him and unattractive to boot, but she’s a pleasant, friendly woman. Karol’s daughter Ossie welcomes the new woman in her father’s life, but his late wife’s ghost is watching and plotting revenge. Ossie, the Haifa City Hall spokeswoman, isn’t happy with her love life either: She has had a long but aimless affair with Omri, an art lecturer at the university who is married with no thought of divorce. And incidentally, Omri’s wife is in love with Dan, the city veterinarian, and the two celebrate their romance at a table laden with pastries at Karol’s bakery.

All this and more takes place against the backdrop of a city-sponsored family relay race. And in fact, Goldminz’s fine-tuned, humorous book is shaped like a relay race, each character passing the baton of the story to the next person, with dovetailing plotlines. Bitter and sad events wind in and out of the patisserie, but the relay race of life goes on– happiness takes over from sorrow and sweetness from bitterness. At the end of the race, the desire for life and love is the winner.