Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar

Across So Many Seas tells the stories of four young girls of Jewish ancestry in four very different eras.

The story begins in Toledo, Spain in the year 1492. Benvenida Toledano lives in Toledo with her parents and her brothers, Isaac and Jacob. It is a bright sunny March 31st morning, as Benvenida and her family listen to the officer-at-arm as he reads the proclamation from the King and Queen of Spain. It states that all Jews must leave the Spanish kingdom by the end of the month of July or they will be executed. They will only be allowed to stay if they convert to Catholicism. King Ferdinando and Queen Isabella want to unite the kingdom under the Catholic faith, Many Jews have already converted, including Benvenida's father's two sisters, her aunts Leah and Rachel and their families. As well, Benvenida's two best friends, Susanah and Deborah have also converted and no longer play with her.

Benvenida is able to read and write in Hebrew and Spanish and knows some Arabic. Although women aren't allowed to read, her father allows this because Benvenida's mother's family are printers. Her father's sisters, now known as Asuncion and Juana press him to convert as they did, so his family can remain in Spain. But her father, who is a hazan, flatly refuses. And so her father begins selling their possessions while her mother writes letters to her family in Naples, telling them they are coming. Benvenida's mother's family moved to Naples after her birth years ago.

Eventually, after delaying in the hopes the decree would be relaxed, Benvenida's family leaves their home taking the key to their house. Her father is also determined to carry the Torah on his shoulder, wrapped in Benvenida's shawl. Along with the remaining Jews of Toledo, they walk through villages and plains in the hot sun. One of the women, Naomi gives birth beside the road to a baby girl named Preciada. On one occasion they are met by priests offering them to convert to Catholicism and some elders do so. 

In Siete Aguas, they are aided by an innkeeper, a converso who helps them obtain passage on a ship, in a closed cabin, travelling to Naples. On the voyage, Benvenida's father dies and is buried at sea. In Naples, they are reunited with Benvenida's mother's family including her mother's sister, Tia Mazal and brother, Tio Yehuda. Tio Yehuda reveals that the situation in Naples is not ideal either There is famine and cholera and the Jews are being blamed for these problems. They are planning to leave for Constantinople soon because the Muslims there do not try to convert the Jews. The day to leave soon arrives and Benvenida and her family arrive in the city to start over.

The story now moves four hundred years into the future in the newly independent country of Turkey under President Ataturk. It is 1923 and Reina, a descendant of Benvenida lives with Mima and Papa and her sisters, eight-year-old Dina and ten-year-old Suzi in Silivri. Their neighbours with whom they share a courtyard are a Muslim family: Ahmet and his wife Afrah and their three sons Sadik, Emir and Nazim.

Twelve-year-old Sadik is friends with Reina and invites her to watch the all night fireworks at a party at the port. Reina wants to go but her father forbids it. However, Reina is determined to make her own choice and when everyone is asleep, she sneaks out of their house. With Sadik, Reina goes to the beach However, she quickly realizes she is the only girl among the Armenian, Greek and Muslim boys. The lone Jewish boy, Benny asks her to play her oud and sing a song for them which Reina does. But this ends up leading to an altercation in which her oud is scratched by Benny. 

The next evening after dinner Reina's father reveals  that he has learned she was at the beach the night before with Sadik. Furious that she disobeyed him and that she has shamed their family he tells her "You are not my daughter anymore. To me you are dead."  Several weeks later Mima tells Reina that her father is sending her to Cuba with his sister, Tia Zimbul, where she will marry a distant cousin named Moshico. Reina's journey to Cuba will open a new chapter in her life that leads to more journeys for her daughter and her granddaughter and a wonderful discovery that despite what happened so long ago, a friend never forgot her.

Discussion

Across So Many Seas is a historical fiction novel that weaves an engaging ancestral story portraying one Jewish family through the centuries. The story features the daughters who carry on the traditions of the Sephardic Jews as they move through time and location.

The author, Ruth Behar, decided to focus on young girls, "...since the voices of young girls are too often missing in the records of the past."  Behar's paternal and maternal grandmothers both arrived in Cuba in the 1920's, one bringing "...the Yiddish language and the Ashkenazi culture of Eastern Europe..." and the other "...the language of Ladino, or Judeo-Spanish, and the culture of the Sephardic Jews, who trace their ancestry to Spain before the 1942 expulsion."  Her abuela's life, as a Turkish Jew who was sent to Havana to be married, provided the inspiration for this story. Like Reina, she played the oud beautifully as a young woman.

The novel moves seamlessly from the events in the late fifteenth century to the early twentieth century in 1923. Behar decided to skip these four hundred years as those who have Sephardic heritage are often unable to trace their lineage that far back. They do know that their families originated in Spain so that seemed to be a logical way to structure her story. The novel also incorporates important historical events that form the background to each character's story. In the Sources section at the back of the novel, Behar offers short explanations regarding both the important historical events and the Jewish customs incorporated into the story. 

Using these important historical events as the backdrop to the lives of these young women allows readers to learn about events that affected millions of people over the last four hundred years. For example, the Spanish Inquisition which was formalized by Pope Sixtus IV led to the Edict of Expulsion. For centuries prior, Jews and Catholics had lived together in Spain.  There were conversions over the centuries from Islam and Judaism to Catholicism. These people were called conversos. It's likely many of the initial conversions were not genuine, either being forced or motivated by other desires such as ambition, as only Catholics could hold public office in Spain.  But it is likely that later generations of the initial conversos were faithful Catholics. 

The Reconquista of the Iberian peninsula (from the Moors) led to strong anti-converso and anti-Semitic feelings. During this time Spain was forging a new national identity - one that was strongly Catholic in light of finally reclaiming Spain from the Moors.  The Spanish Inquisition came to Spain to deal with those conversos who had done so under false pretenses, It had no authority on practicing Muslims and Jews. It was in this nationalistic environment that led the Spanish crown to request Jews either convert or leave. Many chose to convert but many also chose to leave as Benvenida's family did. 

In this regard, Behar's account of what happened, from the Jewish perspective does ignore history from the Spanish Catholic perspective and judges it without regard to the Spanish experience. While touring the Sephardic Museum, their guide Mari Luz, points out a large facsimile of the Edict of Expulsion hanging on the wall stating, "You can see the signatures of King Ferdinando and Queen Isabel, and the date, March 31, 1492. It's here so we won't forget the horror they unleashed with their words of intolerance and hate."  The Spanish Crown gave the Jewish people time to convert or leave before the penalty applied. Was it cruel and harsh by today's standards? Absolutely. But it was also the action of a king and queen attempting to finally bring lasting peace to their country which had been at war for over seven hundred years. As a result, Spain would avoid the religious wars that came to be a part of life in the rest of Europe.

All four major characters, Benvenida, Reina, Alegra and Paloma  are intelligent, resilient young women. Benvenida endures deadly prejudice that forces her family to flee both Spain and Italy. Reina experiences the loss of her family as a result of the social restrictions that still existed on girls and women in the early twentieth century. Alegra wants to help others learn to read but must flee her country because of the Communist regime. 

Behar brings the story almost full circle with Alegra's daughter, Paloma, "the keeper of memories" and the three generations of women returning to their roots in Toledo, Spain. There, they encounter the parchment Benvenida placed so long ago in the wall of her home prior to leaving for Naples. It was her hope that someday it would be found and it was. Although Reina, Alegra and Paloma do not realize that this is their ancestor they are inspired to claim the writer as one.

Reina also learns that the boy who was her best friend, Sadik Topal, was their guide's father-in-law. Mari Luz reveals that her father-in-law Sadik learned to play the oud and never forgot Reina.  Sadly the two friends missed being reunited by a year, with Sadik's death a year earlier. This lovely connection brings the story full circle and helps Reina to heal from losing a friend so long ago.

Across So Many Seas is a touching and well-written novel that ties in several important historical events through the lives of several generations of Jewish girls.

Book Details:

Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar

New York: Nancy Paulsen Books     2025
258 pp.

DVD: The Promise

The Promise is a fictional account of the systematic extermination of the Armenian Christian population undertaken by the Ottoman Empire during World War I. This event has become known as the Armenian Genocide. The movie, directed by George Kelly was made partly to bring attention to this war crime which has never been acknowledged by many Western countries nor by Turkey.

The story begins on the eve of World War I in 1914, in the vast Ottoman Turk Empire. The story is narrated by Michael Boghosian whose family have been apothecaries in the village of Siroun, Southern Turkey for two hundred years. They have served both Christians and Muslims.

Micheal wanted to study medicine at the Imperial School of Medicine in Constantinople but could not afford the fees. He became engaged to Maral and it was decided that he would use the money from her dowry to go to medical school and then return to Siroun to marry her.

At the engagement party, Maral's father Harut gives Michael four hundred gold coins and tells him to make them proud. Michael's father, Vartan gives him a letter for his Uncle Mesrob who lives in Constantinople. Michael tells Maral that he will do the three years of medical studies in two years.

Michael travels to Constantinople where he meets Mesrob, his wife Lena and their two daughters, Yeva and Tamar. He also meets Ana Khesarian, daughter of a famous violinist who is tutor to the Boghosian children. At medical school, Michael meets a Turk, Emre Ogan who is not really interested in medicine but had to choose between it and the military. That Emre is not suited for the medical profession is shown when he faints during a dissection.

Ana and Chris Myers

After class one day Michael meets Ana while she is teaching Yeva and Tamar. He finds her delightful. At a club, Ana introduces Michael and Emre to her friend and lover, Christopher Myers, who immediately recognizes Emre as a playboy who frequents opium dens.Emre tells Michael and Ana that he and Chris know one another from Paris when his father was Deputy Consul and that Chris is a renowned reporter for Associated Press. Chris warns that war is coming to Turkey. At the end of the evening Emre begs them to come to his birthday party that Sunday at Ciragan Palace.

At the party, German warships fire a salute, scaring many who are in attendance. Chris confronts the Germans in attendance, resulting in Emre's father stating that Turkey has every right to have a strong navy to protect its borders. Chris counters that the Turks want to expand their borders and declare war on the infidels - the British, French and Russians. When the German's break out in singing the national anthem, Chris reminds Michael, that  the Armenians are the resident "infidels" and will be the first to be attacked.

Michael attempts to register for a medical school exemption.

On October 29, 1914, Turkey enters World War I on the side of Germany. Immediately all men are enlisted. At the medical school, Michael learns he will not be given a medical school exemption and he is assigned to the third military division while Emre, a Turk is given one. Emre saves Michael by bribing the official to produce the exemption. But this bribe has not gone unnoticed. At the same time Chris sets out to investigate what is happening in Konya. Before he leaves, Chris tells Ana he will obtain an American visa for her but she refuses his help.

Meanwhile Emre is confronted by his father who questions him about the exemption given to Michael Boghosian. Dr. Nazim does not accept Emre's explanation that Michael is a friend, telling him the Armenians are a tumour on the nation that must be removed.  Michael returns to Mesrob's home where he is made an offer by his uncle to buy him out of his betrothal to Ana. Michael refuses stating he has made a promise that he intends to honour.

Chris's investigations reveal that Armenian villages are being burned to the ground and men are being hanged. He also discovers hundreds of people being marched into the desert and witnesses a woman being shot in front of a small child. Meanwhile in Constantinople, things begin deteriorating. After returning from a concert at the cathedral Ana and Michael barely escape from raging Turks who destroy Armenian shops and beat Armenian citizens in the streets. At this time, Mesrob is arrested, leaving Lena alone with their daughters.

During this night, Michael and Ana become intimately involved. The next day they visit Lena and learn that Mesrob has been taken to Sikedji Prison where he is being investigated for treason. Michael takes the remaining gold from his dowry and he and Emre attempt to bribe the Turks at the prison to release Mesrob. Instead, they take his gold and Michael is arrested while Emre is forced by his father to enlist in the military.

What Chris has feared has come to pass - the Armenians are being slaughtered by the Turks, who are determined to rid themselves of infidels. Determined to reveal to the world what is happening Chris contacts American Ambassador Morgenthau. Chris becomes determined to save the woman he loves and as many of the Armenians as possible. He will barely escape with his own life while most of those he has come to love will not be so fortunate.


Discussion

The Promise is a moving tribute to the 1.5 million Armenian Christians who were systematically murdered during World War I by the Turk government. Although there had been previous massacres, for example the Hamidian massacres in the late 1800's by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, international pressure had been brought to bear to stop these massacres. This was not the case in 1915. Instead, western governments dallied when confronted by what was happening, at the expense of millions of lives.

Wonderful performances are given by Oscar Isaac who plays Michael Boghosian, as well as Charlotte Le Bon and Christian Bale who portray Ana Khesarian and Chris Myers respectively. A strong cast of secondary characters,  Marta (Shohreh Aghdashloo), Emre Ogan ( Marwan Kenzari ) and Faruk Pasha (Tamer Hassan) round out the cast.

French helping Armenians onto French warship at Musa Dagh.

Breathtaking cinematography provides a film of stark contrasts. There is the incredible beauty of the Turkish countryside juxtaposed with the horrors of the genocide. Scenes of Armenian Christians being marched into the desert, of whole villages of Armenian Christians shot and bayoneted, of the rounding up and brutalization of Armenian men, of the work camps, and of rail cars packed with Armenian women and children are in sharp contrast to the picturesque villages and the peaceful forests. The happy lives of the Armenians as they live peacefully with their Muslim neighbours and the beautiful Christian service with Father Komitas is in contrast to the Muslim crowd rampaging through the Constantinople destroying businesses, beating and arresting Armenians. 

The movie's final scenes portray the attack on over four thousand Armenians at Musa Dagh and their rescue by the French. Chris, Michael, Yeva and Ana  are among those making their way to the shore along with other survivors. In fact, on September 12, 1915, the French Navy rescued more than four thousand trapped and unarmed Armenians from Musa Dagh mountain.

The obfuscation of Turkish officials when questioned is very effectively portrayed, particularly in the scene where Ambassador Morgenthau confronts Turkish officials. Not all Turks are portrayed badly; Emre Ogan loses his life for helping save the life of his friend Chris Myers and the Deputy Consul warns Pastor Merrill at the American mission that Faruk Pasha will spare no one and they should leave at once.

Unfortunately, the development of a love triangle involving Michael, Chris and Ana detracts from the main focus of the film. The Armenian Genocide is such a significant human story it doesn't require a plot device like a love triangle to engage viewers. Where the film succeeds is in portraying the humanity of the Armenians who love, marry and have children while the world around them goes to hell. Overall though, The Promise mostly succeeds in portraying a significant event of the 20th century and one in which the term "genocide" was first used to describe the systematic killing of a race of people. It is hoped that more films will be made to educate people on a genocide the much of the world still refuse to acknowledge.

Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian

In 1915, twelve year old Vahan Kenderian was the youngest child of a wealthy Armenian lawyer living in Bitlis, a province in Turkey. Vahan had three older brothers, Diran, Tavel and Sisak and two older sisters, Armenouhi and Oskina. His father was well respected by Armenians and Turks alike, who often came to Vahan's home to consult with his father. Bitlis did not have many Turks in 1915 but Vahan had heard about the massacre of Armenians by Turks years before in Adana. Vahan was really not concerned about this. He was a typical twelve year old from a well-to-do family, full of confidence that he would one day be a man of influence like his father. His father however thought Vahan to be lacking in character and discipline.

One day in the early spring of 1915, two gendarmes came to the house informing Vahan's father that he was wanted at the government buildings. Although his mother tried not to appear alarmed, the police summoning Sarkis Kenderian seemed ominous. He does not return and the in the days following his disappearance, strange things began to happen. Vahan saw bloodied and bruised men led away by the gendarmes. The shops began closing, Oskina and Armenouhi heard screams coming from the prison, Diran heard gunshots from the center of town and Tavel had heard that the homes of several Armenians had been burned to the ground. Armenian homes were searched for guns, churches were ransacked and priests accused of being traitors. Vahan and his family began to realize that the Armenian community was being attacked by the Turks.

Vahan's father's younger brother, Uncle Mumpreh is also taken away, being considered a revolutionary. Soon women and children, survivors of a massacre in Van where the men were murdered and their homes burned by the Turkish army began arriving in Bitlis. Vahan and his family heard stories about Selim Bey, the governor of Van, who had murdered thousands of Armenians. Karnigh, the Kenderian's horseman committed suicide when he learned that his entire family had been murdered.  

Soon hundreds of men, women, and children, the very young and the very old are seen streaming out of the city. Uncle Mumpreh is returned home a completely changed man. He filled three bags with poison and gave them to Vahan's mother and his two sisters telling them that if anything happens they are to take the poison in the bags. The next day soldiers arrive at the house and after terrorizing the family, murder Diran and Tavel. Their murders forever change Vahan's family; his mother stares outside the window at the garden where her two sons lie buried, Oskina begins wearing their father's shirts, his grandmother reads the Bible and Sisak sits by his brother's graves, while Armenouhi rarely leaves her bedroom. A week later the soldiers returned, questioned Vahan's family and then take them to Goryan's Inn where they are locked in a room.

On the walk to Goryan's Inn, Vahan notices that everyone is gone, the houses are empty, the shops closed, the streets dirty. Vahan, his brother Sisak, his mother Meera, his grandmother and his two sisters Oskina and Armenouhi are kept locked in a room with other Armenian captives. At night the soldiers come to take the girls to rape them and when Armenouhi sees that this will be her fate she takes the poison and dies. Eventually all the remaining captives from the inn are marched towards Diarbekir, where Vahan and his family see hundreds of corpses along the road.  Eventually they arrive at the River Tigris which is filled with floating corpses. When the soldiers kill fifty of the Armenians, including his grandmother, on the banks of the Tigris, and later begin killing the boys, Vahan's mother insists that he and his brother escape during the night. Both Vahan and Sisak manage to do and so begins Vahan's long struggle to survive.

Discussion

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide which saw the systematic murder of 1.5 million Armenian Christians in Turkey in 1915. At the beginning of World War I there were approximately two million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish population never fully accepted the Armenian Christians in their country. There had been repeated attacks against them in previous years and the Ottoman government considered them a security threat. As a result the government which was controlled by three members of the Committee of Union and Progress called the Young Turks made a decision to eliminate the entire Armenian Christian population.

The plan was to eliminate the leaders of the Armenian community first and then to systematically murder all the men. This plan began in 1915 and continued until 1923. The western nations of America, Britain and France protested against the massacres but in reality, the international community did little to stop it. Despite the fact that there were many witnesses to the genocide as well as much documented evidence, Turkey has never admitted to committing genocide. Forgotten Fire tells the story of one young boy who witnesses the extermination of almost all his family.

Forgotten Fire is based on the true story of Adam Bagdasarian's great-uncle during the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Bagdasarian's uncle, Vahridj Kenderian made a tape of his experiences during the genocide shortly before his death in America. Kenderian was able to emigrate to America, married and lived in New Jersey where he had his own business as a photoengraver. His life, according to the author was a happy one. Bagdasarian spent ten years writing Forgotten Fire as he found information at that time on the Armenian Genocide was somewhat limited. However, in the years leading up to the 100th anniversary of the genocide, much information is now available online. In addition, the murder of 1.5 million Armenian Christians was recently referred to as "genocide" by Pope Francis.

Bagdasarian chose the title, Forgotten Fire, as a reference to the tenacity and strength that adversity can develop within a person. In an interview from Random House he states,
"The Hitler quote at the beginning of the book is meant to convey that the Armenian genocide was a forgotten chapter in world history, and also show the connection between the genocide of the Armenians and the later genocide of the Jews. In other words, if we forget the past, we imperil our future. The “fire” part of the title refers to the part where Vahan’s father tells his children that steel is made strong by fire. The experiences in the book represent Vahan’s fire, the fire for all Armenians–the fire of adversity that either consumes us or makes us stronger. So “Forgotten Fire” stands for this fire of adversity for the Armenian people that was forgotten by the world." And in fact, loss and the ability to cope with adversity are strong themes in the novel.

Vahan is a remarkably resilient young boy who changes drastically from the boy he was before the genocide. Before the genocide, Vahan believed that "character and discipline were consolation prizes given to the meek, the unadventurous, and the unlucky." Vahan believed that time and destiny would bring him the blessings of a good life. "I knew that time and destiny were my allies, the twin magicians of my fate: Time would transform me into the tallest, strongest man in Bitlis, and destiny would transform me into one of the wealthiest, most admired men in Turkey." Ironically, Vahan is taken into Ara Sarkisian's home, an Armenian who at one time had been "a strongman in his village, performing feats of strength on the street for money." At seventy-four years of age however, time has taken this strength and he wisely tells Vahan to work for things that are more permanent than beauty and strength. " 'Time takes everything, Vahan. But your heart, your character, your faith, do not belong to time. So build your home here,' he said, touching his chest. 'And make that home strong, make that home beautiful. Then you will always be safe, and you will never be along.' "

By the end of his journey out of Armenia and to Constantinople, Vahan sees the importance of discipline and character. He is determined to learn as much as he can so he can become more for his family and for himself. The adversity has forged a steel inside him "that made it possible for me to get out of that bed and pretend I was myself; it was the steel that helped me study when all the other boys had gone to sleep." He comes to know "that character and discipline are the steel that fortify" life and that they will ultimately bring blessings that counter the "pain and disillusionment" of life.

Forgotten Fire spares young readers none of the atrocities committed during the Armenian genocide; the cold blooded murder of innocent people, the disappearance of Armenian leaders and intelligentsia, the burning alive of Armenians in their homes, the rape of young girls, mothers and the elderly, the death marches and the annihilation of entire families. The details are not graphic but simply stated in a way that is realistic. As a twelve year old boy, Vahan often had no idea at the time what was really happening. For example, when Uncle Mumpreh gives bags of poison to the women in the family, Vahan doesn't understand what the "trouble" might be.

Vahan Kenderian was an immature twelve year old boy who took for granted his family and the security of his home. At the beginning of the book he stated, "I walked with the confidence of a boy who has grown up in luxury and knows that he will always be comfortable, always well fed, always warm in winter and cool in summer." By the time Vahan has survived several years on the run and ends up in a girls orphanage in Sivas with nothing but the tattered clothes on his back, he "wanted a home and a family more than anything in the world." He knows "that there was probably no such place and no such people" as his home is gone and his family murdered.

Forgotten Fire is highly recommended to those who are interested in history and want to learn more by reading historical fiction. Vahan's strong narrative and the compelling story of a boy trying to survive under horrific conditions will engage readers completely. Bagdasarian has included a map detailing Vahan's journey and provides both a Foreword to set the historical background and an Epilogue that states what became of Vahan. Sadly one hundred years later, little seems to have changes with regard to genocide in this part of the world. The massacres of Yazidis and Christians in Syria and Iraq by militant Islamists seems to demonstrate we have not yet learned from history. This only makes Forgotten Fire all the more relevant in educating young readers in the lessons history can teach.

For more information on the Armenian Genocide please check out the Armenian National Institute's website at https://www.armenian-genocide.org/index.html

Book Details:

Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian
New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc.     2000
272 pp.