Jews Without Money

Mike’s father paints houses and is “full of temperament” (81), so that Mike’s mother must constantly calm his fits of anger. As a young man, he traveled from Romania to the Balkans to Turkey. He tells stories about his adventures as a young tobacco smuggler, as well as the myths and fables he picked up on his travels. People gathered to listen to the stories, as he was a fine storyteller. His favorite story was The Golden Bear, in which a Romanian hunter dreams of moving his family to Turkey to escape poverty. He spares the life of a magical bear, who agrees to help him reach Turkey. The story is so long that Mike’s father would spend three weeks going over every tiny detail. Mike’s father also acts out scenes from the theater and tried to introduce certain plays from Europe to American audiences. However, the plays were already well-known by the time he arrived. Mike’s father regrets that he has always “been too late” (88).

Mike and his sister, Esther, lay in their shared bedroom in the dark, listening to their father, Herman, tell a story. He tells them the story of his life. Growing up as a troublesome child in Romania, he is constantly helped and forgiven by his father. His worst crime, he believes, was refusing the arranged marriage provided by his parents. The marriage was arranged before he was born by parents who prayed long and hard for their children. Herman is teased about the proposed marriage by his peers, so he comes to hate his future wife, Miriam. Even as the preparations for the marriage begin, even on the wedding day, Herman cannot think of how to escape the situation. At the last moment, he refuses to sign the marriage contract. He announces that he is going to America, and his father prophesies that Herman will never be successful because he will always be cursed to “eat the bread of sorrow and shame” (99). Herman leaves. His father becomes sick and dies within a year, while the failed marriage causes a scandal in the Romanian village.

Herman continues his story, explaining to his children why he chose to come to America. He explains that he envied his cousin, Sam Kravitz, who he describes as a “dirty thief.” By the time the arranged marriage falls apart, Sam has already traveled to America and made himself a fortune. Herman follows Sam to America, determined to exceed his cousin’s accomplishments, but soon discovers that the fantastical stories of wealth and success that reached Romania were all lies. He finds a job in a grocery store, where he is overworked and underpaid. When he becomes desperate, Herman finally looks up Sam. Herman is given a job in Sam’s factory, but he learns that Sam’s claims of wealth and happiness were vastly overstated. Herman learns to work hard and helps to expand Sam’s business. Eventually, they become partners. Herman marries Mike’s mother during a period of success. They take a vacation around the United States but return to New York to discover that Sam has stolen everything and disappeared. Afterward, Herman has nothing. He becomes a housepainter but promises himself that he will eventually own a factory. Now, Herman is still certain that he will be rich one day.

Herman paints a house one summer. The lead in the paint makes him feel dizzy, and he worries that one day he will fall from the scaffolding. Painters who are sickened by the paint or injured must turn to begging their former colleagues for help and assistance. Herman does not want to be like them, but he feels that his fate may be inevitable. After one particularly miserable day, Herman takes his son to a wine cellar. They descend into the thriving, dimly lit basement that houses the Jewish Romanian wine cellar. The owner plays traditional folk music, and the patrons sing along. Everyone talks constantly. Mike tells his father that he likes the wine cellar, and Herman chuckles proudly. He teaches Mike about the old Romanian songs and ponders aloud about the history of Jewish literature.

Later that evening, Herman encourages Mike to recite poetry he learned in school. The watching people applaud. Herman congratulates his son on speaking English so well. Mike loses sight of his father but then sees him loudly berating a strange man on the other side of the room. Later, Herman explains to his son that the man was “that thief, that Sam Kravitz” (122). As they walk home, Herman makes Mike promise that he will study hard and become a doctor. That night, Herman wakes up in agony. He is sick for three days after the encounter with Sam Kravitz.