Canada is a land of many immigrants, with many stories to tell. This book contains the story of two Jews who settled in Montreal, bringing with them a story of the twentieth century. Motl and Chienke were raised in an Eastern European small town or shtetl where the impoverished Jews faced many hardships and dangers, including anti-Semitism and political turmoil. Motl and Chienke longed to escape that world and become halutzim or pioneers in the communal farms called "kibbutzim", in pre-independence Israel, then called Palestine. Their memoirs trace their journey and their hard work and sacrifice as part of the Zionist movement to rebuild the Jewish homeland. Finally, they join family members in Montreal Canada and this third phase of their lives becomes the most permanent.  In the small towns of Eastern Europe, it was not customary for people to call each other by their family names. If a husband had more prominence and his name was Joseph and his wife's name was Sarah, she was called Joseph's Sarah. If the reverse was true, he was called Sarah's Joseph. As the main personalities in this story were equally prominent, their tale is titled, "Chienke's Motl and Motl's Chienke."  Their son, Dr. Jacob Sivak, has edited their memoirs and provided fascinating commentaries, with historical and sociological context. This is a book that will appeal to all readers interested in the Jewish experience in the twentieth century, which for Jews was a time of tragedy, but also hope and new beginnings.

Chienke's Motl and Motl's Chienke: A Twentieth Century Story

Biographies & Memoirs

Sivak, Max

Sivak, Jennie

Sivak, Jacob G

Historical

Mantua Books

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Books by Sivak, Max

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Sivak, Max. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Chienke's Motl and Motl's Chienke: A Twentieth Century Story