The Turmoil Between Art and Belief: My Name is Asher Lev

March 17, 2008

Reviewed by Stephen Cousino

My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok is the story of a young Hasidic Jew born with a remarkable gift for art. Unfortunately, he is born into a branch of Judaism that does not have a high regard for artists, as they consider it perilously close to violating the second commandment, as well as taking time from the study of the Torah and Talmud. Central to the story is Asher's lineage as a Ladover Jew, which is a fictional name for a Hasidic group that Potok models after the real Lubbavitch Hasidic Jewish community.

Asher's gift, evident from a young age, brings him into conflict with his father and his faith. Asher's mother serves as the mediator between son and father. Oddly enough, the Rebbe, who serves as the spiritual head of the Ladover Jews, mediates between Asher and his faith. To Asher, art takes precedence over his studies at school and is the subject of ridicule from both the teachers and the students. Often angry with his son for his inability to control his “gift,” Asher's father tries in vain to get him to abandon his art and turn toward more religious pursuits. As a trusted member of the Rebbe's staff, Asher's father also finds his son an embarrassment.

God vs. My Calling?

Sensing that Asher might bolt from his Hasidic roots to pursue art, the Rebbe arranges a meeting with a famous artist named Jacob Kahn, who is a non-religious Jew--he is Jewish in lineage only, having long ago abandoned his religious beliefs. Jacob Kahn agrees to take Asher on as a student for five years, sensing there is greatness in this young boy in payos. The Rebbe is betting that Kahn can mold Asher into a great artist while Asher will realize he does not have to abandon his religion in order to become a great artist. Jacob Kahn warns Asher to flee from this world of art because it is a world dominated by the goyim, which is a term used to describe Gentiles, or anyone who is not a Jew; and not just goyim, but Christian goyim.

Asher learns more than just art technique from his mentor. In one of the many great passages of the book Kahn warns him, “Do not become a whore.” He goes on to explain that artistic whoring is from an artist who deceives himself and paints things out of shame and cowardice because he is ashamed to paint them as they are. Asher invites this rebuke because he has painted a picture of himself with his payos tucked behind his ears rather than hanging down as he usually wears them.

Kahn also forces Asher to master the art form of the crucifix as well as the art form of nudes. This further alienates father and son because the father can see no reason why his son should be engaged in painting what he considers to be “naked women” and will only refer to Jesus as “that man.” The crucifix, as an art form, figures prominently at the end of the book.

Artistic Tension, Religious Friction

There is tension throughout the book whether it is from the conflict between father and son, the suffering his mother endures as a mediator between the two men she loves, or the misunderstanding between Asher and his extremely conservative branch of Judaism. Asher learns to take this tension and produce great art that is displayed in gallery shows and bought by collectors. The tension culminates in a public showing of two paintings so powerfully raw in their portrayal of suffering that he hurts those he loves beyond anything he had done up to this point; he is told by the Rebbe that he must leave his Ladover community in Brooklyn. Those he loves best are hurt the most by a driving force he must give expression to, or else die within.

Asher Lev leaves Brooklyn as a Ladover Jew and a great artist, caught between the tensions of two worlds, yet not totally belonging to either. Jacob Kahn once told him, “Become a great artist. That is the only way to justify what you are doing to everyone's life.”

My Name is Asher Lev explores the limits of creative expression at the expense of causing pain and suffering to those around us whom we love the most. Although set in Hasidic Jewish culture, it might just as well apply to any religious tradition from which someone chooses to depart from the traditional norms, while not quite willing to abandon their beliefs altogether. It is from this tension--this creative suffering--that the painters, writers, musicians, and all others with the soul of an artist produce their greatest achievements. But the cost is high, and only a few will ever understand.

ninetyandnine.com

© 2008, Stephen Cousino

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Stephen Cousino lives and works in the northwest corner of Vermont. He spends the winter months wishing it were summer because of the many winters he spent freezing outside as an HVAC/R technician trying to keep other people warm.