The Mystery of Aleph

 A nice work of historical fiction set against the backdrop of extremely tumultuous times in London. The inquisition against the Jewish people was in full force. Many Jews fled to England. Many Sephardic Jews fled Amsterdam to Britain to escape the inquisition. The years are 1665 to 1666. Two controversies are raging through the Jewish community. The first is the expulsion of Baruch D Espinoza from the Jewish community for saying that G-d equals nature. The other conspiracy is the spread of the heresy of Shabbtai Tzvi the false messiah.

Flash to London , 2001 where a newly wed couple purchase a house and when they fix it up they find a cache of documents , Jewish documents. Written in Hebrew, Ladino and Spanish. Helen Watt and Aaron Levy from the university are sent to examine them before Sothebies comes by to purchase them. Aaron is American and Helen a stuffy Brit. Their relationship at the beginning is a clash of cultures . Everyone has their story.

The writing are from Rabbi Mendez Ha Cohen. A blind Rabbi and former teacher of Baruch Espinoza. He is also an opponent of the heretical Sabbatians movement. Living with him are Rivka and older house keeper and Ester Melendez, a refugee from Amsterdam. Ester is a free spirit who has a heart that is too free to be bound by tradition. Her reputation is marred by her mothers behavior .

The Rabbi had a scribe who left only the initial Aleph. Helen and Aaron come across this and devour the letters day and night in the effort to find who aleph is . The letters and writing give a window into what life was like for the Jewish community. The politics and intrigue along with threat of antisemitism. The narrative center around thee household of Ha Cohen. Ester has limited funds and prospects. Her parents having died in a fire accidentally caused by her brother. A wealthy Jewish family enlists Ester to chaperone for their wayward daughter Mary. Mary a bit rebellious herself takes Ester to the theater where they meet two non Jewish men. They have trysts and good times. Drinking wine and immersing themselves in philosophy.

Aaron has romantic issues with a girl named Marisa who moves to Israel after a one night stand. Aaron still has feelings for her but Marisa is intent on not reciprocal things. Helen who is ill in health has memories of an Israeli she fell in love with , Dror. The memory of how they broke it off can never leave her.

THe plague comes and changes everything. Fortunes are overturned , people die . Everything is topsy Turkey. The ending is ironic. Sad to say. If you want to know the identity of aleph you will have to read the book yourself.