A presentation and scholarly discussion on Jaime Einstein’s voluminous novel of persecution and redemption, La isla de Abraham.
In the tiny Lithuanian village of Horodiche, overcome by squalor, the Springer family decide to use their meager savings to secure safe passage for their first-born son to the United States and leave behind the repression of the pogroms. After a horrific voyage aboard a Dutch merchant ship, the young Springer does not arrive in New York, as initially foreseen, but in Matanzas, Cuba, where he befriends distinguished journalist Juan Gualberto Gómez, son of slaves, who is deeply committed to the struggle for Cuba’s independence. The encounter with Gómez, a personal friend of José Martí, sets Abraham on an unexpected course and a riveting new life.
Scholar Jesús Jambrina, who has written extensively on Jewish history in Spain and the Americas, will offer an illustrated presentation of the novel, preceded by a contextual introductory essay by Perla Rozencvaig, of Columbia University.
This presentation is part of the CreateNYC Language Access program,
and it will be held in Spanish.
DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE HELD
BEFORE A LIVE AUDIENCE.
INSTEAD, IT WILL BE STREAMED THROUGH OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
AT THE SCHEDULED TIME.
PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK ON TUESDAY, MARCH 24, AT 6:30 PM
TO WATCH THE PRESENTATION:
https://youtu.be/GkDJejP8L9E
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
School of International & Public Affairs
Conference Room 802
Amsterdam Ave. @ 118th St., NYC
SPACE IS LIMITED
FREE ADMISSION
RSVP at: info@cubanculturalcenter.org
FREE ADMISSION
RSVP at: info@cubanculturalcenter.org
Jaime Einstein (1947-2015) was born in Matanzas, Cuba to a Jewish Askhenazí family who had emigrated from Poland and Russia. After the arrival of the Cuban Revolution, the family left for exile in the United States, where Jaime completed his law studies at Columbia University. His first novel, El esplendor, takes place in the 12th century Spanish kingdom of León, reflective of his interest in the legacy of medieval Jewish thought in Spain. Jaime Einstein died in 2015 in Israel, where he had resided for many years. La isla de Abraham was published posthumously.
Perla Rozencvaig was born in Havana. She holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Literature from Columbia University, where she taught Latin American Culture and Caribbean Identity. She has also taught languages and Spanish American Literature at Barnard College. Perla is Vice-President of the Cuban Cultural Center of New York, where she directs its cinema program. She is also a member of the Academy of Cuban History in Exile (AHCE). Her work as cultural and literary critic and co-editor includes Reinaldo Arenas: Narrativa de transgresión, the first full-length study about the author’s work published from 1967 to 1981, and Reinaldo Arenas: alucinaciones, fantasias y realidad. Her essays on the work of Virgilio Piñera, Severo Sarduy, Zoe Valdés, Juan Rulfo and Jaime Einstein have appeared in journals in the U.S. and abroad.
Jesús Jambrina, PhD, is Associate Professor of Spanish &
Coordinator of Latin American Studies at Viterbo University,
La Crosse, WI. Among other books, he has published The Jews
of Zamora (2016), a historical account of Jewish presence
in northern Spain from the 10th to the 15th centuries.
He has written several articles on this topic, and
since 2013 he organizes an annual international conference
in Zamora to explore themes on Jewish history and culture in the northwest of the Iberian peninsula. In 2015, he received the Medal
of the Four Sephardic Synagogues granted by the Council of the Sephardic Community of Jerusalem, the oldest Jewish institution standing today in the land of Israel.
This event is presented in association with the Forum On Migration of Barnard College and the Institute for Latin American Affairs of Columbia University.
And is supported by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
