Publisher's Synopsis
Chienke's Motl and Motl's Chienke is a memoir from the Shtetl of Monastrishch to the Kibbutzim of Palestine to the Diaspora in Montreal. 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 shetl 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-independent 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 their family members in Montreal, Canada and this third phase of their lives become the most permanent. Their son, Dr. Jacob Sivak, has edited their memoirs and provided fascinating commentaries, with historical and sociological context.
