Simon Constam

Brought Down Simon Constam

Characterized by the admission of doubt in God's desire for a better world, and willing to see Jewish tradition as indispensable, Brought Down struggles with daily life as a firm believer and continuing pride in Jewish identity. In the great Jewish tradition of holding God to account, and not relenting in anger towards Him, the themes in this book are universal: faith, religious practice, forgiveness, history, and the relevance of belief. This book also recognizes that religious traditions today weigh even more heavily in our lives than does God. Here, you'll find people who are confused, frightened, determined to be their own masters, trapped by age-old customs, but never flagging in strength and determination to see clearly, to love God, to honor the best in traditions, to make a better world. The poems here were written over a twelve-year period. They were born from a lifelong, religious inclination, a ten-year period of Orthodox Jewish observance now passed, and a belief that prayer and poetry are not one and the same; that it is poetry which more profoundly addresses our concerns. You will not fail to recognize yourself in these struggles.