In fact, Everything is Illuminated, the novel by Foer, unfolds into two distinct stories: Alex's realistic account of Jonathan's journey to the Ukraine, and Jonathan's magical history of his ancestral
shetl (omitted in the film).
Schelly begins with the home Kubert never really knew, the small Ukrainian village (or
shetl) of Ozeryany.
Of particular note are inhabitants' references to literary works rather than to a reality of daily life in the
shetl. Some of the scholars who have collaborated in this book quote Jewish writers, particularly Sholem Aleychem and Isaac Babel, qualified as a "mystificator" by V.
These Orthodox-known as haredim--have brought back the medieval ment ality virtually transporting the Eastern European
shetl to America.
The entire first section of his work displays a comprehensive grasp of the rich texture of historical factors which contributed to "the shaping of Israeli democracy." These range from traditional practices associated with life in the
shetl to ideological currents articulated by various Zionist programs.
He lived with his father, Yasef, his mother Cyrla, his sister Malka, and his brother, Lejzor (Leonard), in a small town called Motala
shetl with no running water or electricity.