Edna Aizenberg: An Obituary for a Colleague and a Friend

Abstract

My most recent conversations with Edna revolved around Zionism, the fasci-nation of early Zionist leaders with the possibility of resettling Jews in Argentina and, more specifically, Eshkol Nevo’s novel Neuland. The book’s protagonist is forced to leave his wife and daughter in order to fly to South America in search of his father who has been reported missing. There, he meets with a woman who has impulsively fled Israel due to a loveless relationship and the grief at the loss of her brother. The novel highlights Israelis searching for new meaning and exploring the meaning of homeland. Parts of our conversations are reflected in Edna’s most recent article, “Jewish Gauchos on the Mediterranean: How Alberto Gerchunoff Met Eshkol Nevo,” published posthumously in Chasqui: Revista de literatura latinoamericana 47.1 (2018).