I Am Jewish (ashkenazi)
Hi - I'm Not Jewish But I'm A Writer Working On A Novel With A Major Jewish Character
By:
wh965
Written on November 14th, 2010
Hi: I'm not Jewish so I hope I'm not intruding here. I'm a writer of historical fiction and my current project is set in the 14th century c.1360. It deals with a mixed-sex group of warriors from both sides of the Hundred Years War between England and France. One of the main characters in this story is a Jewish female physician, alchemist, and inventor whose family was murdered in Germany during the hysterical persecutions of the Jews there and elsewhere in Europe amidst the onset of the Black Death from 1347-51. In this story this character seeks revenge on Christianity by creating what we would recognize as modern weapons of superior and mass destruction in league with a Breton mercenary leader, also female. Basically, she is a Jewish Leonardo Da Vinci, possessed of embittered brilliance she chooses to use against those she feels destroyed her family and still persecute her and her people out of blind ignorance and unjust arrogant contempt. Her plan is to instigate a great conflict between both the Christian countries and between Europe and the Byzantine/Ottoman Empires, resulting in Christianity's destruction. She will not be portrayed strictly as a villain but as a good and well-educated woman driven to a vengeful extremity by grief and rage at the terrible tragedy she and her people have suffered, and continue to endure well after the plague has abated (what occurred was, in essence, an early version of the 20th century Holocaust). I want to be as precise in my portrayal of this character as I can since a major theme in my book will be the consequences of anti-Semitism, fictional admittedly, but still this is not something that has been addressed before in this sort of novel, and I do want to get it right to make my intended point as powerfully as possible.
If anyone here could perhaps assist me regarding the history of the Jews in Germany and France during this era, the culture, language, and fashion, particularly of Jewish women, and has knowledge of actual Jewish female physicians, alchemists, and inventors of this period I'd be most grateful if you could share it with me. I'm looking to create a memorable character who can be an eloquent spokeswoman against anti-Semitism, both for her age and all ages and to have her be a recurring figure in the series of books I hope to eventually launch with this novel. I've always been appalled by anti-Semitism, and wanted to write something that would help make as strong and impactful statement against it as I could, by portraying possible consequences of such heinous attitudes/practices. I realize fully I am only doing so fictionally, but fiction often wields a power non-fiction does not, especially when a truly memorable character is created, and that is my objective. If willing/interested contact me at wbill926@aol.com. Thank you.
If anyone here could perhaps assist me regarding the history of the Jews in Germany and France during this era, the culture, language, and fashion, particularly of Jewish women, and has knowledge of actual Jewish female physicians, alchemists, and inventors of this period I'd be most grateful if you could share it with me. I'm looking to create a memorable character who can be an eloquent spokeswoman against anti-Semitism, both for her age and all ages and to have her be a recurring figure in the series of books I hope to eventually launch with this novel. I've always been appalled by anti-Semitism, and wanted to write something that would help make as strong and impactful statement against it as I could, by portraying possible consequences of such heinous attitudes/practices. I realize fully I am only doing so fictionally, but fiction often wields a power non-fiction does not, especially when a truly memorable character is created, and that is my ob