The Wealthy: Chronicle of a Jewish Family (1763–1948) is the first novel by the prize-winning Israeli poet and scholar Hamutal Bar-Yosef. Spanning nearly two centuries, it follows the fictional Heimstatt family from its beginnings as peddlers in eighteenth-century Prussia, through emigration to England and a rise to wealth and status in London, to Mandatory Palestine in the years before the founding of the State of Israel.
Along the way, the family’s story intersects with real historical figures, among them Chaim Weizmann, David Lloyd George, and Herbert Samuel. Richly researched, the novel explores the price of assimilation in post-Enlightenment Europe, the prejudices Jews encountered even at the height of their success, and the rise of Zionism and the struggle over the Land of Israel.
“The writing is outstanding, to put it mildly – restrained but precise. The historical information is rich and fascinating. The characters are interesting and moving, while the family story serves to illuminate history.”
-Emuna Elon, author of House on Endless Waters
“This novel is very impressive. It provides a picture of non-Jewish and Jewish life, particularly the characteristic problems and prejudices that Jews encountered among non-Jews. The writing reflects great talent. The characters and the period come alive for the reader. I enjoyed it very much.”
-Eli Amir, prize-winning author of Scapegoat, The Dove Flyer, and many more
“A vast amount of research was invested in this book, and readers will enjoy the detailed reconstructions. Bar-Yosef provides rich, colorful descriptions of life in Prussia in the nineteenth century; Jewish life in central Europe; the world of German and English science; the nuances and rituals of British royalty; the political world of Britain before and after the First World War; and the network of hidden ties between Arabs, Bedouins, British, and Jews in Mandatory Palestine. This is a major work of historical research.”
-Tsur Ehrlich, Makor Rishon
