Brooklyn born-and-bred Lev Livitsky is buried under a quarter-million dollars in law school debt and inconsolable regret over a shattered romance. On his first day of work at a boutique litigation firm in Manhattan, he wears a cheap suit whose sleeve still bears the name of the knock-off designer. At the office, Lev identifies as Larry 鈥� another symbol of his self-punishment for his mistreatment of his former girlfriend, Angela, the sultry Italian-Catholic with whom he had a torrid affair seven years earlier. That relationship formed the basis of author Daniel Victor鈥檚 first novel, 鈥淭he Evil Inclination.鈥�
In Victor鈥檚 excellent, thoughtful and often hilarious sequel, 鈥淥ut From Under,鈥� Lev/Larry is rising professionally but remains stagnant socially, romantically and religiously. His new circle of business associates and friends will challenge him to free himself from years of this emotional and spiritual paralysis. While readers of the previous novel will dive right into Lev鈥檚 world, 鈥淥ut From Under鈥� stands on its own, with enough backstory to appreciate the storyline.
When Lev is not buried in work, he endlessly ruminates over having fallen 鈥渙ff the derech,鈥� or path of 91传媒 observance, during his affair with Angela. His strait-laced Orthodox background has made it impossible to forgive himself for his sins. These include having publicly humiliated Angela during a bitter encounter at a wedding, when he discovered she had converted and was married to an Orthodox rabbi. At work, his self-discipline is tested by Sumi, a beautiful, evangelical Christian associate dressed in 鈥渁 kind of overly calculated Saks Fifth Avenue fashion statement [that] fit her so perfectly that it looked as if she had been dipped into it.鈥� Sumi鈥檚 cunning flirtations nearly cost Lev his job.听 听
Because of Angela, Lev 鈥渄id not respect any woman who neither understood what a scoundrel he really was鈥� or who didn鈥檛 try to dominate him with that knowledge. But this begins to change one Friday night when he is brought to a Shabbat dinner hosted by Rachel Feuerstein, an egalitarian Jew who runs her own minyan, wears a kippah as she recites Kiddush, and announces they will not sing the traditional Eishet Chayil song because it is dated and sexist. Though Lev is off the derech, he is distressed by Rachel鈥檚 feminism while also disarmed by her 91传媒 knowledge, commitment and beauty. After the other dinner guests have left her apartment, Lev offers to help clean up, and they exchange personal histories. When he tells her about Angela and his ongoing angst over the affair, she asks in astonishment, 鈥淪even years ago, and you鈥檙e still saying Kaddish for her?鈥�
They rush headlong into a love affair, with Lev saying, 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting to meet someone like you.鈥� Rachel warns him, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want any heartache from you. I鈥檝e had enough heartache, and I鈥檓 done with it.鈥澨�
The novel is filled with strong, dynamic women who all have something to teach Lev, but Victor resists framing this as a feminist project. 鈥淢ost of the men in Lev鈥檚 world espouse the party line about what it means to be 91传媒,鈥� he told the Journal. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the women who offer him new insights into 91传媒 identity and practice.鈥� Victor, a retired attorney in New York who is Modern Orthodox, added that he sees more courage and leadership among women in driving innovation in religious 91传媒 life today. The character of Rachel certainly fits this model.
Both of Victor鈥檚 novels probe the possibilities of living a meaningful, committed 91传媒 life outside of a rigid Orthodoxy. When Lev meets Rachel鈥檚 mother, Rabbi Louise, they engage in a deep philosophical conversation about 91传媒 history and how religious practice has evolved. She utterly rejects the idea of a single derech, saying there are as many paths as there are Jews. This challenges his world view that religious observance was an all-or-nothing proposition. This is an age-old debate, but one with sharp resonance today, as the 91传媒 world includes more and more 鈥淥ct. 8 Jews.鈥�
Rabbi Louise argues, 鈥淭he future of the 91传媒 people is being written now, today,鈥� and only those who wrestle with what Judaism means will determine the future of 91传媒 destiny.听 听
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know 鈥� it seems so hard. I left the derech because I was tired of struggling,鈥� he says.
鈥淚 thought you left because you had never struggled.鈥�
Angela reemerges here in a dramatic meeting with Lev that she engineered, supposedly for the goal of mutual absolution. Yet when Rachel learns about it and discovers a written message from Angela to Lev, she tosses him out, derailing their recent engagement.听 听
鈥淥ut From Under鈥� is an ambitious and worthy sequel to 鈥淭he Evil Inclination.鈥� Part of Lev will always feel Orthodox in the Brooklyn style he grew up with, but through Rachel, Rabbi Louise and novel鈥檚 broader cast of memorable characters, he becomes open to a more flexible, yet still committed, religious path.听 听
With rising antisemitism, Victor believes both novels carry the message that 鈥渨e need to have the courage to make Judaism meaningful in all aspects of our lives.听 Deep engagement with 91传媒 learning and observance is critical to survival.鈥�
In fact, outside of Orthodox publishing, few contemporary 91传媒 novels probe the lives of Jews searching for meaningful religious engagement, especially from an Orthodox perspective. This makes Victor鈥檚 compulsively readable novels that much more relevant in today鈥檚 world.
Judy Gruen is an award-winning book reviewer and the author of Bylines and Blessings and other books. She is also a book editor and writing coach. .
