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The Wor(l)d Turned Upside Down: Musings between July 4th and Bastille Day

Friday, 11 July 2014
Meryll
Jewish Luck Blog
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Trivia Time:  When was this song, “The World Turned Upside Down,” first sung in the United States?

Response: After the defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781. It was composed in Great Britain in the 1640s to protest Parliament’s ban of festive Christmas celebrations and transformation of the holiday into a solemn occasion.

And what does this have to do with Jewish Luck?  Lately, I’ve been pondering how amazing it is that two Soviet-educated women could think about free market economics in contradiction to their formal education/indoctrination into Marxist-Leninist thought. They literally turned their ideological economics instruction upside down. Alisa and Vera are now two quintessential capitalists who thrive on their individual achievements and have made their success through keen analysis of the free market system and their willingness to leap into a new venture trusting their talent to read the signs of the market well.  So far, so good for two former students of the Leningrad Institute of Finance and Economics. 

For me, writing, publishing, and promoting the book have also turned my world upside down—in a good way.  My sister and I have developed a new respect for each other’s talents and strengths. Although I prefer to lurk in the background, self-publishing has forced me into marketing and trumpeting our achievement.  Lately, I’ve been reexamining some of the vocabulary that I use and the associations that words spark. 

Collaboration is one of those words that once made me wrinkle my nose with disdain. This reaction harkens back to my history teaching and research.  Collaboration evokes images of the shaved heads of French women accused of helping the Nazis during the Occupation. The word brings to mind the perfidy of individuals and nations during World War II and the impossible math of trying to calculate how many lives were lost due to information passed to the Nazis or “help” given to the Third Reich.

Collaboration now connotes friendship, connections, and joint projects. Leslie and I think of ourselves as collaborators and marvel that anyone can write a book without a co-author.  With two of us working together there was no author’s block or dearth of ideas.  Now that the book is published, we’ve found other partners as well in our most challenging venture:  marketing.  What fun for us to collaborate with our cousin in Israel on our web page.  She is a web designer, mind reader and cheerleader. I am teaming with Shirley Pearl (The Occasional Man) and we’ll co-teach a class for Osher Lifelong Learning about how to begin the next chapter of life if you’ve always wanted to write, but haven’t had the time until retirement.  What a joy to sit with Shirley in her sunroom with a cup of tea and plot our strategy.  And now our new marketing collaborator is Sabra Waldfogel (Slave and Sister). We meet to share marketing strategies and to sing the marketing blues.  She has published previously so she is the voice of experience who is ready to share.

What most enlivens both Leslie and me now is the collaboration with our readers. At book groups or book talks we hear what aspects of Jewish Luck resonate with readers who are often moved to offer their own stories.  We are the privileged listeners.  I did not imagine when writing the book that Vera and Alla’s stories would have a chain effect.  And now, the pitch to you as fellow collaborators—if you read Jewish Luck, let us know what you think.  If you enjoyed it, please tell others.  Feel free to invite us in person or via skype to your book group. If you haven’t read Jewish Luck, order a copy or check one out of the library. If your library doesn’t have a copy, suggest they get one.

And most of all, remember sometimes it’s good to shake up the definition of a term, as we did with “Jewish luck”, and, sometimes, it’s good to shake up one’s life.  Long live collaboration!  

Tags:
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About the author

Meryll

Meryll

  http://morejewishluck.com
View author's profile More posts from author
Meryll Levine Page is a retired high school history teacher with a special interest in women’s history. She taught extensively about the Soviet Union and its break-up. Currently she co-facilitates the Minneapolis Jewish Artists’ Lab.
Author's recent posts
Friday, 09 April 2021 Jewish on the Down Low
Sunday, 02 July 2017 Hack Attack
Sunday, 02 July 2017 July Book of the Month: Bloodlines by Neville Frankel
Sunday, 11 June 2017 Haunted by the Past; Family Pictures, Part II
Friday, 26 May 2017 What happened to Meryll's blogs?
 

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We were featured speakers at Hadassah Brandeis Institute and Levy Summer Series. Our speaking engagements include JCCs, synagogues, libraries, book groups, retirement communities, schools, and organizations (e.g. ORT, Hadassah, and Women's League). References are available. 

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Talk Review

"I was very fortunate to be able to hear Meryll and Leslie speak at a Hadassah event in Israel. Each of the ~50 participants really enjoyed the event because Meryll and Leslie were so engaging. While they had a natural rapport with the audience, you could also tell they had prepared well so they could connect with our particular group's interests. I learned a lot from listening to them, and I found their sisterly interaction unique and fun. If you want an enlightening and uplifting experience, attend one of their book talks."
Lisa Shimoni, Modiin Israel

Book Review

"Truly, you have written a story that makes accessible the reality of existence in Russia, through the eyes of individuals who lived through the various regimes and dictates.  It is fascinating and very well told.  As I read Vera and Alla's story, I learned more Russian history than I had known from a textbook.  That's a big deal, women!  You tell the tale with vivid detail and hook us on the two women and their stories, then weave in the history to illuminate their journeys. It is such a necessary book.  I am thrilled that the two of you collaborated, as I can see the uniqueness of your personalities come through in the stories, and that, too, makes the book a gem."
Margaret Leibfried, Danielson Group consultant

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