Rubin’s portrayal of Joey’s increasing awareness of his heritage, and his shame at not knowing much about his heritage, is nuanced and engaging, and the characters come alive on the page. Whether it is Joey’s mates Skip Say or “Red” Blake, or his boss Lieutenant Forner, or his love Leah Chalowitz, they are all whole, rounded and real. A character who remains with the reader is Joey’s father, forever changed by his illness, and the short chapters help maintain a steady pace.
Eventually, Joey is discharged from the army and joins the Underground Jewish Brigade, and the novel edges into thoughtful suspense (and even a touch of romance). Battle scenes and accounts of exacting justice from Nazis in hiding have power, though Rubin’s language is invitingly simple and casual, an effective vehicle in immersing readers in the landscape, characters, and emotions.
Takeaway: A novel that explores identity, faith and justice through the eyes of a Jewish American soldier after WWII.
Great for fans of: Steven Hartov’s Last of the Seven, Neal Bascomb’s Hunting Eichmann.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
REVIEWS ABOUT VOYAGE TO THE WALL by MANNING RUBIN (AUGUST 1, 2022) “Voyage to the Wall should be read by anyone interested in the Jewish experience – especially non-Jews. It is incredibly readable, intelligent, and highly emotional. Manning Rubin is ninety-four years old but he writes, and thinks, like a young lion.” Jim Patterson, best-selling Author ** Rubin's partially autobiographic novel, Voyage to the Wall, is a great read and an important story.lt recounts the transformation of a highly assimilated Jew from the south and how the revelation to him of details of the Holocaust brought him to a new understanding of his place in the world and in the Jewish community.At a time when Holocaust denial and Holocaust ignorance are rampant, Rubin's telling this highly personal story of exposure to the Nuremberg trials, Dachau, and other Nazi-related experiences is timely and relevant.At a time when delegitimization of Israel is afoot, Rubin's saga connecting Jews to the Holy Land and the Jewish struggle for independence is persuasive and moving.And today when the American Jewish community is facing weakened identity among many of its constituents, this evolutionary tale of heightened Jewish motivation emerging from indifference is instructive and hopeful.A good read and a source of inspiration, not a bad combination.Abraham Foxman, Director of the ADL -1987-2015 ** Manning Rubin’s powerful tale of Joey Goldman’s experience in Europe following the end of World War II is as current as the daily headlines in newspapers, cable tv and social media. Joey’s meeting up with antisemitism, the Holocaust, the reality of a Jewish state and the unique experience of Jews in America enables the reader to get a glimpse of the complicated history of the Jewish people- it’s pain and suffering and its glory and triumph over evil. It is worthwhile as context for this novel to take a quick look at that history. It is a book worth reading in these troublesome times.Ken Jacobson, ADL's Deputy National Director,Manning ** 2. VOYAGE TO THE Wall brings to life, in a uniquely sensitive way, the dark years of post WW2 and what is left of Europe’s Jews to find their way to a homeland. The horrors of the Holocaust, the War Crimes Trials, Dachau, the struggle for Israel are, for the first time, connected in an intensely human way through the eyes of a naive young Southern Jewish boy. Joey Goldman enlists in the war, is stationed in Nuremberg, Germany after VE Day, meets Micah of the Underground Jewish Brigade risking his life by helping assassinate top Nazis in hiding and getting refugees to safety in Palestine, despite the harsh British embargo and Arab attacks. Joey falls in love with Leah, a young Polish survivor, and follows her to Palestine, where he joins the desperate struggle to re-establish a homeland for what he now realizes is his people. VOYAGE TO THE WALL articulates in deeply personal terms a moving story of how the war changed the life of an innocent young American soldier and reminds us of the horrors of the Holocaust. Mark B. Sisisky, President JDC| JDC.org **It was both humbling and inspiring. I hope it will be read by many people, young and old, Jew and gentile. Your narrative is the narrative of the Jewish people spanning a hundred years. From Shoah to a flourishing State of Israel. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Simon Wiesenthal Center ** I read Voyage to the Wall by Manning Rubin, and you absolutely should as well. This is not “Holocaust literature,” it is modern Jewish literature and a great read. Rubin takes a different path. Semi-autobiographical (he calls himself Joey Goldman) this is a single-eye view of someone who believes he is unaffected and how he becomes aware that he is affected. He doesn’t ask you to experience what you cannot. He doesn’t ask you to put yourself in the shoes of someone you can never be and never want to be and hope your children won’t be. You are an initially disinterested observer as Joey was – and, as observers often are, you are drawn into the object of your study. But outside, where you belong. Until you aren’t. You feel the impact of his learning and the attachment of one man to all of Jewish history – the worst parts and the best. Shoshana Bryen, Senior Director, Jewish Policy Center
