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| Written by Sylvia Enten, Translation: Frank Majoros |
| Thursday, 30 April 2009 10:11 |
 BUDAPEST Interview with Róbert Csomós, American-Israeli-Hungarian novelist, at the opening day of the International Book Festival in the Millenium Park.During the last day of the Six Day War Jehuda Frankfurt was being transported by helicopter from the Golan Heights to Jerusalem’s Hadassa hospital. His injury is very serious and he’s already lost a lot of blood. It’s unsure whether he can be saved. Is Life and Death the theme of your novel? No. For two days before Jehuda dies he’s in a coma during which he meets with his ancestors, who all tell their stories during different time periods, and tell him about his roots and family’s history. This is how my novel begins, which starts during the final 25 years of the 15th century in Granada, where a Genoese sailor is about to embark on a secret journey during which he’ll smuggle early Renaissance silverworks, and sells a pure silver menorah to a landowner who managed to gain a noble title, the Castilian Don José Bilbaus. Why is this religious object and it’s possession important? According to the sailor there is a legend connected to the menorah: it’s owners family line will never die out. Are there still descendants of this family alive today? I’m the young soldier, Jehuda Frankfurt, I also had wounds and was in a coma for two days, but I survived...  photo by: Sylvia Enten Why is it important for you that the reader follow the family’s history from the 15th to the 20th century? After the Spanish Inquisition, the family makes it’s way through Europe to the supposedly safe haven of the Ukraine. After the 17th century pogroms the family goes through Galicia to Hungary and settles in Debrecen, where they take the name of Frakfurter and where during the 1848 Revolution Isaac serves in the National Guard. After Kossuth’s government falls, Maurus marries in Miskolc where he opens a workshop. At the start of the War he joins the 39th Debrecen Intantry as a volunteer. He fights on the Romanian, Russian and Italian fronts, getting injured numerous times and receiving important medals of honor. During the 1944 deportations at the Miskolcs train station, he pins his yellow star above his medals, which gets him arrested by the gendarmerie. His family dies in Auschwitz. Is there survival? Can a new life be begun after the holocaust? Peter Frankfurt is born in 1947, and emigrates to Israel with his menorah in 1956. During the Six Day War the boy, who is the only son of his remarried parents after the Emergency period, falls during the breakthrough of the defence structure in the Golan Heights. Jehuda’s 18 year old wife, Vered, who inherits the menorah, now wears it under her heart in order to continue with life. How long did it take you to write the novel? There was a long research period before I began writing. I collected material, documents etc. when I realized that I didn’t know anything about the Spanish Inquisition. That’s why I needed to study Spanish language literature, so that I could understand the history. However, because I knew very little Spanish I asked a student at the University of Pécs who was studying history in Spanish for help. A lot of time was taken up by studying and researching the battles and the Israeli wars. Because of all this the novel took me 6 years to complete. How did you find out that the famous Serbian director Kusturica would like to make a movie about your novel? My grandchild called me on the phone, when he read it on the internet. Since then I’ve also received a letter concerning the script, which according to the director I’d have to write. I give a free hand to the director and I’d like him to add whatever he feels like to the movie. What should I wish you for your upcoming 8th birthday? Success, health, a new novel, recognition? All of those, in the same order! Bookmark us: 
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| Last Updated on Monday, 25 May 2009 14:21 |