Charles Fenyvesi, in When the World Was Whole, recounts the history and experiences of his family to shed light on almost 250 years of Jewish life in central Europe. The book covers the period from the mid-18th century to the death in 1988 of his Uncle Shumi.
The occupations of family members were varied. There was an owner of a pine forest and a sawmill, serfs and farmers, soldiers, various kinds of businessmen, landlords, teachers, and, most importantly, many rabbis. The author writes that "my ancestors looked for a quiet haven where they could raise wheat and cattle and fruit, and later, sheep and potatoes" (22). The family made its living from the land, in the beginning, showing an ability to adapt to geographical and socioeconomic circumstances through the years. The book focuses on the survivability of the family through such occupational flexibility, their suffering because of anti-Semitism, and, especially, the horrors of the Nazi era. The author shows that it is a false stereotype that Jews prospered only through occupations of the mind or through taking economic advantage of others. The truth is that the family was connected deeply to the land, and, in fact, were often not good businessmen at all (23). He also shows that his family was not wealthy in many cases, but struggled to make a living at whatever occupation was available.
What held the family together through the years were a tenacious sense of unity which intensified in the face of anti-Semitism, and the strength that derived from their religion.
As Fenyvesi writes, "what really matters is to remember one's ancestors" (41). The first relative discussed, Baruch suffered from anti-Semitism, and wondered "Why do we Jews suffer so much?" (35). The continuity of the Jewish family and race are again and again emphasized in terms of religion: "The Kaddish is a link in a chain that goes back to Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, and the chain must not be broken. Having a ...