Goodbye Columbus

“The Conversion of the Jews” follows Ozzie Freedman as he pushes back against the traditional beliefs of his teacher. Ozzie, a curious child, frequently asks questions that stump Rabbi Binder. Ozzie’s youthful questioning represents the Pressures of Modernity on Tradition, as his inquiries often contradict the lessons of Rabbi Binder, the antagonist of the story, who consistently contradicts and condemns Ozzie’s curiosity. Ozzie is stubborn as well, not giving up his beliefs or halting his questions simply because Rabbi Binder or his mother tell him he is wrong. In the beginning of the story, Ozzie expresses his commitment to his curiosity over the question of the likelihood of the immaculate conception: “‘He told me to go to his office and think it over.’ Ozzie leaned his body towards Itzie. ‘Itz, I thought it over for a solid hour, and now I’m convinced God could do it’” (142). Rabbi Binder’s explanation of why Jesus cannot have been the son of God displays a logical inconsistency: He tells Ozzie’s class that God could not have impregnated Mary without intercourse, but Ozzie realizes that this assertion does not square with the foundational belief that God is all-powerful. The difference in their positions underscores the generational difference in their perspectives: Ozzie is a smart and inquisitive child, and he can’t resist looking for logical gaps in the official narrative his teachers ask him to accept. He also doesn’t have the context to understand how sensitive this question is for the rabbi and other Jewish adults, whose ancestors have been pressured for centuries, often violently, to accept the divinity of Christ. Rabbi Binder’s response is emotional rather than logical: He punishes Ozzie and tells him to think it over, expecting that he will come to the “right” conclusion, an approach that only solidifies Ozzie’s belief. Ozzie is modernity pushing against tradition. He is a young boy growing up in a different world than his elders, and in his unbounded curiosity, he embodies a world in which all beliefs are open to scrutiny and revision, while Rabbi Binder holds tight to his beliefs. He is tradition: strong, unbending, and quick to defend itself. Their conflict represents a larger one within faith.

As one of the two child protagonists of Goodbye, Columbus, Ozzie offers a unique view of the importance of family that is absent in the other stories. Ozzie’s father died before the events of the story, and his mother is raising him on her own. Each Friday, his mother lights three candles, one for his father and the other two for the Sabbath. Ozzie’s closeness to his mother affords him, in this context, an understanding of ritual and belief that transcends logic—an understanding that he pointedly lacks with Rabbi Binder. Ozzie does not fully understand why his mother becomes emotional in lighting the candles, but he still treats the ceremony with reverence for her sake: “When his mother lit candles Ozzie felt there should be no noise; even breathing, if you could manage it, should be softened” (143). Ozzie knows that his mother always grows teary while lighting these candles, even before the passing of his father, and deduces that her emotion is not for his father but for the candles. He senses that it is an important ritual for her and does his best to honor that. He demonstrates the Strength of Relationships in Jewish Families through his commitment and support of her. He honors the reverence of the ceremony, for his mother, to preserve the atmosphere and protect her from the outside world while she shares this meaningful moment with him. His lack of understanding over her tears only further amplifies his commitment to her, showing that he acts in such ways not because he shares her beliefs and emotions but because she is his mother.

When Ozzie flees to the roof and begins making a scene over Rabbi Binder’s treatment of him, a crowd gathers. While Rabbi Binder is mortified and Ozzie’s classmates rejoice at the excitement, the janitor Yakov Blotnik hangs in the doorway. He is an observant, quiet man, who takes in the scene and understands that there could be larger consequences than the boy’s fall. Yakov sees the stunt as a reflection on the Jewish community and knows that he must act to resolve the issue before it grows out of control: “[H]e knew it wasn’t good—that is, it wasn’t-good-for-the-Jews. For Yakov Blotnik life had fractionated itself simply: things were either good-for-the-Jews or no-good-for-the-Jews” (150). Yakov sees Ozzie and Rabbi Binder’s drama as a source of trouble for the community around them and an event that could reflect badly on the Jewish community. His concerns stem from experiences with Class and Status as a Source of Conflict. He understands the severity of antisemitism and its rise based on public perception of Jewish communities. In his experience, the Jewish community’s acceptance within wider communities is always provisional and easily revoked, and he fears that Ozzie’s flight to the roof may lead to a bad reaction by the local community. He does not want the status of the synagogue, the rabbi, or the Jewish community at large to be impacted, and thus he calls the fire department.