In Remote Communities, Familiar Traditions
The Jewish cemetery in Sarajevo, Bosnia was on the front lines of the civil war during the 1990s. (Photo by Charles London)
Writer Charles London recently spent a year, traveling to far-flung Jewish communities abroad — from Rangoon, Burma to Esfahan, Iran — as well as to two vibrant communities in the American South and, ultimately, to Israel. He recounts the journey in his new book, “Far From Zion: In Search of a Global Jewish Community” (William Morrow). He recently visited the Forward’s studio to discuss the lost Virginia shtetl that was the impetus for his journey, what the Jewish communities of New Orleans, La. and Uganda have in common, and where, in his travels, he felt most and least comfortable as a gay, Jewish American.
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View a slideshow of the stops along Charles London’s journey:
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