Trafika Europe 13 - Russian Ballet

Judeophile

“The only thing remaining is to convert to Judaism,” and here, I smiled gently. He unexpectedly turned serious and even somehow froze up, but then “thawed”. And then he pronounced with a sad pensiveness: “That would be too late, to change my destiny… But, say, if I succeeded in finishing my book. Perhaps even take a trip to Israel, just to take a peek even….” We became close, and I became a frequent guest at his house, even though, to the end, I did not overcome a certain wariness, nor always appreciated his inspired speeches. But I was smitten by a feeling of equality between us and his genuine interest in me as a person; if not for the difference in our ages, it might have been considereda friendship, and I tookpride inourdeveloping closeness. I liked helping him: sorting out the books, running small errands, and sometimes, translating from the English. In addition, I received access to an absolutely amazing library, which contained not only the spellbinding names of Nietzsche, Joseph Flavius, Mommsen (when I boasted about all I had read there in the presence of book lovers, I was showered with the rays of envy and glory, as though I were a courtier who had just come from an audience with the monarch,) but also quite a few literary rarities, including the lifetime publications of those who had been deprived of life, or who were only now coming into fashion with readers or

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