The Rabbi's Cat Reader Response by M. Schreiber

Melissa Schreiber

Professor: Dr. R. E. Benander

ENGL223      

22 May 2011                                           

                                                                                     

            The Rabbi’s Cat, is a graphic novel written by Joann Sfar in 1988. The novel’s overarching theme is religion and the characters personal struggles of faith. The protagonist is the rabbi’s cat who is never named. In the text the rabbi and his family live in 1930’s Algeria, during a time when Algeria was under French rule. The intense curiosity of the cat all begins after he eats the family’s parrot and the chaos also begins. “My mistress Zlabya says that if cats could talk, they would tell incredible stories. While this act who roams the rooftops every night, never pipes up.” “The rabbi tells her it’s better this way” (5). This foreshadowing set the tone of the struggles to come. Families everywhere have different beliefs, and The Rabbi’s Cat hopes to teach all religions to balance traditional values with modernity.

Our family’s cat is Ella, we got her last year when she was 3 months old, it is the first time I have ever had a cat. Growing up my family had dogs, but no cats. I love to watch Ella and play with her, she is different from a dog in every way, and I love watching her learn and grow. She is interested in everything and anything, especially string. If Ella could talk I think I would listen to her like I do my children, if she was as educated as the rabbi’s cat I think my beliefs would be in jeopardy too.

This text along with the pictures is very similar to my outlook on the world. Religion is very complicated, and there are so many questions and not very many answers, this text allows for modernity to mix with tradition and accept faith being questioned rather than ignore it.

This text communicated to me that it’s okay to have questions and that doubts are normal. Regardless of what religion a person is, there is a lot to learn and something’s are hard to understand. The rabbi struggled with an identity crisis after many years of learning and believing, questioning his faith first made him crazy, but then I think he was free. He didn’t have all the answers and modernity provided the escape the rabbi needed.

I personally believe this text to be important for understanding that balancing religion with modernity is possible. Acknowledging that some questions may not have answers is key to curbing one’s curiosity, I am Catholic and there are many confusing aspects I may never fully understand. This text uses Judaism, yet I believe any religion could be substituted. “I tell him that’s a nice thought, that all humankind is one big family, but all the same it’s just a symbol” (24).

The drawings weren’t beautiful, but they were works of art that told an entire new story. Each story, the text and the pictures were successful and brought controversial questions to life.

I would read more works by Sfar, and I recommend this graphic novel to college level students, art majors and English majors. Adults as well of any religion and especially adults who appreciate pictures that take the time to tell another story.