Polish Literature in English Reading Group – September 2026

The Slave by Isaac Bashevis Singer

Originally written in Yiddish by a Polish Jewish émigré, this story recounts the experience of a Jew in the 17th century, the period in which With Fire and Sword is set. Four years after the Chmielnicki massacres of the seventeenth century, Jacob, a slave and cowherd in a Polish village high in the mountains, falls in love with Wanda, his master’s daughter. Even after he is ransomed, he finds he can’t live without her, and the two escape together to a distant Jewish community. Racked by his consciousness of sin in taking a Gentile wife and by the difficulties of concealing her identity, Jacob nonetheless stands firm as the violence of the era threatens to destroy the ill-fated couple.

PACIM Library has a couple of copies of the novel, as well as other books by the author, available in both English and Polish.

Google Meet meeting details will be emailed to individuals who register using the button below.

This event is free to attend, but if you’d like to support our reading group and help cover costs, we invite you to make a donation.

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