My Name is Asher Lev discussion questions

1) Who is Asher’s “mythic ancestor,” and what do his “visits” to Asher mean in the book? 2) Discuss the significance of the Levs’ living room window and the venetian blinds? Which characters look out the window, and why? In what way does the window become symbolic at the end of the book?
3) What hints does the reader receive regarding the events of Jacob Kahn’s past experiences as a Jewish artist?
4) Does Asher do the right thing or not by portraying his mother in a crucifixion painting? Discuss.
5) Aryeh’s religious beliefs clash with his son’s love of art. Explain why Aryeh reacts the way he does, and how his reaction impacts his relationship with Asher.
6) What role does the Rebbe play in Asher’s life?
7) Discuss the significance of Asher's lengthy stay in Europe.

8) Why does Potok choose to set My Name is Asher Lev in a Hasidic community?
9) Who plays the largest role in Asher's life and development?
10) Compare and contrast the way Asher's parents relate to him.
11) My Name is Asher Lev focuses heavily on the clash between cultures and the coming of age of a boy caught between two opposed traditions. This conflict is further conveyed in the mixed usage of language from both worlds. For example, at the very beginning of the book there is a paragraph beginning, "Often on Shabbos or festivals…." Here, the colloquial Yiddish word, "Shabbos" for the Sabbath is juxtaposed with the English word, "festivals," for the holidays. In Lev's household, the word "festivals would not have been used. This juxtaposition makes clear the change Lev has undergone and the continued cultural conflict in which he is mired. After all, he has forsaken only some, but not all of the Hebrew or Yiddish expressions for English ones.