Raschi in Prague by Emma Lazarus

The story revolves around a young Jewish woman who travels from New York to Prague to claim her family's ancestral home. She becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding the building and uncovers dark secrets about her own family's past.

By Emma Lazarus · First published 1887 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Drama · 4,430 words

First lines

Raschi of Troyes, the Moon of Israel, / The authoritative Talmudist, returned / From his wide wanderings under many skies, / To all the synagogues of the Orient, / Through Spain and Italy, the isles of Greece, / Beautiful, dolorous, sacred Palestine, / Dead, obelisked Egypt, floral, musk-breathed Persia, / Laughing with bloom, across the Caucasus, / The interminable sameness of bare steppes, / Through dark luxuriance of Bohemian woods, / And issuing on the broad, bright Moldau vale, / Entered the gates of Prague. Here, too, his fame, / Being winged, preceded him. His people swarmed / Like bees to gather the rich honey-dew / Of learning from his lips. Amazement filled / All eyes beholding him. No hoary sage, / He who had sat in Egypt at the feet / Of Moses ben-Maimuni, called him friend; / Raschi the scholiast, poet, and physician, / Who bore the ponderous Bible's storied wisdom, / The Mischna's tangled lore at tip of tongue, / Light as a garland on a lance, appeared / In the just-ripened glory of a man.

• Open reader

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Genres

• Historical Fiction — The narrative is set in a historical context, focusing on the life of Raschi, a Jewish scholar in Prague, and explores themes of cultural identity and historical events.
• Literary Fiction — The writing style is rich and poetic, emphasizing character development and thematic depth, typical of literary fiction.
• Drama — The story contains intense emotional conflicts and dramatic interactions between characters, particularly in the context of societal tensions.
• Religious Fiction — The work delves into Jewish religious themes, exploring the significance of faith and cultural heritage.

Tags

Jewish Heritage · Historical Fiction · 19th Century · Prague Setting · Czech History · Rabbinic Legend · Mysticism · Spirituality · Religious Themes · Philosophical Debates · Talmudic Studies · Kabbalistic Symbolism

What this Textopian page supports

Raschi in Prague is listed on Textopian as a poem by Emma Lazarus, dated 1887 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Poem
• Author: Emma Lazarus
• Date: 1887 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Drama, Religious Fiction, Social Commentary
• Length: 4,430 words
• Structure: 1 section, 20 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for Raschi in Prague by Emma Lazarus
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

More by Emma Lazarus

• The New Colossus (1883)
• The New Year. Rosh-Hashanah, 5643 (1882)
• The Crowing of the Red Cock (1882)
• In Exile (1888)
• In Memoriam Rev. J. J. Lyons. Rosh-Hashanah, 5638 (1877)
• The Valley of Baca. Psalm LXXXIV (1882)
• The Banner of the Jew (1882)
• The Guardian of the Red Disk (1882)
• All works by Emma Lazarus