Joan Lipinsky Cochran is a South Florida-based writer whose crime and mystery novels focus on subcultures of American Judaism. The Hasidic Rebbe’s Son is the second book in the Becks Ruchinsky Mystery Series.
The beginnings of The Hasidic Rebbe’s Son
Joan said the story began when she met a young man at a party who told her about growing up in a strict Hasidic sect in London. “He said that when he left his community a half dozen years earlier, he’d received almost no secular education, spoke only Yiddish and came from a rabbinical family that dated back decades and expected him to follow the family tradition. He overcame what sounded like insurmountable challenges to leave his family, then enter mainstream life and attend a competitive British college.”
With that germ of an idea in her mind, Joan began researching the Hasidic lifestyle. “I talked with other ultra-Orthodox people about Hasidic communities and the heart-breaking choices people who leave them face. It struck me that a murder mystery was an ideal forum for exploring the secrets and community dynamics of this insular group.”
Joan also said that she’d set this book aside numerous times for fear of dishonoring a sect(s) of Judaism about which she initially knew little. After spending time researching and talking with friends who are Hasidic, she felt more comfortable approaching the subject. “I hope I’ve struck some sort of balance between what I see as the isolating, limiting lifestyle of many Hasidic individuals and the beauty of living a life infused with spirituality and meaning.”
The danger of secrets
“I‘ve addressed the perils of keeping secrets, even with the best intentions. The compulsion to hide what you know can be a personality quirk, but it is often rooted in ethnic customs, family dynamics and even religious tradition. Witness Omerta, the Italian code of silence in the face of authority. While investigating a religious young man’s death, my protagonist Becks Ruchinsky is frustrated to discover such codes are part of ultra-religious Jewish tradition and can destroy lives and lead to murder.”
Library joy
Joan said that while researching another book in this series, The Yiddish Gangster’s Daughter, she came across a familiar story. “I found a microfiche newspaper article about a family friend being fished out of the Miami River wearing ‘cement boots’—his feet encased in cement. I’d heard bits of the story as a youngster but was shocked and upset at learning the details of his death.”
As a former journalist and freelance writer, Joan said she’s more than a bit addicted to research. “Research is a wonderful way to spend days in the library and on the internet and as a great form of procrastination. Oh, yes, it also adds a great deal of depth and personality to my writing (at least I hope it does) .Also, I like to model myself after Sherlock Holmes, playing the violin to transform my mind into a zone where I can focus and get on with writing my novels. I suspect Holmes was a better musician than I am, though he reputedly used cocaine as well to stay focused.”
Learn more about Joan Lipinsky Cochran at www.joanlipinskycochran.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.
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Thanks so much for running the interview about The Hasidic Rebbe’s Son. Your questions were so insightful and I think you’ve provided an accurate and meaningful article about why I felt compelled to write this book. Warmest wishes.