Judith Trachtenberg: A Novel

In a small Galician town under Emperor Franz I, a diligent chandler named Nathaniel Trachtenberg has built a modest fortune, expanding his candle‑making trade and earning the patronage of the local nobility. Though his wealth affords him a comfortable life, he remains fiercely devoted to his Jewish faith, insisting that his family live by tradition while embracing the broader cultural currents of the German‑speaking world.

His daughter Judith, already noted for her striking beauty, grows up under a strict yet enlightened education. Guided by a German tutor and a father who preaches tolerance, she moves between the insular world of the ghetto and the more cosmopolitan circles of Christian peers. As the borders between these communities blur, Judith finds herself navigating expectations, prejudice, and the subtle pressures of a society poised between old customs and modern aspirations.