A Promise of Sweet Tea – July 19, 2021 LiveEvents July 14, 2021 1159 A Promise of Sweet Tea Virtual Book Launch Celebrate the launch of Montreal Yiddish thespian Pinchas Blitt’s memoir about survival in the forests of Ukraine. B.Y.O.T. (Bring Your Own Tea) for a free virtual book launch of A Promise of Sweet Tea, a memoir by longtime DWYT member Pinchas Eliyahu Blitt, on July 19 at 7:00 pm EST live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. A Jewish community in prewar Eastern Europe comes alive in this vividly told story of a childhood interrupted by the Holocaust. In his wry and evocative prose, Pinchas Blitt conjures the humble village of Kortelisy in the backwoods of western Ukraine, where he is surrounded by colourful characters and the rich language and traditions of his ancestors. Young Pinchas is beset by fears of Cossacks and wolves and the local antisemitic children, who taunt him for being a Jew, but he finds belonging with his family and in Jewish texts and prayers. When the Soviets invade, Pinchas quickly adapts, but when the Nazis arrive, his beloved village comes under attack, and he and his family must flee and find refuge in the forest. A precarious existence on the run brings Pinchas face to face with his own mortality and faith, and with a sense of dislocation that will accompany him throughout his life. To purchase A Promise of Sweet Tea Pinchas Eliyahu Blitt was born in Kortelisy, Poland (now Ukraine) in 1931 or 1932. Pinchas and his family immigrated to Canada in 1948 and settled in Montreal, where he attended teacher’s college and law school. In addition to a long career as a lawyer, Pinchas was involved in the Yiddish theatre community in Montreal for many years. Pinchas has three children. He lives in Montreal with his life partner, Gisele. Don’t miss a rich evening of music, interviews and dramatic readings by the author from this powerful and illuminating book. www.segalcentre.org
