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father-son-estrangement
The rebbe's emotional distance and bitterness toward his son, who was a heroin addict and considered dead to him long before his physical death.
1 chapter across 1 book
The Yiddish Policemen's Union (2007)Michael Chabon
Chapter 17
Detectives Landsman and Berko visit Rabbi Heskel Shpilman, the Verbover rebbe, to inform him of the death of a man they believe to be his son, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances. The rebbe, a massive and imposing figure, reacts with a complex mixture of detachment and bitterness, revealing a strained and distant relationship with his son, who was once considered a potential Messiah figure (Tzaddik Ha-Dor). The chapter explores the tension between faith, familial loss, and the harsh realities faced by the characters.