He explains to Asher, who had never heard the name before, that Chagall is the greatest living Jewish artist, with Picasso being the greatest of all time. When Asher’s uncle Yitzchok, Aryeh’s brother, comes to visit, he takes note of his nephew’s drawings and proclaims him a young Chagall. Asher’s father works and travels for the Rebbe, and Asher is often left alone with a housekeeper. The death sends his mother into a tailspin, resulting in a prolonged depression. They are told that he died in a car accident while he was traveling for the Rebbe, a religious leader. Yaakov was studying history and Russian affairs. When Asher is six years old, his family receives news of the death of his uncle Yakov, his mother’s only brother. His father is an emissary for the Rebbe, the leader of the Ladover Hasidic community. While his mother tends to nurture his artistic abilities, encouraging Asher to make pretty drawings for her, his father regards his son’s creative pursuits with disdain. He is the only child of a devout Orthodox couple Rivkeh and Aryeh Lev.

From a young age, Asher demonstrates extraordinary talent as a painter. The novel is a coming-of-age story that follows Asher as he matures and comes into his own, both as an artist and a Jew.

His art proves to be a matter of controversy within his family as well as his community. Asher is described as being a loner, spending most of his time alone focusing on his artistic pursuits. The book’s protagonist, Asher Lev, is a Hasidic Jewish boy who lives in New York City. My Name Is Asher Lev is a novel by American author and rabbi Chaim Potok.

Chaim potok paintings