Chap­ter 17: The Bull­frog delves into the chal­lenges faced by the Aha­vat Achim con­gre­ga­tion in Pottstown, espe­cial­ly in the wake of Chona’s hos­pi­tal­iza­tion. The tem­ple, a his­tor­i­cal struc­ture built by Chona’s father, begins to unrav­el with the arrival of new Hun­gar­i­an mem­bers, one of whom, Mr. Hud­son, dis­cov­ers a giant bull­frog in the mik­vah. Infu­ri­at­ed, he promis­es a sig­nif­i­cant dona­tion for the con­struc­tion of a new mik­vah, demand­ing that it be twice the size of the orig­i­nal and made of Car­rara mar­ble. Despite the tem­ple’s severe finan­cial con­straints, this request high­lights the dis­cord between the tem­ple’s ideals and its prac­ti­cal real­i­ties. The influx of new mem­bers cre­ates addi­tion­al stress on the temple’s already strained resources, caus­ing fric­tion between the old and new con­gre­gants.

A meet­ing is held to dis­cuss these mount­ing con­cerns, and Rab­bi Karl Feld­man strug­gles to main­tain order amidst the esca­lat­ing chaos. As the dis­cus­sions unfold, it becomes evi­dent that water issues are com­pli­cat­ing the cre­ation of the new mik­vah. Rab­bi Feld­man reluc­tant­ly admits that the tem­ple has been forced to use water from a well, as the town has nev­er pro­vid­ed a prop­er water sup­ply to the site. This dis­clo­sure adds depth to the com­mu­ni­ty’s inter­nal dynam­ics, as it con­nects direct­ly to Chona’s pri­or dis­putes with Mr. Plitz­ka, a local farmer, and fur­ther com­pli­cates rela­tion­ships with town author­i­ties. The congregation’s finan­cial strug­gles and the lack of basic resources cre­ate a tense atmos­phere, with some mem­bers feel­ing frus­trat­ed by the lack of progress while oth­ers argue over the best course of action.

Ten­sions rise as con­gre­gants, espe­cial­ly Mr. Hud­son and Irv Skrupske­lis, clash over the man­age­ment of the temple’s resources and the health con­cerns sur­round­ing Chona. Their dis­putes touch on the larg­er issues of faith, com­mu­ni­ty respon­si­bil­i­ties, and the prac­ti­cal real­i­ties of main­tain­ing a place of wor­ship. As frus­tra­tions grow, Hud­son calls for mod­ern­iza­tion and a reeval­u­a­tion of the temple’s role in the com­mu­ni­ty, advo­cat­ing for changes that could bring the insti­tu­tion into align­ment with con­tem­po­rary needs and expec­ta­tions. This request reflects a broad­er desire for progress in the face of the temple’s long­stand­ing issues and its inabil­i­ty to adapt to mod­ern demands. While these per­son­al and com­mu­ni­ty con­flicts unfold, the dia­logue also high­lights the ongo­ing strug­gle to rec­on­cile the tem­ple’s past with its future.

The chap­ter is a reflec­tion of the resilience and inter­con­nect­ed­ness of the char­ac­ters as they grap­ple with the var­i­ous chal­lenges that face them. The unex­pect­ed dis­cov­ery of the bull­frog sym­bol­izes larg­er, often hid­den prob­lems that can dis­rupt even the most estab­lished insti­tu­tions. As the char­ac­ters nav­i­gate these com­mu­nal strug­gles, the sto­ry delves into themes of iden­ti­ty, faith, and the com­plex­i­ties of main­tain­ing com­mu­ni­ty ties in a rapid­ly chang­ing world. The bull­frog, seem­ing­ly a triv­ial annoy­ance, becomes a cat­a­lyst for address­ing deep­er issues with­in the con­gre­ga­tion, includ­ing the tem­ple’s out­dat­ed infra­struc­ture and strained resources. Ulti­mate­ly, the chap­ter speaks to the ten­sions between tra­di­tion and progress, high­light­ing the dif­fi­cul­ty of pre­serv­ing cul­tur­al and reli­gious prac­tices while also adapt­ing to the evolv­ing needs of the com­mu­ni­ty.

The nar­ra­tive also touch­es on the broad­er impli­ca­tions of faith and com­mu­ni­ty dynam­ics, show­ing how the tem­ple, as both a spir­i­tu­al and social insti­tu­tion, is influ­enced by exter­nal pres­sures and inter­nal con­flicts. The ongo­ing bat­tle for con­trol over resources, such as water and finances, reflects the town’s larg­er strug­gles with iden­ti­ty and sur­vival. While the char­ac­ters strive to main­tain their faith and tra­di­tions, they must also face the real­i­ties of their cir­cum­stances, includ­ing the lim­i­ta­tions of their phys­i­cal space and the evolv­ing demands of their mem­bers. The chap­ter pro­vides a poignant look at the com­plex­i­ties of faith, com­mu­ni­ty, and progress, under­scor­ing how even the small­est of dis­rup­tions, like a bull­frog, can prompt deep­er reflec­tions on the direc­tion of an insti­tu­tion and its role in the lives of its mem­bers.