New York City

The present narrative of City of God is set in New York City which provides a backdrop for the collection of diverse characters in the book. Everett and Thomas Pemberton both walk the streets of New York and simply observe the multiplicity of creation and the diversity of life. New York City serves as a symbol of the ultimate community of all human beings.

The Stolen Cross

The cross is stolen from the church of Thomas Pemberton and placed on the roof of the progressive synagogue run by Rabbi Joshua Gruen.

Barbanel’s Diary

Barbanel records the events of the Holocaust that occur within his ghetto and what information he receives about outside events. His record serves to preserve sanity and a sense of action when it is written and later, when it is rediscovered, to serve as a source of evidence against the perpetrators...