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Chona Ludlow is a Jewish resident of Chicken Hill who runs the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store and is married to Moshe Ludlow. She possesses a strong sense of right and wrong is one of the novel's strongest symbols of justice, regularly speaking out against oppression. She spends years advocating for Jewish rights and is unafraid to take a stand. For example, when she notices that Doc Roberts is a member of the Ku Klux Klan, she writes letters attacking the KKK and threatens to expose Doc's association with it. Similarly, when Gus Plitzka refuses to supply the shul with water, Chona condemns him in the press. When Dodo is in trouble with the state, she opens her home to him, hiding him from the government despite the associated personal risk. 

Because of her unwavering defense of the powerless and loyalty to the people of Chicken Hill, Chona is widely beloved and respected by the town's Jewish and Black communities. She is a true symbol of unconditional kindness and it is Chona, more than any other character in the novel, who fosters connection between Chicken Hill's Jews and African Americans, personifying a bridge between the two communities. Her kindness is reflected back at her, creating a ripple effect of compassion and solidarity. When Chona falls ill, Black community members rush to her aid, including Addie and Nate Timblin. This mutual aid is a testament to the deep bonds she has fostered with those around her. Later, when Addie and Nate's nephew, Dodo, is unjustly imprisoned at Pennhurst, the Jewish community rallies behind him. Chona, Moshe, Isaac, and several others step forward to aid in the boy's rescue. This interconnected web of support—stemming from Chona's kindness—between the Black and Jewish communities of Chicken Hill illustrates how compassion and solidarity can transcend cultural boundaries.

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