“The Book 0f Abraham” by Marek Halter

from Young Israel of North Netanya Rosh Hashana 5783

The Queen and I—The Celebration of the Queens’ Platinum Jubilee

Reviewed by Marlene Knepler

Most of us can trace our family tree and history back maybe to our grandparents or maybe our greatgrandparents, but how many of us could possibly trace our family back some two thousand years!

Author Marek Halter, born MeirIkhiel ben Salomon ben Avraham, in Warsaw in 1936, has written an amazing story of his family’s life over a period of two thousand years, from a first Avraham who was a scribe and who witnessed the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70, to a modern Avraham, his Grandfather, a printer, who perished in the flames of the Warsaw Ghetto.

When my grandson, Elinoam, celebrated his Barmitzvah (ךל תשרפ ךל) last October at the Kotel, part of the family celebration was a visit to the “תורודה תרשרש” (Chain of Generations) exhibit next to the Kotel. This exhibit traced the history of the Jewish people from Avraham Avinu to the present day. All the Barmitzvah celebrants were photographed prior to the tour and at the end of the visit, all our photos were added to the Chain of Generations projected on the walls inside. It was an emotional and uplifting experience to feel that we were continuing the Chain of the Jewish people into the next generation!

So, how much more an emotional journey it must have been for author, Marek Halter, to write this beautiful, illuminating, microcosmic glimpse into the history of the Jewish people, through the story of his family, played out on the stage of all the world events from Temple times to today.

He explains that the first Avraham, who lived through the destruction of the Temple was his ancestor from eighty generations back, some nineteen centuries ago, and he was a Scribe.

The Halter family were Printers and Publishers. Marek sets out to trace his descendants from Avraham the Scribe to his grandfather Salomon Halter, the Printer/Publisher. The inspiration came to him after his mother Perl died and he began to

travel over the world on the trail of Avraham and his descendants. He drew up lists and names, dates, and events. He gathered as much information as he could, made recordings of adventure stories and legends.

Eventually, this wonderful book was born. The chain of his family passes from the destruction in Jerusalem into exile in Alexandria, to Rome, Toledo, Cordova, Narbonne, Troyes, Strasbourg, Benfeld, Soncino, Salonika, Constantinople, Lublin, Amsterdam, Zolkiew, Konigsberg, Paris, Warsaw. The first Avraham started the family Book/Scroll, writing down the names of the family members and recording the history of their days, and so on through the generations. Each generation continued to record in the Book of Abraham their names, their adventures, their hopes and dreams, from father to son, to the millers of Narbonne, the Strasbourg scribes, the Soncino printers. It was read at every moment of celebration and of danger.

For anyone interested in history, this book is a must, as it weaves its way through the whole history of the Jews, the good times and the persecutions and pogroms, all through the eyes of one family. A true family saga. A