Dear Friends, Now that summer is ending we want to welcome back all those who were away, however breifly.
We want to make you aware of some new material that we have seen that may be of interest. We have just gotten an new book by Ezra Malakov, 'Musical Treasures of the Bukharian Jewish Community.' The book which is tri-lingual in both Russian, Hebrew and English, captures and documents the music of this central Asian Jewish community with many melodies, prayers, poetry and liturgical poetry. The work, which is over 444 pages, includes MUSICAL NOTES and transliteration of the songs in English as well as Hebrew and (some) Judeo-Tajik. The book includes an introduction to the community and Bukharan Jewish History in English as well as in Hebrew and also includes 7 CDs of music, divided among prayers, Sabbath and Holidays. The book also documents and explores the history of the Malakov family of Rabbi's, Cantor's and pious, learned women, as well as inevitably including much, rich folklore, melodies of Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent and Shahrisabz. The book comes in a nice box as well. I would like to highly recommend this book to any Music Library as well as any library of Jewish culture and history. Published by the World Bukharian Jewish Congress, Tel Aviv 2007. Cat. # 64221 $ 82.00 This is something really special and we have a limited number. Please don't be deterred by the multiple media aspect of having accompanying discs. They can be stored separately or in the accompanying box. We would also like to bring to your attention some developments in the area of Holocaust materials. Please let us know what you think and we will be happy to keep you posted on other items. The field of Holocaust research and literature is as broad and varied as any in Jewish Studies or other disciplines. It ranges from memorial books dedicated to individual communities, rabbinics / sifrei kodesh, written by victims who perished during the Holocaust, and those who survived, philosophy, religious or political which is influenced by the Holocaust, memoires and histories written by witnesses and much multi-disciplinary research on the subject. Meir Eldar, an author, Polish Jewish Holocaust survivor has written and self published another important Holocaust book in Hebrew, entitled, 'Yakov Kozalchik ha-Gibor mi-Krynki be-blok 11.' The work is an amazing piece of historical research, replete with testimony, accounts, details, corroborating letters and photos, bibliography and index, as well as a thrilling tale of torture, death and survival. The book examines the true story of a Kapo, in Block 11 at the Auschwitz - Birkenau concentration camps, who was identified in Israel and accused as a war criminal (among others by Polish authorities who sought his extradition from Israel to Poland after the war). The author, with painstaking research, challenges and deconstructs the accusations with alternate, documented accounts, which paint a different picture of Jacub Kozielczuk. Included is the false tale told by Yakov that he was Max Scmelling's, the German boxer's, trainer. This lie may have been part of an elaborate scheme of survival, which endeared this Jewish prisoner to the Germans. Included as well are accounts in which Yakov the Kapo, saved people and also escorted friends to their executions. While he was brutal and friendly with the SS, he also saved certain people and may be the Kapo he was accused of being or the wrongly accused, unsung hero the author depicts. This important work may succeed in rehabilitating the memory of Yakov the Kapo / 'Hero' of Block 11 or not. Either way, the book by Eldar is an important contribution to the analysis, understanding and documentation of the Holocaust. The 98 page book is described as the third edition, although, I am certain that it got negligible distribution and so this 2007 edition will be of interest to many libraries who collect on this subject, isbn 978-965-90404-5-2, Cat. # 64390 $ 22.00 . Moreshet and Yad Vashem have published, 'Be'ikevot ha-Zikaron ha-Mudhak,' 'In the Footsteps of Repressed Memory,' by Yosef Eizenberg. The book by this Israeli educator and survivor of the Lodz ghetto includes much history but is mainly a philosophical and spiritual journey and examination of the holocaust and it's meaning. The book includes much re-evaluation of facts and history in the light of the passage of time and new perspectives on anti-semitism, destiny, heroism, nationalism and Zionism. Isbn 965-7026-64-4, Cat. # 62853 $ 27.00 On the academic side, we should mention, Gilad Margalit's book, 'Ashma, Sevel ve-Zikaron,' 'Guilt, Suffering and Memory Germany Remembers it's Dead of the Second World War,' which was deals with many of the same issues, we have just mentioned and particularly, holocaust denial and acknowledgement, recognition and repentance. The book is published by Haifa University 2007, isbn 965-311-067-5, Cat. # 64208 $25.00 There are many related things to mention, from the CD ROM of Esther Farbstein at the Jerusalem College, Mikhlelet Yerushalayim, 'Korot ha-Sho'ah be'mevo'ot lesifrut ha-rabanit,' (Holocaust and Rabbinic Literature), Cat. # 63652 $ 44.00, to, 'In Jewish Lithuania Paths,' a Hebrew guide, including much history, maps, photos, addresses and phone numbers, by Akiva Sela, isbn 965-7234-04-2, published by Mikhlelet Efrata, 2007, Cat. 64382 $ 16.00 In years past a holocaust memoire entitled, 'Haya'ar ha-Adom,' was published by Alpeh publishing, Tel Aviv 1982 and authored by Yitzhak Shumovitz. The book which was originally published in Hebrew has been published in English, entitled, 'The Red Forest,' by Rivka Teyer, the daughter of Isaac Shumowitz about the travails of their family during the holocaust including how they survived in hiding. The new book is not only more accessible in English but also has a more detailed and frank discussion on the death of small, sick child who was smothered so as to save the others in hiding. Cat. # 60140 $24.00 Lastly, for now and at the other end of the spectrum is Ram Oren's latest, 'Ha-Shevu'ah,' 'The Oath,' published by Keshet, is a true holocaust story of oppression, death, salvation and escape, by the best selling Israeli writer better known for his fiction. Cat. # 64258 $ 25.50 Please let us know what interests you and keep in touch, Wishing all of you a Happy and Healthy New Year from all of us at Jerusalem Books ltd. Sincerely, Jeff Spitzer Jerusalem Books, pob 26190 Jerusalem 91261, Israel <http://www.jerusalembooks.co.il>www.jerusalembooks.co.il tel/fax 972-2-643-3580 Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
