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ring is a college campus
and the protagonist is a
rabbi.
Rabbi Rebecca
Nachman, daughter of
Holocaust survivors,
gives up being a congregational rabbi
after five years and divorces her husband
before coming to John Brown College to
work as a therapist in the Psychological
Services Department. She has a master
of social work degree and substantial
experience in counseling members of her
former congregation, so she is well quali-
fied to deal with students and their emo-
tional problems. Her empathy for them
is enhanced by a limp, which she
acquired in an auto accident when she
was 8 years old.
On a voluntary basis, at the request of
one of her colleagues, Rebecca conducts
Shabbat services in her home for the few
Jews on the faculty. They persuade her
to request a Torah from the "place in
England where Torah scrolls stolen by
the Nazis had been deposited after the
war" and sent on permanent loan to
congregations all over the world. (This is

Julius Lester

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bpir-r. 228E7:

actually Westminster Synagogue in
London.)
From this point on, after the Torah
arrives, the story combines fascinating
fantasy with an intriguing murder mys-
tery. Adding to the potent mixture is
witty humor and serious consideration
of profound religious issues. Any sum-
mary here would only spoil the delight
that readers will surely encounter in
reading this unusual book.
Lester brings all of his considerable
writing talent, his firsthand knowledge
about academic politics and his idiosyn-
cratic life experiences to bear on his
admirable narrative. He even includes a
black Jew.
The result is a thoughtful and well-
written novel that has wide appeal and
deserves careful and sympathetic atten-
tion.

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Crimson and lead guitarist
Rabbi Jonathan Kligler and Reggie and Kim Harris
John Platania of the Van
Morrison group. Clarinetist
beyond the family and synagogue mem-
Peter Davis adds klezmer sounds.
bers who took part.
"This album was a 100 percent col-
"Personally, this CD represents a com-
laboration with Kim and Reggie," Rabbi ing together of friends," says Kim
Kligler says. "I met Reggie about 17
Harris, who wrote the recording's last
years ago at a basketball clinic in
track, "Freedom Road," with her hus-
Philadelphia, and we've been friends
band to summarize the desire and jour-
ever since. The Harrises moved to
ney toward equality and self-determina-
upstate New York at about the same
tion.
time I became rabbi of the Woodstock
"While it's a peek into the friend-
congregation.
ship we have with Rabbi Kligler and
"Kim and Reggie loved the idea of the his family, it also works on a larger
album when I suggested it three years
scale as a wonderful coming together
ago, but it took a couple of years until
of traditions. It's great to sing about
their schedule could handle it."
the common experiences and emo-
Picking the people heard on the
tions we share."
recording was done in part to have a
— Suzanne Chessle, special writer
mix of Jewish and black performers

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BEST ITALIAN - HOUR MAGAZINE, 2004

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2/10

2005

51

