Haim Sabato

Too realistic to be thought of as fiction, Sabato’s engrossing account of a tanker gunner’s experiences in the Golan during the 1973 Yom Kippur War in Israel blend traditional Jewish liturgy with wartime action. The story explores the grueling physical and psychological realities of war experienced by a soldier the Israeli tank corps. Haim relates his personal experience as he seeks to find an answer to what became of his yeshiva friend and study partner Dov who joined the tank corps at show more the same time that he did. This is a gripping account of what it means to be a soldier and how just one individual tries to cope in the chaos of an unexpected war. Long after the story ends, liturgical phrases will be sure to pop up with new meaning in the reader’s mind! This, my friends, is the ultimate never-ending story show less

Ezra is a simple man. He is a religious man and he has a gift for storytelling. Scarred by an event in his childhood he is everlastingly seeking forgiveness. He never guesses in what esteem he is held by his community and friends and for a long time they do not guess what an influence he has on them.
I really enjoyed this book. It is similar to parables or moral tales about a world we no longer know. That is a tragedy because I suspect that a world like that with people like Ezra would be show more more pleasant to live in than what we now have. The true joy he takes in his work, family, friends, and religion is comforting and inspiring.
I suspect that this is a book that will be reread by me because at the end I had a feeling that I had only scratched the surface of this Jerusalem tale. show less

At the heart of this book lie some of the most engrossing and terrifying first hand accounts of war that I've ever read. Haim Sabato's story of a young and observant soldier fighting in the Tank Corps on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 is quite unlike any other book of war writing/memoir that I've previously encountered. Haim's (and his friends') experiences in that dreadful war were all too vivid and real. Threaded throughout the narrative are some of the contemplations, show more prayers, hymns and rituals, that a religious soldier takes a part in. Although of secular persuasion myself, I found many of these passages were extremely humbling. I was reminded of some of those I served with who were also soldiers while maintaining their religious observance. I always marveled at their dedication and resourcefulness in pursuing their faith in such difficult circumstances - this book reinforces that impression. show less

I truly loved this book. It was so beautiful. Beware, though, because I cannot recommend this book to everyone. It is filled with Jewish liturgy (the author teaches in a Jerusalem yehiva), stories within stories, and the pulse of life in Jerusalem. This was a book that for me, a person who had once lived in that golden city, brought nostalgia for Jerusalem to the point of tears. I found myself sometimes drifting into the story itself by "visiting" the places mentioned or "tasting" the ka'ak, show more a type of pastry, or sipping the sweet mint tea. I would say I was more taken in by the setting of this story than most other readers would be.

The main character, Ezra, is a simple man who works in a laundry and lives a life of piety. In his own way, he brings charm to those who know him by the stories he recounts to others.

More memorable characters walk the pages of this book. Rahamim is a blind musician with a story of the past. Dr. Yehudah Tawil is Ezra’s erudite brother-in-law who loves to display his educational prowess. Haham Pinto is the sage who shares his knowledge by delivering religious sermons. Madame Sarah is Ezra’s wife and true soul mate.

The liturgy that accompanied this story was fitting and inspirational. Due to the way in which the author brought authentic teaching to the secularism of his novel, this book filled my soul. I simply did not want it to end. show less