The Dawning of the Day: A Jerusalem Tale

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 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 show more scratched the surface of this Jerusalem tale. 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, 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 show more 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

Although the religious aspects of this story are a little too abundant for my personal taste, the overall story and its characters are quite engaging and I enjoyed Sabato's tale very much. It's really interesting to see how all the other characters see Ezra's piety, while he seems blind to it himself. Instead, he focuses on the little thoughtless comments people let slip when they're frustrated within themselves, unaware that Ezra take their comments closely to heart, and the reader suffers with him. For some reason, the book seems to end twice, which bothered me quite a bit (although both endings are rewarding), since at the first ending, I found myself smiling though tears and wishing that it had ended on that note, then wondering why show more the books still had some forty pages left. All in all, an enjoyable read, which provided some real insight into a world and culture which is foreign to many. show less

This book made me very sleepy. I will confess I have yet to finish it, for which I feel guilty, as it was given to me to review. I tried very hard, even picking it back up a few times in moments of strong will, but it still kept putting me out like a light.

The story is very slow-paced, meandering, one hopes, towards some kind of conclusion, but who knows if it gets there? I did at least get far enough to come across a few interesting moments of revelation, but by the time the story works its way around to them, I couldn't much make myself care.

If you are the type who is really into storytelling or likes what they call "quiet books," then I bet you'd enjoy this one. There's no denying it is well-crafted. It may also work as a Jewish show more interest book -- come to think of it, it is so thoroughly steeped in old-world Judaism it might only work as a Jewish interest book -- but even that wasn't enough to hold my interest.

I'm going to have to absolve myself of the guilt (much like the story's main character) and come to terms with the fact that this is one story I simply won't be able to finish. show less

An inspiring tale of a simple Jewish man who lives his faith through everything he does in the normal routines of his day in the Sephardic community of Jerusalem. Even while Ezra Siman Tov cleans and presses prayer shawls in a laundry he feels close to the faith of those wear them,usually young grooms whose brides have given them as the traditional wedding gift. As the secular world slowly erodes the traditional ways of his old neighborhood, he continues to love God and Torah. He is known to everyone as a storyteller and is surrrounded in life by holy and sometimes eccentric characters who are accustomed to stopping him and saying "Ezra, tell us a story!".
Viewed as a pious man by others, Ezra does not feel that he is because he carries show more a secret sin and is burdened with the heart-breaking loss of a daughter he does not speak of.
Ultimately this is a love story, the love between a man and his God who comforts him through all things. A story for everyone, religious or not, for who is not fed by the things of the spirit? The writing is beautiful. The story is poignant, tender, perfect. show less

A truly beautiful tale of Ezra Siman Tov. A simple man, a storyteller, a religious man who has dedicated every part of his life to god. He thinks he is unworthy due to an incident that occured during childhood, yet is deeply loved and honoured within his community.

Each chapter tells us a small part of his story. Through these tales and homilies, told by both religious leaders and by Ezra himself, we learn about him and his life.

If I had a pencil while reading, my book would be filled with underlined passages. The text was as thought provoking as it was elegant. A lovely book.

The Dawning of The Day gives a very detailed glimpse into the life of Evra Simon Tov. He is a truly honourable man, and is deeply devoted to his faith in virtually all aspects of his life and behaviour. His story telling abilities are perhaps his greatest gift. I was happy when he finally started to put his stories into written format. This seemed to bring at least one reward in terms of his family life. I also hope Evra Simon Tov discovered that he is as intellectually gifted and wise, if not more so, than the many scholars who surround him.