Saturday, October 4, 2008

MY FATHER'S PARADISE : A SON'S SEARCH FOR HIS JEWISH PAST IN KURDISH IRAQ
by Ariel Sabar

For 2700 years a community of Kurdish Jews lived in the mountainous area of Zakho, Iraq. They lived peacefully with their Christian and Muslim neighbors.
In the 1950s the Jews of Zakho were airlifted to the new state of Israel. Within no time, their exotic culture would soon be extinct as they tried to blend into their surroundings.
Ariel Sabar didn't really know much about Yona, his father. And, he didn't really care growing up in Los Angeles. He just thought his father was strange, holding on to the past. Even though Yona became a renowned authority on the Aramaic language, it didn't phase Ariel. Not until the birth of his first son.
In My Father's Paradise Sabar writes about his family's history in four generations. It is quite a saga. With his skills as a journalist, he pens an incredible tale.
A terrific story, wonderfully told.
Highly recommended.