The Qara-Daghian (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781647508906)

"Is it appropriate to recite 'Shema Israel' in this place?"

In a dreamlike moment, I found myself in the synagogue, surrounded by people wrapped in prayer shawls and the thrilling voice of the cantor, Hakham Abdullah. I imagined my grandfather, Hakham Nissim, hovering beside me, whispering verses with his angelic voice, encouraging me to pray in this place that was once ours. Inspired by his presence, I set my heart on righting the insult to my grandfather's memory. With permission granted, I prepared to pray, facing Jerusalem as is the Jewish tradition, stunning those around me.

Born in Halabja, the gas-hit city of Kurdistan, the writer recounts the tribulations of an Aramaic-speaking Qaradaghian Jewish tribe spanning five generations. This poignant memoir weaves together fascinating family stories, some tragic and others filled with love and heroism. The climax of the book is a nostalgic visit to the landscapes from which the author was uprooted as a child. His 2018 visit, published in the Kurdish media under the headline 'The first Jew to return to Halabja since 1950, ' reveals the harsh reality of the Muslims rushing to build a mosque on the ruins of the synagogue.

In the city of Slemanyia, the writer visits the Great Synagogue where his grandfather served as rabbi, now converted into a mosque. Here, he sets a precedent by praying in a place where no Jewish prayer had been held for 67 years, a testament to the enduring spirit of the lost people in the land of Assyria. The hardships that began 2,700 years ago continued in the Land of Israel, where the writer undergoes immigration experiences until his successful integration into the New-Old Land.