Keeping the Promise

August 1, 2004
Gr 1-5-A Dutch rabbi named Simon Dasberg carried a tiny Torah scroll with him wherever he went. He even carried it with him to Bergen-Belsen. There, he carried out a Bar Mitzvah for a 13-year-old boy in the concentration camp. He gave the tiny Torah scroll to him as a gift, commanding him to keep it and always tell the story. It was this very scroll that was taken into space by Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon aboard the ill-fated Columbia. His inspiring words were "This little Sefer Torah in particular shows the ability of the Jewish people to survive everything, even the darkest of times, and to always look forward with hope and faith for the future." This book belongs on the shelves of Hebrew day schools and synagogue libraries nationwide. Paired with Barbara Sofer's Ilan Ramon: Israel's Space Hero (Kar-Ben, 2004), it will give students insight into a true hero's journey as well as a lesson in history and humanity. Orback's full-page oil paintings tell a story in themselves; while some tend to be on the dark side, they are in keeping with the tone of the presentation.-Sandra Kitain, Abrams Hebrew Academy, Yardley, PA

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.