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My Father's Paradise
My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Family's Past | Ariel Sabar
8 posts | 5 read | 19 to read
In a remote corner of the world, forgotten for nearly three thousand years, lived an enclave of Kurdish Jews so isolated that they still spoke Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Mostly illiterate, they were self-made mystics and gifted storytellers and humble peddlers who dwelt in harmony with their Muslim and Christian neighbors in the mountains of northern Iraq. To these descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel, Yona Sabar was born. Yona's son Ariel grew up in Los Angeles, where Yona had become an esteemed professor, dedicating his career to preserving his peoples traditions. Ariel wanted nothing to do with his fathers strange immigrant heritageuntil he had a son of his own. Ariel Sabar brings to life the ancient town of Zakho, discovering his familys place in the sweeping saga of Middle-Eastern history. This powerful book is an improbable story of tolerance and hope set in what today is the very center of the worlds attention.
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review
Cinfhen
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Pickpick

I‘ve started this book SO MANY TIMES but was never able to stick with it. Today, I picked it up and literally couldn‘t put it down. It‘s probably a niche read, but the story of the last Kurdish Jews was ABSOLUTELY riveting to me. When the First Temple was destroyed in 587 BCE, a group of Jewish exiles fled to the mountains of now Iraq and remained there for the next 2500 years!!! The author‘s father was the last remaining Jew to have his👇🏽

Cinfhen Bar Mitzvah in Zahko. In 1953 Iraq threw all its Jews out of the country and many immigrated to Israel, the land they had been banished from centuries earlier. Once arriving in Israel, the Kurdish Jews found themselves shunned & ridiculed as their European counterparts found them ignorant, uneducated mountain people. 👇🏽 4y
Cinfhen Yona Saber broke the mold by becoming a linguistics scholar as he taught & reintroduce his mother tongue, Aramaic, to a new generation. This would work next month for #FoodAndLit #Israel and #ReadingAsia21 #Iraq @Butterfinger @Texreader @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle (edited) 4y
Cinfhen This is also a #Pop21 #AdvancedPrompt 4y
See All 10 Comments
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 4y
Cinfhen Thanks so much @TrishB 🧡 4y
Librarybelle This sounds very impactful ❤️ 4y
BarbaraBB Fab review! 4y
Cinfhen Thanks @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle I‘m not sure this book would appeal to everyone but the history was enthralling for me. 4y
Butterfinger I want to read this badly because of your wonderful review. 4y
Cinfhen Awwww, thank you @Butterfinger 😊that‘s a lovely compliment 4y
98 likes4 stack adds10 comments
blurb
BookishMe
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#BoundTogetherJune Paradise

A forgotten title in my #TBR - oops!

Cinfhen I‘ve started this book a half a dozen times.....I NEED to actually read it already 4y
BookishMe @Cinfhen fingers crossed for you it happens soon enough 😊 😊 4y
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Cinfhen
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1. My son‘s best friend got married on Sunday!!! CRAZZZY, I was just driving them to pre-school 😫Where does the time go???
2. Coffee and a rugelach ( see my previous post) 😉
3. A son‘s journey
4. A basketball 🏀
5. I‘m 5‘5 on a good day ☺️

#HumpDayPost @MinDea

Cathythoughts Where does the time go!?!!!! It really is crazy. ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
TrishB Bonkers how time flies.....💜 6y
emilyhaldi ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
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Cinfhen I feel like Tevya from Fiddler on the Roof🎻 “sunrise, sunset”and all those years in between @emilyhaldi @TrishB @Cathythoughts 6y
SledgeReader Okay! Believe it or not - my mother sang me to sleep with “sunrise, sunset” as a child! (edited) 6y
Cinfhen OF COURSE, she did @SledgeReader my MOM hummed this tune ALL the TIME 😂😂😂 6y
SledgeReader I think we should just assume from now on that we are in sync and point out the differences. 🤣🤣🤣 6y
109 likes7 comments
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Cinfhen
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#HeyJune I‘ve heard amazing things about this memoir of son who journeys from Los Angeles to northern Iraq to discover his father‘s heritage. And that tiny little pastry is called a Rugelach (/ˈruːɡələx) {{part of my heritage}} and my kosher kryptonite! Very popular in Israel, whenever I see one I HAVE to try it #AnytimeAtAll 😋Trust me, they‘re delicious😊🧡

GypsyKat I love everything about this post! That book sounds fascinating, and that pastry looks scrumptious! 💗 6y
Cathythoughts Book sounds great. And that little pastry looks divine 💫 6y
LeeRHarry This sounds like a great read 😊 6y
See All 24 Comments
LeahBergen I want to try a rugelach now! 6y
Cinfhen Fresh out of the oven with the chocolate oozing out is the BEST way to try one ~ HEAVEN @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts @GypsyKat 😇😇😇 6y
Simona I have to googled, and they looks like croissants 🤤😋🤤😋 6y
CoffeeAndABook Nice picture 📸 and that book sounds inspiring!! Enjoy your morning 🥐☕️ 6y
Cinfhen Oooh, cute emoji‘s @CoffeeAndABook 😜and yes, rugelach are first cousins with the croissant @Simona and YES they sell Nutella rugelach 🤩 6y
Cinfhen I prefer rugelach @Simona they are less flaky and not as buttery tasting! 6y
erzascarletbookgasm The book sounds good. Is the pastry sweet or savoury? 6y
Cinfhen They are sweet because of their rich fillings but they aren‘t overly sugary or buttery @erzascarletbookgasm they pair really well with a coffee or tea ☕️ ❤️ 6y
Simona I actually like croissants because of the buttery taste, but anything with Nutella...🤤😋 6y
KGlibrarian I loved this book! 6y
Nitpickyabouttrains My favorite rugelach in Israel are from marzipan bakery! And like a year ago they started freezing them and selling them here in DC! It‘s awesome. 6y
Cinfhen OMG!!! That‘s the HOLY GRAIL of rugelach @Nitpickyabouttrains ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️my corner bakery sells them fresh EVERY DAY but it‘s not the same as getting them from the shuk location 🙌🏻 6y
Cinfhen I‘m glad to hear @KGlibrarian Everyone I know who‘s read it has said it‘s amazing 💙 (edited) 6y
emilyhaldi Love love love rugelach!!! ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
Leftcoastzen Ahhhhh, Yum ,Yum Yum rugelach. 6y
minkyb Rugelach...❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️ 6y
ElishaLovesBooks Yum! Is that rugelach from Machane Yehuda?? From your visit to Jerusalem? I hear that‘s where all the foodie action is at these days!!! 6y
Cinfhen Machane Yehuda is such a foodie scene @ElishaLovesBooks It‘s AMAZING but these rugelach are from the corner makolet and they‘re delish!!! Shabbat Shalom ~ did camp start yet??? 6y
ElishaLovesBooks @Cinfhen Awesome! Yes-thank goodness camp started. The little ones are out of the house! 😄🤗 And my husband just came back from the store with rugelach for Shabbos! 😂😂 6y
121 likes2 stack adds24 comments
blurb
Cinfhen
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Was saving a Gentleman in Moscow for my last read of 2017, as it was meant for bookclub (on Dec28) but bookclub has been postponed until Jan so I'm going with this memoir, which has been on my TBR for a few years!!! I've heard good things🤞🏼🤞🏼

LeahBergen This sounds like such an interesting read. I can‘t remember if you‘ve read this one? 7y
Cinfhen N0, but I just stacked!!! Sounds Fascinating 🙌🏻thanks for the recommendation and happy Holidays 😘😘😘😘 @LeahBergen (edited) 7y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Gentlemen in Moscow is going to be our February read for #BotmBuddyRead ❤️ 7y
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emilyhaldi Oooohh nice! I suppose I should think about what my last read of the year will be! 🤔 gotta make it a good one! 7y
Cinfhen Good to know @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🤗🤗I know @emilyhaldi the pressure!!!! 7y
TrishB Enjoy ❤️ I‘m currently reading with that book mark 😁 7y
Cinfhen It‘s a newish favorite bookmark 😍 @trishb 😉 7y
Reviewsbylola You may not have finished Moscow by the new year. It was a slow read for me! 7y
DivineDiana I loved this book! 7y
140 likes3 stack adds9 comments
review
DivineDiana
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Pickpick

I learned so much from this Book Club pick and the timing for this choice was astounding.The American born son of a Jewish man from Kurdish Iraq tells the story of his father's forced departure with his family from Iraq,to Israel and finally to the United States during the 1950's and 1960's. Fascinating insight into the conflict between the Jews and Moslems in the Middle East as well as the struggles of being a refugee. #diversereads

DivineDiana @Cinfhen Yes, it was! I loved it! 8y
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DivineDiana
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Even more of a mystery was that Ephraim gave up a half night's sleep- the salve of old men everywhere, as far as Yona could tell- for books. Books!

kspenmoll Fancy that! 📚 8y
tpixie @kspenmoll yes! Fancy That!! 8y
46 likes3 comments
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DivineDiana
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Current Book Club read. #diversity #autobiography

54 likes3 stack adds