This book not only tells the tale of a man and his family remaking a life in a new country, it also sadly portrays the end of a culture thousands of years old, the Jewish community in Baghdad. Mr. Shamash recounts his early life there until leaving for college in Middlebury, Vermont as it becomes imperative to leave, persecutions mounting daily for the Jews. As he looks back at his life, his approach is one of openness and curiosity which is a delight to read. Not one to look at obstacles as problems, his positive outlook and diligence enables him to succeed beyond all expectations in the United States. Truly, the book is an inspiration to read, and very compelling historically, as well.
About the Author
There had been a vital and thriving Jewish community in Iraq for 2600 years, dating back to the Babylonian captivity in 586 BC. When Jacob B. Shammash was a teenager, one third of the population of Baghdad was Jewish. Only a couple of decades after the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, that same community ceased to exist, obliterated through persecution and exodus for survival. The author describes his idyllic youth in a land of date palms and orange groves. He is the third of nine children from what was a wealthy business and landowning family. Jacob emigrated from Baghdad to the United States to attend college in 1947. He had no idea that his timing was fortuitous, just before the situation of his people back home became dire. Or that he would never see his homeland again. Dr. Shammash is grateful for the opportunities he had, the successful career he built as a cardio-thoracic and vascular surgeon and pioneer of pacemaker implantation, and the family he loves. On August 8, 2017, at the age of 90, Jacob, his wife of 62 years and his family celebrated his 70th anniversary of his arrival to the United States. His account is gripping, filled with love, horror, sadness and joy.
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