The Silent Witness
Books have souls. . . The siddur seemed like nothing more than a dying bequest, an impulse of the moment. Certainly Shammai deserved it, after all the hours he’d spent helping Mr. Enstein, all the times he’d listened patiently to the old man’s complaints and criticisms. So when his daughter, the only one present when Mr. Enstein suffered his heart attack, was told to give the siddur to her father, Shammai accepted it as a reasonable token of appreciation. It was simply the shock, Shammai had thought, that had urged Mr. Enstein to at last express his gratitude. Books have souls. . . Mr. Enstein had little else to give. His house was a house full of books. From floor to ceiling, they had a palpable presence. At times, they almost seemed to guard Mr. Enstein, to give him vitality, even as he watched over them, preserved them, kept them alive. Indeed, for Mr. Enstein, everything seemed to revolve around his books – everything. And why not? Did not the sacred texts speak across the generations, binding them together, give meaning to those who invested themselves in the holy words? Even Shammai, who was no scholar, felt the power of the books. Books have souls. . . Then Shammai found out just how much the siddur was worth – and not just financially. When two previously unknown nephews suddenly appeared, demanding the centerpiece of Mr. Enstein’s collection, Shammai was plunged into a trial not only for possession of the siddur, but something just as precious – his self-respect. One by one his friends, his family, the books themselves were turned against him. As he saw them all used as witnesses to destroy him, Shammai realized he needed – a silent witness.
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“The Silent Witness” offers us a well-developed plot, wonderful characters and a meaningful and challenging moral dilemma, in fact several….The first half of the book builds up the relationships, the family life, introduces characters, and sets the stage for the second half, a very engaging, gripping and suspenseful trial
Interwoven with the present-day narrative were vignettes depicting the passion and risks taken by previous owners of the siddur, a book that symbolized what the Jewish people had been through and how much they had fought and sacrificed to preserve their religion over the years. And now, Shammai, is faced with an equally difficult moral struggle, one that brings with it sacrifice and risks for he, his wife and children, his friendships and his synagogue. From a review by Sharon S. Katz
"David Kaufmann has written a wonderful story about a rare book and the battle for it’s inheritance amongst family members. Set in New Orleans with descriptions so vivid you can literally see yourself on St. Charles Avenue. A masterful storyteller, Kaufmann weaves the plot through twists and turns making it very difficult to put the book down. His style of writing makes reading an absolute pleasure."
Rabbi Reuven Nathanson, Director West Coast Kashruth Division Orthodox Union
