Scrolls of Testimony

Rating:
Summary: A Holocaust Book Unlike Any Other
Review: Highest Recommendation. This is the most remarkable Holocaust book I've ever read.

The author, Abba Kovner, recounts the story of the Holocaust through the eyes of a large, richly described group of characters. These people jump off the pages in all their various costumes, ideologies, hopes and pain. They are mostly Jews, but there are also a few righteous Christians who help them.

Kovner doesn't judge the victims. Those who resisted are not better than those who did not resist. The German murderers are described too, as are their willing helpers in every country and numerous other people who did not murder but were coldly indifferent. But after reading the book, my overwhelming impression is not of hate of the murderers but of appreciation for the victims and their hope, love and humanity.

The book's design is very striking. The pages resemble pages of Talmud with the text in the middle and commentary placed around it in the margins. In this case, the story is in the middle, and the margins contain real victims' poems, comments, last wills and testimonies, historical explanations, songs, and more.

This is a book to read and savour, and also to study.