Tragedy & Triumph

At the entrance to one of the blocks in the Auschwitz museum, prominence is given to the words of the American philosopher George Santayana: The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again The patriarchs and prophets of the Bible were the first to see history as the unfolding drama of God and the people of the covenant. In this wonderful new work, Rabbi Philip Ginsbury and Raphael Cutler take us on a journey through Jewish history, its triumphs and tragedies and its astonishing record of survival and rebirth. What makes this work different from others is its emphasis on the love of the land, Israel, and a book, the Torah, which together sustained a people through some of the worst persecutions in history. This is a thrilling story beautifully narrated, and will make all who read it look back in wonder at the vision, hope and longing that lie at the heart of Jewish existence through the generations. Lord Sacks, Former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, from his review of the original edition entitled The Phases of Jewish History It is on the personalities, many of them great rabbis and sages, that the authors throw particular light, convinced as all readers will be after reading this book that individuals can shape history no less than movements and economic and social factors . There is much to be learned about those individuals in these pages: of perseverance, of courage, and of faith. This is not only history with a human face, but with a deep understanding of the religious imperatives that sustained a people in exile and enabled them to survive enemies and pressures that brought many other ancient peoples to the dust. It is the story of the triumph of the spirit, as sustained by men of integrity and vision. From the Foreword by Sir Martin Gilbert to the original edition entitled The Phases of Jewish History