The Persistence of Memory: My Father's Ukrainian Shtetl - A Holocaust Reckoning

Arthur Kurzweil grew up hearing his father's tales of Dobromyl, the small town-a shtetl - in what is now Ukraine, which his father had left behind as a child when his family emigrated to New York in the 1920s. As a young man in the 1970s, Arthur obsessively sought to rediscover this lost world, researching in the New York Public Library and tracking down the shtetl's surviving emigrants. This research led him write his best-selling book, From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History, but his obsession with Dobromyl didn't abate. In The Persistence of Memory, Arthur brings us along on his quest to find his father's ancestral home in Dobromyl - a quest that covers physical and spiritual ground. Join him on a frustrating trip to Soviet-held Ukraine in the 1970s to multiple return trips to a free Ukraine in the 21st century, in a quest that brings him to the height of elation and to the depths of despair. His search for his father's roots leads him down paths that are wondrous, heartwarming, and heartbreaking.

Review :
"Unlike most of us, who are merely curious about our own pasts, Arthur Kurzweil is obsessive about his. In Persistence of Memory, he takes us on an emotional journey to the birthplace of his father, a man who seems to hold the keys to both Kurzweil's sense of identity and connection to a deeper faith. As we travel with Kurzweil, we can't avoid a burgeoning obsession with the discovery our own pasts. Such is the power of this intimate and timely read." - Peter Himmelman, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and author, Let Me Out: Unlock Your Creative Mind and Bring Your Ideas to Life "For more than 40 years, Arthur Kurzweil as a writer and lecturer has brought his passion for Judaism to the world. In this moving, highly personal account of his search for ancestral roots in Ukraine he draws upon Hasidism, Kabbalah, and Torah wisdom. I strongly recommend this book." - Edward Hoffman, author, The Way of Splendor: Jewish Mysticism and Modern Psychology "A major contribution to the literary world. Arthur Kurzweil takes his readers on multiple journeys - physical, mental, geographical, and spiritual - using vibrant technicolor language while intertwining personal and universal biography with a moving portrait of several generations of his family. "We learn the lessons and meanings that Arthur acquires as he grows in knowledge and wisdom about his family, the world and himself. As the layers of his stories are told, the spotlight becomes a wide and 3D screen, and becomes the catalyst to continue reading this powerful and profound cinematic narrative. "To save the past from oblivion is a sacred duty for each Jew. But we never remember just for nostalgia; we never tell just to keep dwelling on the past. Rather, we bring it into our hearts so we can be in the present and go toward the future. Arthur Kurzweil fulfills the mantle of responsibility that we each must wear to tell our stories, and he does this with his masterful talent and responsible intention. "Some of the words that keep recurring throughout this book are search, discover, remember, forget, connect. Arthur Kurzweil understands these words deeply and has successfully explored their profound meanings. This is a magnificent book!" - Peninnah Schram, author of many books including Jewish Stories One Generation Tells Another and Tales of Elijah the Prophet