Shauna's Elements by Isaac Ofek is about a journalist determined to unravel the mystery behind a woman-physicist doctor who is torn between her origins, her genius and her work with orphaned children. Stunningly crafted, this psychological mystery carefully depicts the need for self-discovery within us all.
By rights, there should be at least a billion Jews in existence. As a culture, Jews have a history as long as Indian and Chinese civilizations. Yet while these other populations now number in the billions, the worldwide Jewish population only numbers 14.5 million. Isaac Ofek chose to ask why. A Billion Jews is the answer to Ofek's question. Unlike their cultural peers, the Jewish people have, since Roman times, been persecuted and driven from nation to nation, like leaves on the wind. Across Muslim and Christian countries, Jews were reviled and hated-used, expelled, or simply wiped out as was convenient. Throughout Western history, the same tale unfolds. Jewish arrival and expansion in a nation would inevitably end in their persecution. Whether the excuse was political, religious, or economic, the Jews would be forced to relocate or die. Many were not offered even this devil's bargain. Through centuries of oppression and hate, however, the Jewish civilization endured, often despairing but never entirely giving up hope. It was this resilience, as Ofek makes clear, that would one day lead to the establishment of Israel and a home in a troubled world.
In the first installment of A Billion Jews, Isaac Ofek began an ambitious task: catalog Jewish experiences in more than one hundred nations. His work was inspired by the realization that while equally old cultures have populations numbering in the billions, the worldwide population of Jews is only 14.5 million. Seeking to resolve this discrepancy, Ofek researched how different nations have treated their Jewish populations. He chronicles a long history of Jewish persecution-oppression that often forced Jews to relocate and sometimes proved deadly for entire communities. He also found hope for the future. Part two continues Ofek's work. Each chapter outlines the Jewish experience in a different nation. Ofek intersperses historical fact with recollections of international travels and research. The western story of Judaism is one of suffering-but also persistence, courage, and a quiet defiance of the odds. It's a story continuing today. Many of the historical events Ofek uncovers are haunting and smack of modern anti-Semitism. Today, fewer than fifteen million Jews walk the earth. They should number in the billions. Ofek explains why they don't and how despite an often-grim history, the Jewish people still strive to be "a light unto the nations."
