Gathering Grains of Sand

Product Description

ALMOST EIGHTY YEARS AFTER Samuel Jacobs died in Glasgow, only two of his original seventeen grandchildren remained, and his life story was at dire risk of being lost to the sands of time. But fate thought differently. When, following the death of his own father, Jeff Kaye stumbled on his great-grandfather Shmuilo, he began to track him down to find out how he got from his birthplace in a farm beside Vievis, Lithuania, to Glasgow, Scotland. Inevitably, the journey forces Kaye to grapple with core questions of Jewish existence, Israel, and the human condition, culminating in an encounter Kaye would have preferred not to share.

Review

“Accompanying Jeff on his search for his great-grandfather, the reader is taken on a profound tour of the complexities of the rapidly changing world of Jewish identity. A Scottish youngster’s encounter with Lithuania of then, with Israel of then and now, with the American Jewish present and future, and with the Jews of Ethiopia and Russia all within less than a century leaves one breathless. Jeff’s proven talent as a storyteller makes this work one of the more readable Jewish books of the decade.” –Avraham Infeld, President Emeritus of Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life

“Jeff Kaye’s new book Gathering Grains of Sand is a historical gem, full of personal insight, which stitches together two separate worlds, connected by the string of time. I found it relatable, moving, and inspiring in a surprisingly personal way.” –Yael Eckstein, President and CEO, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

“A fascinating and moving combination of personal storytelling and historical research.” –Prof. Yigal Schwartz, Founding Director, Heksherim: The Research Institute for Jewish and Israeli Literature and Culture at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

About the Author

JEFF KAYE serves as a Vice President at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. He moved to Israel from his native Scotland in 1981, with a degree in psychology from the University of Strathclyde. Beginning his professional life as a teacher and school principal, he was sent to Detroit, Michigan by the Jewish Agency for Israel as a senior emissary. On his return to Jerusalem he served the organization for a decade as a senior executive, before becoming the Executive Vice President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. He is cofounder of the Israel Academy of Philanthropy.