ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question: What special skill did all Jewish boys over thirteen learn, and why?
Dahlia Abraham-Klein was born in New York into a Jewish family from Central Asia. She is awriter on Central Asian Jewish history and Jewish values. In 2023 she spoke with us about her book Caravan of Hope: A Bukharan Woman’s Journey to Freedom, a historical novel that tells the story of Zina Abraham, Dahlia’s mother, who was born in an Uzbeki prison in 1933. Dahlia’s latest book, The Stateless Central Asian Merchant, is the story of her father’s side of the family, and in a way complements Caravan of Hope. Based on her grandfather Haim Aghajan Abraham’s journal, the book describes the life of Jewish merchants and their families in Central Asia during the first half of the 20th century. Dahlia rounds out the journal entries with background information that makes the story easier to understand for those who may not be familiar with this culture, which will seem exotic to the Western reader. The book includes a timeline, maps, a glossary, pictures, family trees and a list of books for further reading. In this program Dahlia is speaking with us about the Jews of Central Asia, their history and culture.
