L'dor V'dor: A Zachary Blake Legal Novella

By Mark M. Bello

Zachary Blake, Detroit's king of justice, reflects on the 30th anniversary of his grandfather's death in this part-prequel, part-historic novella. Award-winning attorney/author Mark M. Bello takes us back to the time of Zachary Blake's Bar Mitzvah and Zachary's life-changing conversation with his maternal grandfather. 

 

Max Lewin has promised that at the time of Zack's Bar Mitzvah, Max would tell the boy an incredible story of survival and escape from the death camp at Auschwitz during World War II. As Max spins the tale, the boy is mesmerized, not only by the true story, but by his grandfather's bravery and heroism. Then and there, Zachary makes a decision that will direct his future, about what he plans to do with the rest of his life . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: 8Grand Publications
• Release date: Dec 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734548990

Book preview

L’DOR V’DOR

(From Generation to Generation)

MARK M. BELLO

A Zachary Blake Legal Novella

Copyright 2020 Mark M. Bello

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews and other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. All the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Because of the Internet's dynamic nature, web addresses or links in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author.

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Published by 8Grand Publications

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-1734548990

Dedicated to the Victims—May their memories be for a blessing

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue: 1990

Chapter One: 1939 to 1943—The Ghetto

Chapter 2: The Capture—1943

Chapter 3: The Camp—1943

Chapter 4: The Escape—1944

Chapter 5: L’Dor V’Dor—1990

Epilogue: 1991-Present Day

Acknowledgement

Betrayal of Faith

The Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series

About the Author

Prologue: 1990

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Max Lewin studied his inquisitive grandson on the eve of the boy’s Bar Mitzvah. The family had just attended a Kabbalat Shabbat service at the synagogue, welcoming the arrival of Shabbat.

Because he was the Bar Mitzvah boy, Max’s grandson, Zachary, sat on the bimah for the service. Zachary was honored to chant the evening service, the prayer over the wine (he was permitted to take a sip!), and sing Shalom Aleichem, praising peace, the women of the house, and thanking G-d for allowing their family to reach this day. After the joyful service, the family walked back to Bubbe and Zayde’s house on Pennington, a couple of blocks from Beth Abraham Synagogue, the Shul, Max called it, located on Seven Mile Road in northwest Detroit.

When they arrived at Bubbe and Zayde’s house, the women quickly retired to the kitchen. Before long, the family was seated at a mammoth dining room table, enjoying the traditional Shabbat dinner, the Jewish excuse to over-eat. When dinner was over, the women stayed in the dining room and kitchen, clearing the table and washing the dishes. The younger children ran to the basement where Bubbe and Zayde kept all the toys. The men went outside for a ‘puff’ as Zachary’s father referred to smoking cigars. Max and Zachary ventured into and were left alone in the old man’s study.

Overpacked bookshelves lined the walls. An ornate wooden desk sat in the middle of the room, with an oversized executive chair at the