Recently Jewish republican library got 4 volumes of Garry Kemelman - an author that was unknown to Russian-speaking readers till today. A meeting of Literary hall that was recently held by library volunteers in Hesed "Polina" was devoted exactly to the novels of that writer.

   Garry Kemelman is an American author of the second half of the XX century that creates a pure and honorable character of rabbi-scientist from a small American town. Rabbi leads not an easy community. The main hero is a clever person who perfectly knows Talmud, history and real situation of today. He understands people and pays them much attention.

   In each new novel rabbi has to face a new detective story that can be hardly resolved even by the chief policeman. But guided by Talmud, he knows for sure that "everything he can find in Talmud", so exactly he finds criminals.

   The write creates such bright character of Rabbi that one begins to "see" him and to perceive him not as a literary character, but as alive person.

   Moreover, those stories are easy to read and give a reader a stimulus for solving questions of Jewish ethics and history.

Ludmila Tokar