Born and raised in NYC, I had begun a career in academia, teaching students about Jewish history and literature. I was blessed to be able to spend each weekend listening raptly to my grandfather's tales about his adventures since coming to America. Only in his last years, did Zayde tell me about his family and hard life in Bohemia. Then my life and career changed when one day, as his Bronx apartment became shrouded in darkness, Zayde revealed the treasure hidden in a closet: the 200-year-old journals of Judah Halevi who told, in puzzles and codes, the stories of the Revengers and their leader, Ezekiel Benzion, who fought against oppression. Judah's and Ezekiel's stories became the “truth” behind my fiction about their lives and their struggles to live with dignity. My research took me on multiple trips throughout Europe. My initial goals were modest: to preserve these tales for my grandchildren and those who value the stories of heroes and to dispel the image that Jews were passive sheep in the face of brutal oppression. I have honored that my work has received recognition and prizes in a variety of competitions. In particular, the first book, You Shall Know Our Names, was honored as a National Jewish Book Council Award finalist.
