The Tenth Man

Anshe Sfard is a synagogue in New Orleans that has stood for nearly a hundred years. Its few remaining members were nine elderly men, every one a Holocaust survivor. In Orthodox tradition, certain prayers can only be said when ten Jewish men are present, so for a long time the congregation was one person short and could not say them.

Then a young man named Alex Brown knocked on the door. He took on small jobs, such as carrying the Torah to the bimah, and as he did, the old shul began to feel like a community again.

Artie Bennett paints a warm, funny portrait of daily life among the congregants. One man loved a good prank, another could not resist a squabble, and another could cut a tomato so carefully that nothing went to waste. Between them they had worked as tailors, shoemakers, grocers, deli owners, ironworkers and sellers of schmatte, and the book keeps their stories alive. It is a tribute to Holocaust survivors and the generation that lived through so much.

Shira Neiss, in her debut as an illustrator, provides the pictures. The book shows that modest acts of service can sustain a community and the memories it holds. Back matter includes further information, a glossary, a bibliography and photographs.