It is the eve of the First Cru­sade. Young David lives in the land once called Israel, now ruled by Mus­lims. From his shack­led des­tiny, David rebels and seeks adven­ture and free­dom. But at what cost? Bril­liant Rebec­ca and Rab­bi Elazar have found a haven in the idyl­lic Ger­man lands, where Judaism blos­soms. Then comes the fate­ful Novem­ber cry for revenge. With love and laugh­ter, courage and betray­al, togeth­er – and apart – they step into war.

Fast-paced but pro­found, as much com­ic as trag­ic, Win­dow to Yes­ter­day: The Torch­bear­er brings to life time and place rarely cov­ered in fic­tion: Jew­ish life under the Mus­lims in pre-Cru­sades Pales­tine; wom­en’s rights and the devel­op­ment of Ger­man Ashke­naz; Torah com­men­tary and Rashi; and the impact of the First Cru­sade on Ger­man Jews.

As much for teens as adults and filled with adven­ture, young romance, and eth­i­cal issues, The Torch­bear­er cap­tures Jew­ish his­to­ry’s har­row­ing glo­ry. The nov­el is his­tor­i­cal­ly accu­rate and includes detailed his­tor­i­cal notes on medieval Jew­ish life from the Cairo Geniza and oth­er sources.