Broken Fragments

After Moses shattered the first set of Ten Commandments, destroying them with the Golden Calf, Moses did not discard those tablets’ broken fragments. Although he returned to Mount Sinai to replace the tablets of the Ten Commandments, the shattered shards of the earlier set were placed in the Aron Hakodesh (Holy Ark) alongside the new tablets. From this the Talmud teaches, Respect the aged, because the fragments of the original tablets were preserved in the Ark with the new ones (Babylonian Talmud, B'rachot 8b). Alzheimer’s disease represents a human set of broken fragments. American Jews are living longer, and with aging comes a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Is there a Jewish response, or a response among Jews, to this worrisome illness?

In this superb volume, noted author Douglas J. Kohn weaves into each chapter’s narrative rich Jewish texts with essays and touching personal stories by physicians, Jewish clergy, social workers, and family members of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Broken Fragments offers the comfort and the wisdom of our ancient tradition while providing insight, meaning, and encouragement for the Alzheimer’s caregiver of today.