english: My grandfather was a rabbi and he was a widower who lived alone in a small apartment in Brooklyn that was my favorite place in the world when I was growing up, partly because it was filled with his very gentle, very courtly presence and partly because it was filled with books.
non_english: Mijn opa was rabbijn. Hij was weduwnaar en woonde alleen in een kleine flat in Brooklyn. Tijdens mijn jeugd was het mijn favoriete plek, deels omdat ze gevuld was met zijn zachte, hoffelijke aanwezigheid, deels omdat ze gevuld was met boeken.