“Zaidy’s War,” by local author and Jewish Link contributor Martin Bodek, has been chosen as a finalist at the International Book Awards in the general history category. In “Zaidy’s War,” published by Amsterdam Publishers, Bodek chronicles his grandfather’s WWII memoirs; his service in multiple armies, his story of survival and eventual immigration to Israel and ultimately to the U.S., where he worked as a chef for 40 years and finished Shas 14 times. He passed away eight years ago at the age of 95.

Born and raised in Brooklyn and currently living in New Jersey with his wife and three children, Bodek works as a technologist by day and freelance writer by night, mostly on Jewish interest topics. This is his 11th book.