It was just a few weeks ago that I declared G-d Winked the best frum book I'd ever read, but it's just been topped by this extraordinary memoir. In G-...moreIt was just a few weeks ago that I declared G-d Winked the best frum book I'd ever read, but it's just been topped by this extraordinary memoir. In G-d Winked, Sara Yoheved Rigler said that using life's challenges as a springboard to help others leads to spiritual greatness. In this book, Aharon Margolit tells the story of how he did just that. A victim of the polio epidemic of the 1950's, he spent his early childhood motionless, speechless (due to trauma, he was mute), and completely at the mercy of his doctors and caregivers in the institution where he lived. In his teens and twenties, he struggled to learn to walk and then to talk. He went to yeshiva, got married, and became a successful businessman. By the time he was in his 50's, already a father and grandfather, he was diagnosed with cancer. But after all that he'd been through, he was ready for the fight.
The contrast between Mr. Margolit's childhood in institutional care and his adult bouts (yes, plural) with cancer is really both stark and amazing. He was the most informed, involved, and argumentative patient I've ever heard of, but you can see why his childhood experiences would lead him to be that way. He says that no patient should ever act as though he lost his intelligence at the hospital door and cede all decisions to the doctors' judgment. But his spiritual greatness shone through even more in the way he treated his fellow patients. He understood that to really reach out to them in a meaningful way, he had to be one of them. In other words, he accepted the spiritual mission of his illnesses.
Now how many of us would do that? I suspect that Mr. Margolit would say that we all have the power within us if we choose to use it. May Hashem spare us all from the dreaded diseases he faced, but may we all learn from his strength. (less)
I am going to give this book the highest praise I can possibly give to any book: it helped me remember G-d. Many Jewish books have inspired me over th...moreI am going to give this book the highest praise I can possibly give to any book: it helped me remember G-d. Many Jewish books have inspired me over the years, and many self-help books actually helped, but I’ve never found a book that addressed practical spirituality quite like this one. It works because the author is open about her own struggles, so she doesn’t come across as judgmental. But her metaphors are really what did it for me. So accessible and apt, I was saying “Ahh” from the very first page. (Remember, I read this immediately after Eat, Pray, Love, so reading the Jewish approach to spirituality was a breath of fresh and familiar air. Incidentally, Sara Rigler herself is a fan of Elizabeth Gilbert, and the book contains a chapter called “Eat, Pray, Love, and Then What?,” which I actually skipped ahead to.)
Probably the most relevant chapter to my life was “The Spiritual GPS,” which is about recognizing whether you are in a place of connectedness or divisiveness at any given moment. Of course, it’s easy enough to detect, except when in a place of divisiveness, it’s just as easy to forget to notice and perpetuate it. A close second was “The Horse in the Gate,” which teaches that when you’re between a rock and a hard place, frustrated by some external limit even though you’ve got the energy of a horse and want to just forge on ahead, daven to Hashem. He’s not limited in the solutions He can provide. But I’ve also been enjoying and getting use from the exercise of brainstorming about two questions to help discover my mission on this earth: 1) What are my five happiest moments? and 2) What would I do with a billion dollars? And here’s one final totally awesome insight: acceptance of life’s challenges leads to spiritual growth, but using life’s challenges as springboards to positive action is spiritual greatness.
This book is from the same author as To Vanquish the Dragon, one of the original students of Rebbetzin Sarah Schenirer. But while her first book was e...moreThis book is from the same author as To Vanquish the Dragon, one of the original students of Rebbetzin Sarah Schenirer. But while her first book was entirely a war memoir, this covers the pre-war and post-war period, too, which means that parts of it show peaceful and happy times. The pre-war period is when Sarah Schenirer lived, so that section of the book is part biography and part memoir, based on the author's experiences at Bais Yaakov and stories she knew or collected from others like her. The post-war period covers both the struggles of survivors to resettle in Israel and how the legacy of Sarah Schenirer was carried to America with the Bais Yaakov established by Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan. It ends as all Holocaust memoirs should - with the happy ending of Jewish survival in the present day.
The best way to explain this book is to explain the title. Once Sarah Schenirer visited one of her satellite schools in Europe and saw her picture hanging on the wall. She immediately objected to it and told the school leaders to take it down and "carry it in your heart." In other words, just like Yosef Ha Tzaddik kept the image of his father Yaakov in his mind/heart and that prevented him from sinning with the wife of Potifar, the students of Sarah Schenirer were to carry her image in their hearts so that they would know how to act in times of challenge. Just like in To Vanquish the Dragon, these amazing young women rose to the challenge and then some. Now this book did improve my Pesach. (less)
This short but densely-packed book is perfect for people whose rationalist education taught them that the existence of G-d cannot be scientifically or...moreThis short but densely-packed book is perfect for people whose rationalist education taught them that the existence of G-d cannot be scientifically or logically proven, so therefore, it is false. Employing hard science to point out the flaws in the theory of evolution as well as bolstering the argument from design, the author makes a rational case for G-d, giving the reader permission to believe without believing himself to be a deluded fool. Nor does the author stop at science. There's a chapter on Jewish history and our people's miraculous survival, a chapter on how belief in morality is predicated on a belief in G-d, and last but not least, the question of why bad things happen to good people.
Every campus rabbi should have this book in his armory. It's the perfect antidote to Philosophy of (Anti-)Religion. (less)
Friends and readers of my book reviews all know my main interests in life apart from my family: Judaism and books. I don’t know if it comes across as...moreFriends and readers of my book reviews all know my main interests in life apart from my family: Judaism and books. I don’t know if it comes across as clearly, but I also have a long-standing and deep interest in poverty and solutions to it. So when I learned of this memoir in which an ex-yeshiva student becomes a librarian and creative writing teacher in a prison, I knew I had to check it out. The book has some minor apikorsos (Jewish heresy) and a whole lot of cursing and vulgarity, but ultimately, it’s a beautiful human story about people relating to each other with the aid of books.
That’s not to say the book Hollywoodizes the situation. Avi, the author, mocks the reformed-criminal-turned-humanitarian storyline early on. Some of the inmates he befriends really do work hard on raising themselves, but the results are often mixed if not downright tragic. Luckily, Avi knows how to offset the tragedy with humor. Some parts are so funny, I literally laughed out loud.
I understand that not everyone wants an inside view of the criminal world. Aside from all the violence and vulgarity, many people simply have no sympathy for convicts. Avi goes through this himself on discovering what one of his most loyal creative writing students actually did to end up in jail. But all in all, he develops strong relationships with several of the inmates, even though he does have to bend and break a few rules along the way. At the beginning of the book, he’s the insecure new guy on the job. At the end, he’s a master. I, for one, admire him greatly.
The Jewish vignettes in the book are few compared to the prison stories, but me being me, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention them. The most poignant is a flashback to his yeshiva days on the West Bank. Absolutely hilarious and fairly accurate is the inmates’ assessment of Hasidic Jews. I read that section out loud to my husband, a Hasid of Karlin-Stolin. And it was a pleasant surprise that one of Avi’s great grandparents also turned out to be a Karliner Hasid. The Rebbe at that time gave his zaideh a bracha to succeed in business. I like to think that bracha lasted through the generations and helped Avi in his “business.” He repeats several times that the ancient prophets were either imprisoned themselves or associated with prisoners. In other words, it’s an ancient Jewish tradition. No doubt there will be naysayers, but if you ask me, he did holy work in that prison. May Hashem continue to bless him with success. (less)
I’ve become a big Freakonomics fan in recent weeks. Not only have I read both books, I’ve watched the DVD, and listened to every podcast on Freakonomi...moreI’ve become a big Freakonomics fan in recent weeks. Not only have I read both books, I’ve watched the DVD, and listened to every podcast on Freakonomics Radio. So when I found out that Stephen Dubner, the journalist half of the Freakonomics team, wrote about a book about his journey to Judaism, you know I was all over it. I read it on Shabbos, which is something I wouldn’t do with Freakonomics because it’s purely secular studies. Turbulent Souls, in contrast, is a spiritual memoir, although – alas – it is not quite frum. There’s quite a bit of Catholicism in it, and for that reason alone, many frum people wouldn’t read it at all, much less on Shabbos. But I loved it. It’s a teshuva story. It’s just not teshuva gamura.
The story of the Dubner family follows the general pattern of American Jewry, but it’s a bit more extreme. Stephen’s paternal grandparents, Shepsel and Gittel Dubner, were frum Eastern Europeans. Shepsel was uncompromisingly pious; Gittel was personally frum but looked the other way when her children slid under American influences. Their oldest son Nat was the first to openly rebel. Stephen’s father Sol, who was the youngest, was not a rebel, which is why his conversion to Catholicism was so shocking. The zaideh Shepsel’s reaction brought tears to my eyes.
Then there’s Stephen’s mother’s side of family, the Greenglasses. They were eager assimilationists who raised their daughter with almost no Torah observance. But when a Jew raises his naturally soulful child without Jewish spirituality, she accepts substitutes. Florence Greenglass, who became Veronica Dubner, was a devout Catholic to the end of the book. She loved prayer and ritual so much, it was clear to me that in a different generation, she would have been a baalas teshuva. But kiruv rabbis were few and far between in the 1940’s. Heck, the Holocaust was going on!
So while millions of Jews were being killed in Europe, two Jewish souls in America converted to Catholicism and married each other. They had eight children whom they attempted to raise in as pure and sheltered an environment as they could. The children knew vaguely that their parents had been Jewish, but that was part of a faraway past that had nothing to do with them. Stephen Dubner was even an altar boy!
In college, Stephen met Jews. When his first job took him to New York City, he began exploring Judaism, and he met some heavy hitters, too – Rabbi Simon Jacobson, scribe to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and on the Litvish side, Ha Rav Avigdor Miller. He became enamored of Pirkei Avos whose teachings he sprinkled in throughout the book. Yet for all of that, the Torah lifestyle didn’t take. He married a Jew, identifies as a Jew, and I’m sure keeps some level of observance, but he’s not happily frum ever after.
Even still, I found it a wonderfully uplifting and intimate book. It’s the microcosm of our people in the last century. Half a century ago, the movement was toward assimilation. In recent decades, may Hashem continue to help, there’s been a movement toward return. Sol/Paul and Florence/Veronica Dubner carried assimilation to a further extent than most. So for Stephen Dubner to have grown up so far from Judaism yet still have found his way back to our people seems to me to be a teshuva worth celebrating. (less)
The best way I have of describing this book is by something I learned outside of it: Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel's summary of what we Jews (and perhaps n...moreThe best way I have of describing this book is by something I learned outside of it: Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel's summary of what we Jews (and perhaps non-Jews, too) need to learn from the Holocaust. After the war, he was at a meeting with a group of businessmen and asked them, "What are we supposed to learn from the Holocaust?"
There was an awkward silence around the table. Nobody knew what to answer. Finally someone ventured, "We shall never forget."
Rav Finkel dismissed that quickly. Then he said. "In the camps, it could happen that only one person in a barracks would get a blanket. He could use it to cover himself alone, or he could share it with the five people near him. The lesson of the Holocaust is to share your blanket."
That's what this book is about. It's a memoir of a Bais Yaakov graduate who, through all her travails, from the ghetto to the labor camp to Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen to liberation, shared her blanket. And it was not just her. She told stories of how her friends and camp mates shared and smuggled each other food, how they cared for each other through the typhus epidemic even when they were sick themselves, and how they literally supported each other even when one of them was ready to just lie down and die. It is quite possibly the greatest Holocaust memoir I have ever read, and I've read some darned good ones. It made me understand for the very first time what Rebbetzin Chaya Sarah Kramer (Holy Woman) meant when she said Auschwitz was not a bad place. The cruelty was unspeakable, but there were Jews there who knew with absolute faith that Hashem exists and they behaved accordingly. I still prefer to live in my comfortable little world, so may Hashem help that I carry those girls' examples into this life, and in that merit, may Hashem protect us all from future holocausts. (less)
This was a hard book for me to get through at first, not just because the Holocaust is a difficult subject, but because the author was my replacement...moreThis was a hard book for me to get through at first, not just because the Holocaust is a difficult subject, but because the author was my replacement at the Destiny Foundation, which is still a raw wound for me. Even still, I can't deny that the book is EXCELLENT. Simply put, it is a study of hasgacha during the Holocaust, showing how G-d orchestrates everything, whether good or evil, in our lives. I'd heard many of the ideas before from Rabbi Wein and Rabbi Shafier, but some points were new to me, such as that December 7, 1941 wasn't only a day of infamy because of Pearl Harbor, but because it was the first successful gassing of Jews. The book is chock-full of such information, and don't neglect the footnotes; some of the most interesting points are there.
Religious Jews will most appreciate this, but I recommended it to everybody. This is how the Holocaust should be taught: a combination of historical data, survivor memoir, and Torah commentary. Hats off to Yaakov Astor. If I had to be replaced, I can almost be glad it was by him.(less)
What Rabbi Herman of All for the Boss was for the Lower East Side in the 30's, Rabbi Zilber was in the post-war Soviet Union, except not only was he f...moreWhat Rabbi Herman of All for the Boss was for the Lower East Side in the 30's, Rabbi Zilber was in the post-war Soviet Union, except not only was he facing mass assimilation, it was by government mandate, so he had to engage in all sorts of subterfuge just to practice and teach Torah and mitzvos. Eventually, he was imprisoned for it, but even that didn't stop him; he kept Shabbos and organized Yom Tov celebrations in the Gulag!
As you might well imagine, this book is cover-to-cover inspiration. If there's any flaw in it, it's in the organization. The book was based on interviews, so Rabbi Zilber's narrative is sometimes interrupted with related memories from family and friends. That makes it seem a little choppy at first, but once you understand the people and their relationships, the book is pure chizuk. As I said when I read Voices in the Silence, which is another Soviet memoir, why couldn't someone have given this to me when I was a young and foolish self-proclaimed Communist? But as I also said in that review, would I have listened? (less)
This is one of the best Holocaust memoirs I've ever read. Part of it is because it's written like a novel, ie with more dialogue than description, but...moreThis is one of the best Holocaust memoirs I've ever read. Part of it is because it's written like a novel, ie with more dialogue than description, but mainly it's because the focus is on keeping the mitzvos in the worst of circumstances. The writings of Primo Levi, in contrast, don't a fraction of the hope. (I believe Primo Levi killed himself decades after the war.) Maier Cahan, in his efforts to put on tefillin on the sly and daven Shacharis on his way to the bitterest of hard labors is an absolute inspiration. Yes, he does question G-d about all the suffering around him, but ultimately, his faith is his strength. Anyone reading his story, especially a Jew, will gain from that strength. If he can keep the mitzvos in the most adverse of circumstances, what right do we have to be lazy? Recommended.(less)
Ordinarily, I'm not wild about "frum" books because I find the writing amateur and the plots too black and white to be believable. But this is a memoi...moreOrdinarily, I'm not wild about "frum" books because I find the writing amateur and the plots too black and white to be believable. But this is a memoir, not fiction, which means I don't have to suspend disbelief; I just have to be inspired. And in that, the book absolutely delivers. It's about a family who stayed frum in the darkest years of communism, ie under Stalin and Kruschev. The ways they circumvented the KGB to keep various Jewish practices are absolutely amazing! How I wish I'd had access to this book when I was younger and under the influence of a communist teacher! Nothing could have portrayed the evils of communism to me better. It's a very human and very Jewish story. Highly recommended. (less)
This was my absolute rave-about-and-recommend-to-everyone favorite book in my early twenties because it explored all the things I cared about most: fa...moreThis was my absolute rave-about-and-recommend-to-everyone favorite book in my early twenties because it explored all the things I cared about most: falling in love, a burning ambition to write, and Judaism. At the time, I said I wanted to be Anzia Yezierska, but in mirror image; whereas she ran away from Yiddishkeit, I was embracing it. I wanted to portray my world and choices just as poignantly as she. That's still my ambition, but now that I'm older, I see many more flaws in Anzia Yezierska, not just because she abandoned Judaism and her own daughter in favor of her writing, but in her style. Even still, I've ranked this a 5 for how much I loved it then and for this roughly-quoted, life-changing insight: Every time my heart broke over a man and I thought my world would end, it turned out to usher me into some newer, bigger world. (less)
As I said in my review of Cecil Roth's biography of Dona Gracia, this 500-page tome is THE definitive biography on Dona Gracia until, as the author co...moreAs I said in my review of Cecil Roth's biography of Dona Gracia, this 500-page tome is THE definitive biography on Dona Gracia until, as the author concludes, more documentary evidence reveals more of the story. As it stands, she made very thorough use of the documentary evidence, which is something you can do if you're a Women's Studies chair at Yale University. Translators for responsa, translators for the Spanish and Italian - she and her assistants really covered ground! Sometimes her findings contradict Cecil Roth, but mostly, she reveals things he missed. Dona Gracia's husband was a mere sentence in Roth's book; here he's at least a chapter. Also significantly, Don Joseph does not appear to be such a hero as Roth makes him out to be.
For my research project, this was top-notch, but I still feel I have pieces missing. As the title implies, this is much more about Dona Gracia's dealings with the heads of state of her times, but what I really want to know about is the "underground railroad" for the rescue of converso Jews. Into the author's footnotes I go! (Hope to come up for air again soon.) (less)
I can't help but compare this book with the last teshuva story I read, which was Leah Kotkes' The Map Seeker. Both authors are British women who becam...moreI can't help but compare this book with the last teshuva story I read, which was Leah Kotkes' The Map Seeker. Both authors are British women who became frum, but the similarity ends there. Leah Kotkes was raised as a secular Jew, which may explain some of the sketchiness of her narrative. When you've grown up under today's "modern" permissive standards, naturally, you end up doing a few things that ought to be kept private. But Tova Mordechai didn't grow up secular - she was enmeshed in the Pentecostal church - and she told all. Her narrative was detailed, chronological, and didn't skip over periods of time, so it hung together much better than Leah Kotkes' book. In fact, Tova Mordechai's book was so detailed that after a while, I was tired of hearing so much about the church and wanted to get to the teshuva already. Otherwise, I found it a gripping book.
The church as she portrayed it was corrupt, hypocritical, and abusive. Its leadership literally took everything from the author's parents and then spit them out. Yet amazingly, as the author began her teshuva, she felt herself missing church worship. It wasn't that she believed in it anymore, but Jewish observance of mitzvos felt so foreign to her that she wanted to go back to the familiar. I think every BT has felt that way about something. Perhaps it's even a universal experience that echoes the cry of the Jews in the desert: "Take us back to Egypt!" Going forward to unknown spiritual territory is hard.
If there's one flaw in the book that parallels Leah Kotkes' book, it's that Tova Mordechai's sister Esther should have been described more thoroughly in the beginning. We get a very clear picture of her sister Margaret, to whom she was closer in age, but we only learned about Esther at the end, and that, I think, was a lack in the narrative. But all in all, it was a riveting story with an important message. Strange as the mitzvos may seem to outsiders, practical spirituality, i.e. the observance of laws and rituals based on a written legal tradition, prevents the possibility of self-proclaimed prophets who are out to abuse others for the sake of their own power.(less)
This has got to be Malcolm Gladwell’s best book yet, and coming from a fan like me, that’s saying something!
As the subtitle states, this is a book of...moreThis has got to be Malcolm Gladwell’s best book yet, and coming from a fan like me, that’s saying something!
As the subtitle states, this is a book of success stories, and true to his usual style, Gladwell draws on a diverse and interesting set of examples and presents a unique thesis on the ingredients it takes to make a person a success. The first half of the equation is much like Carol Dweck’s thesis in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Hard work matters much more than raw talent. In the chapter called “10,000 Hours” he cites a study of music students which shows that the number of hours spent practicing is the key determinant in mastery. I found that very encouraging. If you want to succeed, spend your time practicing.
But it’s the second half of the equation that makes his thesis unique, even though this part is somewhat discouraging. True, successful people have to put in many hours to master their craft, but they can only do that when the circumstances of their lives allow it. Now sometimes seemingly adverse circumstances can turn out to be an incredible advantage (Woo hoo! A whole chapter on the history of Jewish immigrants to America), but a genius in non-nurturing circumstances won’t make it no matter how talented he is (hence the depressing chapter on Chris Langsam, the man with the highest IQ in America.)
As with The Tipping Point, I read this book to help me advance my career, but the main lesson it taught me was about parenting. Whatever opportunities I may have had or not had, used or not used, made me what I am today. And in many ways, I do feel I haven’t lived up to my potential, so I have to remedy the situation by putting in my 10,000 hours of practice, by becoming as efficient as a Chinese rice farmer (another particularly inspiring chapter). But the area in which I can make the biggest difference is for my kids. My job as a parent is to create practice opportunities for my kids to exercise their talents and interests. And if they become the people they can be, then all of us will be success stories. (less)
It's totally unfair of me to review this because I worked on it. This is MY baby. Yes, the lectures are Rabbi Wein's, but I transcribed and edited the...moreIt's totally unfair of me to review this because I worked on it. This is MY baby. Yes, the lectures are Rabbi Wein's, but I transcribed and edited them, I chose the maps and photos, and the biographical summaries at the end are mine. I hope you'll check it out at http://www.rabbiwein.com/Crash-Course...
I chose this for my Elul/Tishrei reading because I felt that my usual fiction escapes weren't appropriate for the times, and I knew I'd give up in the...moreI chose this for my Elul/Tishrei reading because I felt that my usual fiction escapes weren't appropriate for the times, and I knew I'd give up in the middle if I tried a standard English mussar sefer. So I read a biography of a tzaddik, which allows me to take inspiration from his example on my own level. What I didn't expect was how much history I'd learn along the way. Reb Aryeh Levin regularly visited the political prisoners in pre-state Israel, and the way he honored them is something we can all learn from. This goes beyond the Zionist/anti-Zionist question. He acted 100% out of love for his fellow Jew. Differences in religiousity and ideology just didn't matter. That was a great lesson for Yom Kippur. If he could treat hardened criminals with honor (he visited them, too), then surely I coud forgive whatever slights I've suffered from friends and family this year.
In reading this book, I couldn't help but compare it with All for the Boss, which I also gave a 5. I'm tempted to reduce my rating to a 4 because I loved this one so much more. Rabbi Herman of All for the Boss is someone you can admire, but Reb Aryeh is someone to admire and love. Then it occurred to me: Rabbi Herman is gevurah while Reb Aryeh is chessed. Rabbi Herman was in liberal America, the "medina of chessed" while Reb Aryeh lived in the harsher conditions of the Land of Israel. America needed Rabbi Herman's uncompromising gevurah, and Israel needed Reb Aryeh's softness and chessed. Both were tzaddikim in their times, and they provided the Jewish people the kind of leadership needed for their respective situations.(less)
This has got to be one of the finest young adult Holocaust books ever written. It illustrates the dynamics of mass hatred perfectly. That's because th...moreThis has got to be one of the finest young adult Holocaust books ever written. It illustrates the dynamics of mass hatred perfectly. That's because the setting is not WWII Europe but a small New York City public school. That scaling down is what makes it all so clear.
Naomi is a Holocaust survivor who comes to live with her cousins in New York. Her cousin Alan is in her school, and he takes it on himself to show her around and bring her out of her shell. Amazingly, he succeeds, but an anti-Semite in school begins to attack them verbally and otherwise, gathering followers along the way. The end is tragic, but the insights into group psychology and prejudice are nothing short of brilliant.(less)
For Jews who love word play, this is an absolute hoot! Non-Jews who love word play might also like it, but as it takes place in an English class for a...moreFor Jews who love word play, this is an absolute hoot! Non-Jews who love word play might also like it, but as it takes place in an English class for a bunch of Jewish immigrants, mit Yiddisheh eksents yet, it'll fill Jews with nostalgia, even Jews who don't speak Yiddish. After all, it's a comedy about bubby and zaidy! Hyman Kaplan's mistakes are guaranteed to give you the giggles. They certainly did for me!(less)
I read this when I was transitioning from far left activism to Torah Judaism, and this was the perfect book for it. Emma Goldman was as far left as th...moreI read this when I was transitioning from far left activism to Torah Judaism, and this was the perfect book for it. Emma Goldman was as far left as they come – an anarchist at the dawn of the 20th century – but she was Jewish, and I agree with her grandmother, who said to the warden while bringing her Passover food to eat in prison, “My Chavaleh does more for the poor than the traditional girls.”
You can’t help admiring Emma Goldman after reading her autobiography, even if you don’t agree with her. She’s the quintessential example of an idealistic Jew lured into the Utopian “messianism” of the left.
For me, the main lesson was in the title, “Living My Life.” This two-volume autobiography gives a complete picture of Emma Goldman’s inner feelings and outward actions from her youth till her old age. She never wavered from the cause, and she asserted early on that part of it meant enjoying life, too. When I was a leftist, I hung with a bunch of drifters who talked about “creating a reality” for themselves. Nobody “lived life” with any kind of direction. And so I learned to think about my life from a new perspective. Though I am living a life drastically different than Emma Goldman’s, I’m very glad she gave over the teachings of her life in this intimate autobiography. (less)
I studied with Rabbi David Aaron at his Isralight Institute, so I can say with authority that the writing style in this, his first book, is exactly li...moreI studied with Rabbi David Aaron at his Isralight Institute, so I can say with authority that the writing style in this, his first book, is exactly like his speaking style. He makes the spiritual concepts of Kabbalah accessible because he relates them to everyday life experiences. And he’s funny. The title of his first chapter is “What’s It All About?” “No sense starting small,” he begins. Then he devotes the next three chapters to explaining why G-d created humanity. The main concept is the Kabbalistic “tzimtzum,” which literally means “contraction,” but Rabbi Aaron explains it as “making space.” If you love someone, you make space for him in your life, even if he gets on your nerves sometimes. That’s exactly what G-d did in creating us.
My favorite chapters are on the theme of fate vs. choice. Rabbi Aaron quotes the famous line from Shakespeare, “All the world's a stage and the men and women merely players." “The word ‘merely’ disparages our role,” he says. Our actions have tremendous impact in this world. To illustrate this, he tells stories of how people live their lives, some from modern times and some Torah examples, specifically Joseph and Queen Esther. The conclusion of that chapter is especially inspiring: “There is fate - a clear direction, a goal, a plan. What's going to be is going to be. But how it's going to happen is ...our choice ... It is a very basic Kabbalistic idea: The evolution of the world of love will go on no matter what. But you have a choice. Do you want to have a role in it, or not?...What role do you choose to play? The hero? The villain? The protagonist? The antagonist?...That is your choice.”
This is only a taste of the insights to be found in Endless Light. People with all levels of exposure to traditional Jewish scholarship can appreciate it. Like much about Kabbalah, Endless Light embodies a contradiction. It’s stimulating and profound yet a fast and easy read. (less)
The author of this book is not Hasidic herself, but in producing it, she interviewed many Chassidim about their experiences in the camps. She also stu...moreThe author of this book is not Hasidic herself, but in producing it, she interviewed many Chassidim about their experiences in the camps. She also stuck to the main concept of a Hasidic story, which is that it must end on a positive note. How is that possible with the Holocaust? Leave it to Hasidic Jews to remember G-d in the darkest of circumstances. Especially inspiring are the stories of Rebbetzin Bronia, who later married the Bluzhover Rebbe, and his words of Torah introducing the book literally changed my perspective on life.(less)
Serious bias here - I work for Rabbi Berel Wein, and this series was my suggestion. He originally recorded these lectures in the late 80's as part of...moreSerious bias here - I work for Rabbi Berel Wein, and this series was my suggestion. He originally recorded these lectures in the late 80's as part of his "Great Biographies" series, but I suggested breaking up the series into smaller groups, and these three naturally fit together. The biographical information was taken from one source, a book written by the European publisher of the Yiddish newspaper Der Algameinor Journalon notable people he knew who did not survive the war. I say "notable," but not "famous." For example, the first biography is about a German Jew named Hans Goslar, whose name might be recognizable to Anne Frank fans because he was the father of her best friend, Lies. He was much more than that, though. He was an official in the Weimar republic and he had the courage to become a baal teshuva even as the Nazis were gaining power. But my favorite in the series (and they're all good) is the third. It's the exciting story of how a young Chossid managed to smuggle out his Rebbe's writings from the prisons of Siberia. It's better than any spy novel!
So that's my plug. I hope you'll follow the link and download right to your computer. And may Hashem bless all of Rabbi Wein's work with success.(less)
Now here’s a book that combines two of my very favorite things: classic British romance with – YES! – Jewish themes. Marian Evans a/k/a George Eliot e...moreNow here’s a book that combines two of my very favorite things: classic British romance with – YES! – Jewish themes. Marian Evans a/k/a George Eliot even went to Frankfurt am Main to do research for the book – in the times of no less than Rav Samson Rafael Hirsch! I think I’ve found a thesis topic if I ever get to graduate school. Till then, though, I’ll have to content myself with this review. No major spoilers, but it is a pretty detailed plot summary, so if you want to be 100% safe, skip to the last two paragraphs.
In the opening scene, we meet Gwendolen Harleth (as in, sounds like “harlot”) who is on a winning streak at a roulette table. Observing her is the title character, Daniel Deronda. She feels he is judging her negatively, which disconcerts her, so she begins to lose. Within the next few scenes, he takes a mysterious action which really unnerves her. And that is the last we see of him until Chapter 16.
The story then backtracks to Gwendolen’s family life, and this is the part that is most reminiscent of a Jane Austen novel (though Eliot’s prose is much denser). Gwendolen’s social position is similar to that of the Dashwood girls; she’s not rich, but she socializes in the upper class circle of a small country-town. As a character, though, she is more of an anti-heroine than heroine. Like Lydia Bennet, she’s out first and foremost for a good time, except she’s cleverer and more calculating. She wants admirers, especially male admirers, but then scorns them without caring about how many hearts she breaks. This section of the book is called “The Spoiled Child,” and George Eliot paints the hateful portrait in painstaking detail.
Enter Mr. Grandcourt. (Read grand + court = landed gentry.) He’s way too suave for Gwendolen to scorn, and her family watches their courtship with eagerness. After all, from a financial standpoint, he’s a Good Catch. But even when Gwendolen gets evidence of his rakishness, she finds she can’t resist him. They marry.
Then the novel shifts back to Daniel Deronda, a young gentleman with no clear direction. He was a serious scholar at Cambridge and proved himself to be exceptionally kind to his friends, but he lives in the shadow of not knowing who his parents are. Rumor has it that he is the illegitimate son of Sir Hugo Mallinger, the nobleman who raised him. Daniel also believes the rumors, but loves Sir Hugo too much to confront him about it. Meanwhile, Sir Hugo’s legal heir is none other than Gwendolen’s husband, Mr. Grandcourt.
In a scene I won’t dare spoil, Daniel encounters Mirah, a Jewess. She is literally a “tinok she nishbu,” a kidnapped child raised away from Judaism. When Daniel finds her, she is nineteen years old, has escaped her captors, and is in desperate search of her family. Daniel, like Harry Potter, has “a thing about saving people,” so he joins in the search, and this leads him into the Jewish communities of London and Frankfurt.
Jews, especially baalei teshuva, will appreciate if not love Chapter 32. It includes the descriptions of the Frankfurt synagogue – taken from Rav Hirsch; I just can’t get over it! – and Mirah’s passionate declaration to her Christian friends, “I will always cling to my people.” Mirah is a bit of a Mary Sue, but she gives voice to the pintele Yid that motivates all us BTs. How in the world did George Eliot know?
The rest of the novel alternates between scenes of Gwendolen in her souring marriage and scenes with the Jewish characters, which notably includes a visionary named Mordecai who is preaching religious Zionism. Daniel, the "knight errant," weaves his way through all of their lives. (Comic relief from Daniel's friend, Hans Meyrick.)Naturally, I am partial to the Jewish sections, but from a literary point of view, the portrayal of Gwendolen is the most masterful part of the novel. No character goes through as dramatic a transformation as she.
I must reiterate that George Eliot does not reach Jane Austen in terms of prose style. At times the text is so heavy and full of extraneous detail that I suspected that like Dickens, she was paid by the word. But while Dickens was making it big with Fagin, Eliot was taking on anti-Semitism, not just by creating positive Jewish characters, but by letting her Christian characters work through their prejudices in the course of the novel. That makes her a heroine in my eyes.
The scholarly introduction to my copy of the novel included some very interesting literary history. The British critics of the time panned the book for its Jewish themes. One suggested that Eliot should have left the Jews out and just called the book Gwendolen. An anonymous sequel by that title appeared a few years later, doing more or less that by killing off the Jewish characters and continuing the story of Gwendolen and Deronda. But the Jewish community’s reaction was a mirror image of the British critics'. The Jews loved the book, though some said that the romantic themes detracted from the main point of the novel, which was Zionism. And in parallel to the anonymous sequel, the German Jewish novelist Marcus Lehman adapted the book to include only the Jewish themes. I think the whole thing is pretty funny.
Personally, I loved both parts of the book – the British and the Jewish. If you’re a fan of either genre, this is a worthwhile read. And if, like me, you’re a fan of both, chances are that you’ll find in this book a lifetime favorite you’ll be happy to immerse yourself in over and over again. (less)
Anne Frank and her diary have meant so much to me over the years, I don't know where to begin. When I read her at age 12, she was my bosom friend, a J...moreAnne Frank and her diary have meant so much to me over the years, I don't know where to begin. When I read her at age 12, she was my bosom friend, a Jewish girl my own age who wanted to write. I began journaling because of her. As an adult, I continue to read the diary, and her prescient words always move me. I firmly believe that had she had the chance to live, she would have become a baalas teshuva. May Hashem grant her the zchus for inspiring this one.(less)
As I've said before, my criterion for rating a psychology book a 5 is if it changes my life positively. This novel solidified for me my criterion for...moreAs I've said before, my criterion for rating a psychology book a 5 is if it changes my life positively. This novel solidified for me my criterion for giving a novel a 5: do I shed actual tears for the characters? In this case, the answer is yes, so hence the 5 stars.
The book is set in the home of a Jewish merchant family in China in the 1850's. According to the historical afterword in my copy of the book, Jews lived in China as far back as the 1200's, and the 1850's is when they ceased to function as a community. How and why did they disappear? No doubt in the way the novel depicts it: through intermarriage and assimilation.
From a Jewish perspective, this book is an absolute tragedy. The matron of the house, Madame Ezra, wants nothing more than to see her son David marry a Jewish woman and carry on the Jewish tradition, even in China. But Peony, the Chinese bondmaid (a house slave, essentially), has ideas of her own about David's future and engages in some pretty elaborate manipulations to get her way. It's incredibly ironic; everyone fears Madame Ezra, but the sly little slave girl ultimately wields more power.
An apropos (though admittedly borrowed) term to describe this book is a "moral chiaroscuro." The characters are not divided into black and white, good and evil. Madame Ezra has an imperious manner, but she's highly principled and is basically kind. David's struggle with his conscience is very human and very Jewish. And Peony herself, while supremely dishonest, also shows an almost saintly level of kindness, especially at the end.
As I said, from a Jewish perspective, this book is 100% tragic. Traditional Jews will be disturbed by it, particularly for its attack on the concept of "chosenness." But it is nonetheless probably an accurate depiction of the fate of the Jews in China, which is something worth learning about. As a historical note, though the book is set in the 1850's, it was written in the late 1940's, i.e. in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust. No doubt that is what motivated Pearl S. Buck to explore the theme of Jewish disappearance.
As a love story, this novel is passionate, well-written, and complex. I don't know what a romantic would say to the ending, but overall, the book is worth reading just for the characters and the "moral chiaroscuro."(less)
Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of Jewish parents quite like the idea that their kids could go off the derech. Most of us will do anything to pre...moreNothing strikes fear into the hearts of Jewish parents quite like the idea that their kids could go off the derech. Most of us will do anything to prevent it, and if getting informed is the way, I was all for it. The author has done an excellent job of describing the problem, backing it up with real data from the people going through it, and explaining the fault lines in the Jewish world that are allowing it to happen. Though not a parenting book per se, it definitely helped me in creating a more positive Jewish home for my kids. (less)
This is a fascinating series very relevant for all Orthodox Jews who struggle with balancing our Torah lifestyles with the secular society we must int...moreThis is a fascinating series very relevant for all Orthodox Jews who struggle with balancing our Torah lifestyles with the secular society we must interact with. Above all, this series explained Rav Kook's views to me better than anything I've ever heard, and the story of the friendship between Rav Yisroel Salanter (founder of the mussar movement) and Rav Samson Rafoel Hirsch is absolutely fascinating. (less)
The Jewish people are called "the people of the book" but not all Jewish books get a warm reception when they're first written. Two discussed in this...moreThe Jewish people are called "the people of the book" but not all Jewish books get a warm reception when they're first written. Two discussed in this series - the Ramchal's Mesillas Yesharim and Toldos Yaakov Yosef were banned books in their times, but considered classics now. The Mishnah Brurah is THE seminal work of Jewish Law for Ashkenazim both then and now, and Ohr Yisroel is hardly known as a title, but its ideas have had tremendous influence. The entire series is one of Rabbi Wein's best ever. (less)
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