The Rabbi of 84th Street: The Extraordinary Life of Haskel Besser – A Rare Window into the World of Hasidic Judaism and Faith

by Warren Kozak

Always wearing an easy smile, Hasidic rabbi Haskel Besser spreads joy wherever he goes, enriching the lives of his many friends and congregants with his profound understanding of both Orthodox Judaism and humannature. With warmth and admiration, journalist Warren Kozak writes about the rabbi's extraordinary life—from his family's escape to Palestine in the late 1930s to his witnessing of Israel's rebirth in 1948, to his move to New York City, where he lives today. A rare window into the normally closed world of Hasidic Jews, The Rabbi of 84th Street is also the story of Judaism in the twentieth century; of the importance of centuries-old traditions; and of the triumph of faith, kindness, and spirit.

Genres: Jewish, Biography, Nonfiction, Judaica, Religion, Judaism, Holocaust

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Steven jb · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary story; I was in tears through most of it. The story is about the life of a learned man, tracing his boyhood in Europe, his escape from the holocaust; and then touches upon his years in Israel; his inspirational teaching of Talmud; his efforts in Jewish education in Europe where Jewish culture had almost been destroyed; the Rabbi's thoughts on why the Nazis targeted Jews who were of no threat and indeed were loyal German citizens at that time; and his efforts in locating gravesite's of Jew's killed by the Nazi's; and some great vignettes, particularly one with Nikita Khrushchev, and how travel was really opened up for US citizens to Russia in the fifties. I felt the beginning was in sufficient detail, but the ending could have gone into more detail and related more about the last 50 years of the rabbi's life, or perhaps I was just enjoying this so much, I wanted more. Really a great read, an incredible story.

[Kressel Housman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Just as the title says, Rabbi Haskel Besser had an incredible life. The first chapter opens with a description of a typical morning in which he's giving a Talmud class in his shul. It's a beautiful picture of Jewish life at its best, but the chapter ends by saying, "This is home. But it wasn't always." And in the next few chapters we are brought back in time to Rabbi Besser's childhood and adolescence in Eastern Europe, the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, and his narrow escape to the Holy Land. This part of the book deserves a 5; it had me on the edge of my seat. The descriptions of the Holy Land and how he met his wife are also excellent, but the chapters on how he settled on the Upper West Side of Manhattan are a little less interesting. Then comes another 5-star section - his activities in post-Communist Europe. The Holocaust casts its shadow over this section, too; the stories of the Jewish children hidden in the Holocaust and how their descendants discovered the truth is just mind-boggling!

I recommend this book especially to Jews who aren't all that educated about Torah and the Ultra-Orthodox approach to life. The major concepts are explained in beginners' terms. Non-beginners will probably find those explanations very skim-worthy, but I still recommend the book because Rabbi Besser is living the life we as frum Yidden should all aspire to.

[Chana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the biography of Rabbi Haskel Besser. It follows his life from Eastern Europe, his narrow escape to the Holy Land, his marriage and then his life in NYC. Rabbi Haskel Besser is the epitome of what we want every Jew to be: righteous, kind, intelligent, hard-working and dedicated to the welfare of the Jewish people. He is also a person of dynamic personality who befriends and helps everyone he can, including people in very high government positions. His stories will make you laugh, some will make you cry and every bit of what we learn about Rabbi Besser shows his tremendous faith in Hashem. This Rabbi was a powerhouse and a very pious and humble man. So inspiring!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read perfect for a Shabbos evening or afternoon about a Chassidic rabbi living in Manhattan in the 20th century. Kozak protrays his subject with affection and insight, and there are many fascinating anecdotes in the book's pages. You also have a wonderful experience of seeing how the experiences of a single person connect to greater, more historic circumstances.

The one problem that I have with the book is the beginning, where he explains Chassidus and the Orthodox way of looking at the world. That section contains many inaccuracies - Kozak is himself not Orthodox even though Rabbi Besser is - and my suspicion is that the publisher didn't bother to fact check that section or get an expert opinion. Many global statements are simply wrong; others fold many different approaches to Jewish life into a single approach, often at the cost of ignoring or even slighting non-Chassidim.

Nonetheless, the remainder of the book is a delight.

[Laura Boudreau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and enjoyable read about a truly extraordinary life.

[Red Car · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much.

[Wiktoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nudy

[Esther Dushinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

T

[Deena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someday, Goodreads will provide for friends-only-viewable reviews, at which time I will rewrite this review. In the private notes available now, I'll write the things I really think, or thought about as I read this book - but I have no desire to discuss them with people I don't know, so those thoughts aren't going to be public.

For now, I'll say that I found this book very interesting and that it gave me a lot to think about. It's more of a testimonial than a traditional biography, but that's ok. I definitely didn't always agree with things that Rabbi Besser said or believed, but that's ok too. I confess that in some ways this was a much more thought provoking book than I had anticipated when I bought it - and that's a good thing.

Rabbi Besser passed away in 2010, three days before his 87th birthday, and even though I disagree with him on many levels about many things, his life still makes me think of this story by I. L. Peretz:
If Not Higher

[Michelle Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was, of all things, a Christmas present from my stepmother. While I still participate in their Christmas celebration (with the full blessing of my rabbi) it warms my heart to receive Jewish themed gifts from them (my brother bought me a Star of David charm).

This was a short book about the very interesting life of a Poland born rabbi who fled the Holocaust, raised a family, had an interesting life and became a very prominent hasidic rabbi in New York City. The book is the religious equivalent of “chick lit.” Meaning it was kind of fluffy and quick reading. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable story of a man who, through a series of coincidences, or acts of Providence, depending on your perspective, manages to barely escape the Holocaust, finds his way to British Palestine, and spends a life rekindling a nearly lost faith. The history of Hasidic Judaism is fascinating, both for it's depth and joy. Most revealing is this man's perseverance in his search for making a difference while trying to determine why he was saved when so many were lost. Very inspirational, even for those who aren't Jewish.

[Jennifer]

A friend recommended I read this with this email:

"The Rabbi of 84th Street: The Extraordinary Life of Haskel Besser. It helps if you’re interested in Jewish history or the Holocaust. It’s one of those books that reaffirm your faith in humanity."

[Yaffa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feel good Jewish title. Explores one man's journey from Europe to Israel to NYC. Personally knew members of the family of the titular rabbi.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely.