The Imposter

Ruach Ami #5

by Avner Gold

Over the centuries since the
destruction of the second Bais
Hamikdash, various adventurers
and false prophets have laid claim
to the royal mantle of Mashiach and
promised to bring an end to the
long and bitter galus of the Jewish
people. These messianic
movements have almost invariably
brought tragic results, but none
more so than the catastrophic
messianic campaign of the
infamous false Mashiach Shabbesai
Tzvi, the central figure of The
Impostor, the fifth volume in The
Ruach Ami Series.

Viewed for the most part through
the eyes of the characters of the
Pulichever saga, the amazing story
of The Impostor unfolds d_uring the
middle of the seventeenth century
in the heart of the Turkish Empire.
Feeding on the profound yearning
of the Jewish people for the coming
of Mashiach, the mystical cult,
formed by the charismatic figure of
Shabbesai Tzvi and the burning
ambition of his disciples, threatened
to engulf the major Jewish
communities of the world. The
Impostor traces the development of
this movement from its earliest
origins with mysterious midnight
meetings on the shores of the Bay
of Smyrna to its hair raising climax
in the Imperial courts of the Turkish
Sultan.

Genres: Jewish, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult

191 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1985

About the author

Yaakov Yosef Reinman is an American Orthodox rabbi and writer, historian, and scholar. His monographs and articles have appeared in many Jewish periodicals and his study of Talmudic contractual law is a text used in yeshivas throughout the world. His Ruach Ami series is written under the pen name Avner Gold.

Reinman is the author of sefer Shufra Dishtara, an analytical study of the philosophy of Talmudic contractual law, which is utilized as a text in yeshiva studies. He also co-authored the book One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them with Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. A fluent speaker of several languages, Reinman has also become known as a translator for ancient Jewish texts into English.

He is a descendant of the Narol, and his first wife, Shami (Shlomtzie) née Rubin was a descendant of the Nadvorna Chasidic dynasties.

Reinman lives in Lakewood Township, New Jersey.

Reviews

[Perlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been re-reading this series with my son, and we are both enjoying them! This volume in the series was mostly well-done, although slightly over-written in places. Gold weaves in a lot of historical detail, and it's a great way for kids and teens to learn our story.

[DJ Wartelsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book. I like the way that he planed it all with the pouch/dragon's teeth and the Gematria ETC