Book Reviews

I often found myself holding my hands to my mouth in utter amazement at the power of the writing, sometimes so engrossed I forgot to breathe.

His students can attest that Rabbi Blau does not waste one extra word as he opens the richness of the text.

Although the book is a light, and not to be taken in anyway as a halachic, treatise, there are some poignant moments and you may just learn a thing or two.

Everyone involved had to be physically present in one office to get a book published.

Witnessed by Theodore Herzl, who was a journalist for a Viennese newspaper covering the trial, the cause célèbre became the spark that eventually caused the rise of the State of Israel in modern times.

When I give this book, the parents look at the gold Caldecott Medal on the front cover and smile, but look up quizzically – a book for a newborn?

Abusive men are usually on their best behavior before marriage. But they do provide clues.

The Lion's Gate takes us from the dawn of the state in 1948, through intervening battles, to the lead-up to June 1967, and finally through the harrowing six days of fighting.

For Halevi, however, the soldiers of the 55th were not only at the forefront of national triumph, but also became the flesh and blood manifestation of his love for the country and his desire to make the Land of Israel his home.

This book is more than just a biography of one of the leading figures in the Jewish world of the past century.

These are not necessarily the best all-around biographies or studies of the individual presidents listed (though some rank right up there), but the strongest in terms of exploring presidential attitudes and policies toward Israel.

Steinsaltz has an incredible ability to take lofty concepts and explain them in a way that an average layman can understand.

With Journey of Faith in front of you during the shul’s leining, or at home on a long Shabbos afternoon, you’ll enjoy worthy insights and see the entire sefer anew.

"The three of us survived the war only because of my father's ingenuity and guts."

Determination is now being studied by educators and psychologists who want to understand why some people born with every gift do not achieve a meaningful adulthood, while others born into a challenging existence rise above their beginnings to enjoy accomplished lives.

The 100 divrei Torah in this book originally appeared online and were distributed via e-mail. Unsurprisingly, therefore, many of them address contemporary issues. For example, on Parshat Mishpatim (and elsewhere), Rabbi Angel berates Israel’s chief rabbis and others for making life increasingly difficult for would-be converts to Judaism. On Parshat Vayigash, Rabbi Angel scolds 40 Israeli rabbis who signed a proclation prohibiting Jews from selling land in Israel to non-Jews.

The sage Hillel summarized the entire Torah by saying, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn it.”

Sometimes it is hard to help people, and sometimes you can help people by just using whatever it is you have at the time – even an amazing fishing rod.

As someone who for the past fifteen years has been writing a column that largely focuses on the news media, I’ve read what is no doubt an altogether unhealthy number of books on the subject. Most of them were instantly forgettable while some created a brief buzz but failed to pass the test of time. And then there were those select few that merited a permanent spot on the bookshelf.

This time of year, there is little pleasure greater than cozying up with a good book. The problem is, of course, that there is a lot to do.

I am from the generation that never saw or heard the Rav but lived in his shadow, feeling his recently departed presence in his students' lectures. My poverty in this sense pales in comparison to that of the next generation, who have only a distant notion of who this great man was and his sprawling impact.

Rabbi Dr. Natan Ophir (Offenbacher) has just written a blockbuster magnum opus about Reb Shlomo that is sweeping in scope and destined to become the definitive biography of a unique personality whose influence on Jewish prayer as expressed musically may be more far-reaching than that of anyone since King David.

August 1937, Cheyenne Wyoming – Sally Levin, an Orthodox Jewish teenager has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia and her family is preparing to institutionalize her.

The sefer opens with the origins of the kaparot custom. Readers may be surprised to learn that kaparot – at least in some form – might date back to the Talmudic era, with Rashi testifying about a custom to use a plant for kaparot.

On the one hand, Rashke tells the political story about the motives behind the U.S.‘s welcoming of war criminals onto its land. On the other hand, he successfully balances it with the emotional story of the Holocaust.

Geller, a mother of five who made aliyah from Monsey last year, offers a glimpse – with lots of photos – into her busy family life.

Rambam sets forth no less than 15 chapters specifically devoted to the topic of prayer. He includes its laws in numerous other chapters in his magnum opus work, the Yad Hachazakah. The Tur, the Mechaber and the Rema devote no less than 45 simanim to this topic. Notwithstanding, many of our present day practices will not be found in their works. Yet, as these are ingrained in our prayer service, we question why and where. That is, many of these practices seem to have no reason and no obvious source.

A while back I inducted a new rabbi into office. It’s something I do often, and there is a certain predictability to the proceedings. I give the new rabbi my blessings and encouragement. He in reply thanks those who have helped him through the years, and sets out his aspirations as a spiritual leader and his vision for the future of the congregation.

Rabbi Paysach Krohn, the noted speaker, mohel, and author who has delighted hundreds of thousands of people as “The American Maggid,” has produced The Maggid at the Podium, a collection of speeches originally delivered to live audiences and subsequently published in Zman Magazine. Covering a wide spectrum of topics, the articles touch on such subjects as the proper ways to do bikur cholim, nichum aveilim, and kiruv, to name just a few. Rabbi Krohn also discusses human relationships as well as timely topics connected to the Jewish calendar.

Tzirel Rus Berger is a woman who is in love with her Judaism. But she wasn’t always Tzirel Rus Berger and she wasn’t always a Jew. In fact she began life as Sheryl Youngs, the daughter of a devout Christian pastor in Southern California, before marrying John Massey and following him to the Appalachian backwoods. There she raised their ten children, living a life so impoverished that she didn’t even have indoor plumbing.