BIOGRAFÍAS
1
Every day scores and scores of people -Sephardim and Ashkenazim, Chareidim and traditional - lined up for her blessing, counsel, encouragement and assistance. Everyone was welcome and everyone went away enthralled and enriched.
Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky was one of the most remarkable, selfless, and beloved women of our time. She was the epitome of Ahavas Yisrael, Ahavas Torah, and chessed.
This extraordinary biography, by a couple who knew her well, tells the story of this magnificent "mother of Klal Yisrael." Written with blessing and cooperation of Maran Harav Chaim Kanievsky shlita, and containing hundreds of pictures - including private never-before-published family photos and documents - this book will be read and read, quoted and quoted.
2
He had a mind big enough to master all of Torah. A spirit big enough to lead his people. And a heart big enough to contain all of Klal Yisrael. Maran Harav Ovadia Yosef met with Prime Ministers, Presidents, great rabbis — and the humblest Jew seeking advice or a berachah. He inspired and led everyday life according to the Torah. The brilliant gaon was an unyielding warrior for Torah. As a young rabbi in Cairo, he courageously stood firm for halachah even as a gun was pointed at his head. In the early days of the State of Israel, he struggled to bring his Sephardic brethren back to the magnificent Torah traditions that many were abandoning with terrifying haste. His encyclopedic knowledge was breathtaking and unparalleled. In his scores of brilliant sefarim he "restored the crown to its glory," fighting the battles of Torah and maintaining the preeminence of Maran Beit Yosef. So multifaceted a leader needs a multifaceted biography. In Maran Harav Ovadia we meet the sage, the leader, the visionary, the loving father of all in distress.
Rabbi Yehudah Heimowitz, author of the bestselling biographies, brings us Maran Harav Ovadia Yosef's rich and historic life and includes hundreds of stories and vignettes based on recollections of his family, friends, and colleagues. Generous excerpts from Harav Ovadia's personal writings give us a first-hand glimpse of his encounters and achievements, while hundreds of photos and historical documents offer a visual history of his extraordinary life.
Biografías
3
This is a true story so full of non-stop action, physical and spiritual courage, Divine Providence, spine-tingling adventure -- and an utter dedication to Torah -- that it can only be called: Incredible! As CEO of Arachim, the ultra-successful global kiruv organization, Rabbi Yossi Wallis has touched and transformed the lives of tens of thousands of Jews, and has developed personal, warm relationships with many of our greatest Torah leaders. Before he became a renowned kiruv master, Yossi ("Joe") Wallis lived a life of breathtaking exploits and hair-raising escapes. It began on the tough New York streets, where Joe led the Bronx's first all-Jewish gang, black leather jackets and all. It was a life that included dangerous encounters with the Mafia underworld, a stint in the Israeli air force, and an unexpected discovery of his Torah heritage while waiting in a restaurant for his treife sandwich.
Rabbi Wallis wasn't the only illustrious member of his family. Under the deft hands of master storyteller Rabbi Nachman Seltzer we meet Rabbi Wallis's ancestor, Rafael Vallis, one of the three last Jews to be publicly burned in a Spanish auto-da-fe. And Yeedle Wallis, Rabbi Wallis's father, whose against-all-odds survival in the Holocaust and journey to pre-State Palestine is something you'd expect only to find in fiction. This is a story that reads like a thriller, and, at the same time, it is an inspiring account of a spiritual journey. This is a story that is simply Incredible!
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If you're one of the tens of thousands who thrilled to Rabbi Yossi Wallis's adventures, as told in the major bestseller Incredible!, you know just how amazing (incredible!) his story is.
What a journey! In Incredible! we met young Joe Wallis, member of a tough Bronx gang with ties to the Mafia. We saw him becoming a wealthy businessman living in the lap of California luxury.
Finally, we followed him to Eretz Yisrael, becoming a religious Jew, close to many of Eretz Yisrael's gedolim and busy bringing thousands of Jews back to their Torah roots. Wow.
Incredible 2 is filled with more fascinating stories, more adventures, more inspiring personalities from Rabbi WallisÂ’s dynamic life. We read about his first steps to Torah observance,
where he experiences mysterious encounters and unexpected hashgachah every step of the way. We will meet unforgettable people. The African Prince who became a religious Jew.
The investigative reporter who went to an Arachim seminar to prove it was a scam and winds up becoming religious as a result of the lectures. The 89-year-old "bar mitzvah boy."
And we will be amazed and inspired by Rabbi Wallis's warm and intimate relationships with Rav Chaim Greineman and Rav Menachem Man Shach zt"l,
who took this unique baal teshuvah under their wings and helped lead him to greatness. Incredible 2.
The story is as incredible as... Incredible!
Biografías
5
In the biting, forbidding winds of Communist Russia, one man staunchly refused to submit. Not through terrible imprisonment, and not under the threat of mortal peril. In this magnificent story, Rav Yitzchak Zilber's devotion and sacrifice for Torah Judaism under oppression shines through in the bleakness of what was. The "father" to countless unfortunate Jews in the Soviety Union and Eretz Yisrael, and an extraordinary figure in the kiruv movement in Eretz Yisrael and in the Diaspora, Rav Yitzchok was renowned for standing up for his beliefs and encouraging hundreds of others to do the same. With photographs, anecdotes, and a compelling tone, this autobiography, comprised of accounts Rav Zilber told during his lifetime, this is truly an uplifting read. Translated from the original Russian and Hebrew editions.
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Truth is stranger--and more incredible--than fiction, as this book attests. By age seven, Aharon Margalit had already suffered a terrible trauma which rendered him mute, and was lying in a sanitarium, completely paralyzed by polio. His mother's indomitable efforts to save him from paralysis are inspiration enough, but as the story unfolds, the inspiration mounts. This is a man who meets tragedy with perfect calm; who has fought cancer three times--and with a positive, assertive spirit that boggles the mind. This is a book that will give strength, courage, and hope to every reader, young and old, no matter where their life's journey has brought them. A testament to faith, optimism, and the power of mind over matter. When Rav Chaim Kanievski was presented with this book in the original hebrew, Es'halech, he read it cover to cover and announced that it gave him chizuk. See what it can do for you!
Biografías
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The undisputed posek hador. The gadol who carried the Torah world on his shoulders. For close to a century, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv was a fixture in the Meah Shearim neighborhood of Yerushalayim, studying Torah day and night. Even during the decades that he served as a dayan (Rabbinic Judge) and played a key role in establishing the structure of the Beis Din Hagadol, his life revolved around his diligent Torah study. His sweet singsong voice rang out at first in the Ohel Sarah shul, and then resonated to every corner of the Torah world, through the thousands upon thousands of piskei halachah he issued and the profound guidance - in matters public and private - that he offered. Yet for all that he was renowned and acknowledged as the generation's leader, he remained an enigma even to those closest to him. This stunning new book unravels much of the mystery of this gadol who was at once famed and hidden.
This fascinating portrait of Rav Elyashiv sheds light on the many different facets of this Torah giant: his incredible diligence and hasmadah, his absolute self-control, the warmth that lay behind his reticent, humble manner.
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When he was a child, his parents recognized in him a hechere neshomo, a higher soul; and in his 87 years he proved it over and over. This is the full, blazing story of a man who, in the bewildering night of a New World, chose one fixed point as his polestar. His age-old religion told him that this world, in all its complexity, has one Boss: the Almighty who created it. Yaakov Yosef Herman's slogan for life became: All for the Boss! For the sake of that Boss's Torah and mitzvos he was ready to move. And move he did. Out of his love for Torah he became a prime educator. Among other things, it might be noted that Yaakov Yosef Herman also helped found the two major, pioneering yeshivos of the Lower East Side. Only one person could write this story, to tell it all, from the early years in New York to the final decades in Yerusholayim. His daughter Ruchoma knows it all: the struggles and the triumphs, the heartbreak and the happiness. With the publication of this book, we believe the fame he deserved will catch up with him at last. As Rabbi Avigdor Miller writes in his Foreword, "The biography of this servant of Hashem is long overdue."
by Ruchoma Shain
Biografías
9
She could have been a princess, but the wise and beautiful Rachel, heiress to one of the greatest fortunes of the land, forfeited her legacy to marry an ignorant shepherd against her father's will. Shunned by all but her lifelong friend Leah, Rachel plummets from the heights of wealth and influence to the depths of poverty. Her new husband Akiva, at her insistence, devotes himself to Torah study and travels to far-off Lod to learn at the academy, while Rachel is left to raise their children alone in a cold, stone hovel. With time, Rachel's confidence in Akiva proves to be well placed and soon his reputation as a brilliant scholar spreads throughout the province. Rachel's joy knows no bounds. Suddenly calamity strikes, a disaster of such proportion that no family can avoid the suffering. It seems as though the mourning will go on forever. Then, through the fortitude and foresight of their leaders, the People become imbued with a spirit of renewal. Their hopes soar as they begin to rebuild. With luminaries like Akiva to light the way, the Nation puts the dismal past aside and strides courageously towards a glorious future. It is a story as old as the Mishnah and as new as tomorrow.
by Anonymous
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Visitors streamed to them for guidance and blessings; leading Rabbonim treated them with reverence. Living in a humble shack, poverty clung to them like the dust of the surrounding Jezre'el Valley. Childless themselves, they cared for cast-off children with profound handicaps. By life's end, Rebbitzen Chaya Sara Kramer, together with her husband Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Kramer, had transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people worldwide.
This book chronicles a fascinating story of these hidden tzaddikim. But it is far more than a biography. It is a manual - a map of lessons - delineating Rebbitzen Kramer's prescription for personal greatness. An amazing person with a rare degree of humility, she left us a legacy of experience, knowledge and wisdom by which to elevate our own lives.
Author Sara Yoheved Rigler, a talented and refreshing writer, draws the reader deeply into the circle of her own close personal relationship with Rebbitzen Kramer. While the story line is riveting, the life lessons are profoundly applicable. A page-turner unlike any you've read, the messages of Holy Woman will inspire you to new heights of Torah living and learning.
Biografías
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An American professor on a Fulbright Fellowship to Taiwan nds a newborn baby girl abandoned in a railroad station. In China, with overpopulation and where, traditionally, little value is placed on female o spring, this almost commonplace occurrence could hardly be considered noteworthy. But for Allan Schwartzbaum, it was an event that would alter his life irrevocably.
The Schwartzbaums, married for nine years and unable to have children of their own, adopt the foundling and bring her back to America with them. Because they are Jewish, although not observant, they want to provide their new daughter with a basic Jewish education, but this turns out to be far from simple. In order to qualify for enrollment in the local Jewish Day School, the child has to rst be converted to Judaism. And in order to qualify for a legitimate conversion, she has to rst be guaranteed an Orthodox upbringing.
This heartwarming, true story, lled with humor and pathos, joy, frustration, and ultimately, ful llment, describes the providential chain of events that lead the Schwartzbaums from the discovery of a Chinese infant to the discovery of their Jewish heritage. Along the way, they also discover that the burdens and obligations of authentic Judaism are outweighed by its myriad bene ts.
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First published in 1985, Confessions of a Jewish Cultbuster revealed actual case histories of Jewish youngsters rescued from cults, deprogrammed and returned to their families. This completely revised and updated edition contributes new stories while continuing the timeless message of the struggle of young Jews in search of identity amid a myriad of spiritual and emotional snares and smiling enemies. This honest, shocking, and challenging work arms every reader with a practical understanding of how to protect against soul snatchers.
RABBI SHEA HECHT is a member of a distinguished family of fourth generation American Jews, rabbis, and scholars. He is one of twelve children of the eminent Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht, ob”m, and Rebbitzen Chave Hecht. After several decades as a deprogrammer, Rabbi Shea broadened his focus to directing the multifaceted Jewish educational organization, N.C.F.J.E., and has become a major figure in the field of marriage and family counseling.
Biografías
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Four Teenager Stories of Courage and Miraculous Survival
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History has a way of repeating itself, and the sporadic persecution of the Jewish people has been popular with tyrants throughout history. Every epoch has had its heroes and heroines, and on these pages, you will be introduced to four amazing women:
Dina – a very astute seventeen-year-old living in twelfth-century England, she helps her family escape to the Continent in the wake of the destruction rained down on the Jewish communities by the Crusaders.
Freya – escaping the clutches of the evil Torquemada, this teenage girl and her family flee from Spain to Portugal, and finally reach relatively peaceful Antwerp.
Tonya – whose mother died in childbirth, embarks on a dangerous quest to find her father in devastated Ukraine during the Cossack pogroms.
Necha – a young bride. Her harrowing story involves the murder of most of her family and neighbors, and her fight for survival during the Holocaust.
Learn about the terrible times in which these young women lived, and read about the faith and courage that saw them through their ordeals.
Biografías
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Her grandfather, youngest son of the revered Sanzer Rebbe, the Divrei Chaim, had promised her she would survive. Was it possible?
Sima Halberstam Preiser grew up in a majestic chassidic household, related to many of the great Rebbes. "Tell me a story of the Sanzer Zeideh" she would beg, and then, entranced, she would hear how her illustrious great-grandfather, the Divrei Chaim, had peddled apples to help an impoverished Jewess or miraculously located a woman's missing husband.
When she was nine years old this sheltered little girl became a fugitive from the Nazis, a smuggler slinking in the shadows, risking her life for a slice of bread, walking barefoot in the snow to find her imprisoned sister. Her journeys would take her into bunkers hidden beneath haystacks, into Hungary's most infamous prison, into a world of death, brutality - and open, unbelievable miracles. Her flight from the Nazis would lead her, also, to the homes of luminaries such as the Munkatzcher and Bobover Rebbes, refuges of joy and faith in a world of despair.
Heaven's Tears is the story of a courageous Jewish child, an outspoken free spirit who grew into a remarkable Jewish woman. Beautifully conveyed by bestselling author Rabbi Nachman Seltzer, it is an unusual mixture of Holocaust memoir and fascinating tales of Chassidic greatness.
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Follow Gil around the globe, as he makes his amazing spiritual journey from corporate America to the depths of South India to the holy city of Jerusalem. Join him as he transforms himself from a successful businessman into a longhaired hippy, a mystical guru, a Christian healer, and finally an old city Jew. The incredible adventures of this God-intoxicated man will not only enlighten you, they will warm your heart.
Biografías
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From the Appalachian backwoods comes a family so amazing, a story so incredible, and a light so bright — it will illuminate our own lives as well.
When Sheryl Youngs married John Massey, she looked forward to a life based on the Biblical principles her parents, members of a small but fervently religious congregation, had instilled in her. What she didn't expect was to be making that life in a shack on a mountain in impoverished Appalachia. And she didn't expect that she would end up living on that mountain, homeschooling her ten children. And she most certainly didn't expect that somehow, incredibly, miraculously, she and her entire family would discover the truth of Judaism, the beauty of Torah - and the Jewish People the entire family would ultimately come to join.
This is the story of the pastor's daughter who became a Jew, mother of ten Jews, all devoted to Torah learning and mitzvah observance. It is a story of struggle and search, of searing disappointment and unlooked for hopes, of questions asked and prayers answered.
Most of all, it is the story, told in her own words, of a woman whose deep love Torah is an inspiration to us all.
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Galia is a severely brain-damaged Israeli girl. Her mother, Shulamit Gad, a non-observant, divorced woman with the arduous challenge of caring for Galia on her own, learns about Facilitated Communication, a computer-based technique of reaching out to the mentally disabled. When Galia is introduced to the method, she immediately responds, revealing to her mother earth-shattering, mind-boggling secrets that the facilitator (the expert working as a go-between) could not have known or made up. As a result, Shulamit Gad returns to her roots, and resolves to publicize the deep, enlightening, and astounding Torah truths that Galia consistently imparts during their F.C. sessions. The story of Galia's faith even as she suffers, will touch your heart, but her every revelation, disclosed here, will touch your soul.
Biografías
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This book can change your life. It's incredible stories are likely to produce an uncontrollable urge to help others and a strong desire to do good things.
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This book inspired me to reach out and do more acts of kindness. The example of simple acts of kindness and their positive impact on people should be required for all of us.
This book is a masterpiece.
Biografías
21
Knowing Ahuva Gray is a spiritual adventure... Presenting the heroines of the Bible has always been a challenge... Ahuva is one of those heroines. Her story cannot fail to inspire us to make our own lives a bit bigger.
Rebetzin Tziporah Heller
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Gifts of a Stranger In her newest book Gifts of a Stranger, an African-American convert to Judaism and beloved speaker brings us gifts, wondrous insights, and stories, both humorous and poignant, as she inspires her fellow Jews through her far-flung travels around the globe.
Biografías
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Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg zt'l is a legend in the Torah world. The founder and Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivas Torah Ore, he was renowned for his brilliance and hasmadah and beloved for his stellar middos. Tens of thousands of Jews made their way to his quiet Jerusalem apartment to meet with him, learn from him, gain his blessing - or simply bask in the warmth of a gadol b'Torah.
Rabbi Yechiel Spero, author of the classic Touched by a Story series as well as the bestselling biography, Rav Gifter, interviewed dozens of talmidim and others who knew Rav Scheinberg intimately. Under his talented hand, Rav Scheinberg and his incomparable rebbetzin come to vivid life, both in wonderful vignettes of their daily lives, and, even more, in the Torah wisdom that Rav Scheinberg taught for so many decades.
Far more than a biographical tribute to a gadol b'Torah, this a book that has the power to teach, inspire, and transform us. In these pages we seem to be able to hear his beloved voice, advising us on how to be better spouses or more loving parents, and find ways to make our lives more meaningful.
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A true story of a courageous young woman in her battle against a deadly disease. Noa's seventeen year struggle with bone cancer inspired tens of thousands of people around the world to pray for her. Men and women across the globe were taken with Noa's unshakeable faith in God. This book was written by her husband of nine years, Boruch, during the months after her passing. Noa's stregnth is unique, inspiring, powerful ... and true.
Biografías
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The story of Purim is thrilling and exciting. As the textbook lesson in G-d's constant, though unobtrusive vigilance and protection of His people, the miracle of Purim is the Jew's wellspring of faith in times of exile and danger. Let us not forget that it was the first exile after more than eight centuries in Eretz Yisrael, and bewildered Jews wondered if Hashem had cast them off for good! Then came the climax -- the proof that miracles take place beneath the surface and that the bonds connecting G-d and His people can never be cut. Megillas Esther tells only part of the story. The rest is in the Talmud, Midrash, and the classic commentators. If we could only pull all the disparate sources together into one flowing, coherent whole, we would have not only an absorbing and inspiring lesson in faith, we would enter the spine-tingling world of Mordechai and Esther ? the intrigues of the royal court, the Machiavellian swamp of Haman's conspiracy, the thousands of talents of silver tumbling from Haman's hands to purchase the rights to history's first genocide, the bravery of Jewish children unafraid of death. We would exult with Mordechai on the royal steed, led through the streets of Shushan by his arch-enemy. Our hearts would pound as the uninvited Esther risks her life to plead with Ahasuerus ?- and succeeds! Yosef Deutsch puts us on the scene. He has accomplished the very impressive feat of canvassing all the sources and retelling the Purim story like a spellbinding novel ? except that every word is true! In his narrative, the events come alive for us as never before.
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Let My Nation Serve Me recounts the most important episode in Jewish history: the drama and exhilaration of Mattan Torah come alive, drawing us to Mount Sinai where we can visualize Moshe, Aharon, Miriam, and other Biblical figures as though they stood before us. Basing his narrative on the Talmud, midrashim and commentaries, the author weaves a vivid tapestry that portrays the Jews' desert life and the singular event of Revelation as never before.
We view the Sea of Reeds in its eerie calm, the day after the drowning of the Egyptian army; experience the bloodthirsty attack of Amalek; see the Heavenly tumult and hear the Ten Commandments; despair as the Golden Calf rises to ensnare the Jewish people in sin; and finally, relive unbounded joy and thankfulness when Divine forgiveness gives us back the Tablets of the Law, our lives and our future as His People.
Biografías
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A gentile princess from a depraved and pagan nation—known for its selfishness and ingratitude—abandons a life of wealth and privilege in order to join the Jewish people as a penniless convert. How will she survive?
In Let Me Join Your Nation, the beloved Megillas Ruth comes alive, thanks to the talented pen of Rabbi Yosef Deutsch, author of the best-selling Let My Nation series. Rabbi Deutsch once again gives us a behind-the-scenes look at another seminal event in Jewish history: the planting and harvesting of the seed of Mashiach. He seamlessly weaves together sources from the teachings of Chazal, the Rishonim and the Acharonim, affording readers a broader understanding of the Megillah's events and lessons.
Ruth's challenges, hardships and ultimate triumph demonstrate Hashem's constant providence over His beloved people. She is a role model for all Jews, an example of how one's sincere desire to cling to Hashem is rewarded for all eternity. Let Me Join Your Nation will let you experience her inspiring story in a unique and delightful way.
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Let My Nation Ascend continues whereLet My Nation Wander left off, bringing to life the Jewish people's ascent toward their ultimate destination of the Promised Land.
With the tragedies of the spies and Korach long behind them, the Jewish people's final year in the wilderness is filled with new challenges as well as tests of their faith in Hashem. They are faced with trials and tribulations from nature, with the disappearance of Miriam's Well and their subsequent thirst; from animals, in the form of serpents; and from man, beginning with the warring giants, Sichon, king of the Emorites, and Og, king of Bashan. They must overcome their old nemesis, Bilam, and fight against Midian. And they will have to part from Moshe and accept Yehoshua as their new leader.
Biografías
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More than once, Israel Cohen thought he was a footstep away from the end, but he was destined to survive — to start a new life, raise a proud family, and share his experiences with us. And his experiences are truly a gift, because Cohen is a man with a heart and an unshakeable faith. His moving, hope-filled articles (some of which are included in this book) have appeared in religious and secular publications in the United States and Canada, and he has often been called upon to share his experiences with audiences in both these countries.
Understandably, we pick up any book about the Holocaust with hesitancy and trepidation, but we put down Destined to Survive with gratitude that such a man was willing to share his experiences with us.
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Heartstrings recounts twelve incredible months in the life of one baby and his family. Written by the child's mother, it is a poignant, powerful and ultimately uplifting story. Above all, it is a tale of Divine Providence in its many guises.
Biografías
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The fateful story of arrest and exile…that became the passport to life for thousands.
Through a Divine twist of fate, the Feinzeigs, along with thousands of Polish refugees, were spared the Nazi boot, finding haven on frozen Soviet soil. Under distrustful Communist eyes, they traveled from barracks to collective farms, beset with misery, sickness, and hunger. But nothing, neither pain nor tragedy, could extinguish the flames of their faith. By Dovid Feinzeig
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The true story of a young mother's faith and courage, and the compassionate community that contributed to her miraculous recovery from a devastating fire.
Biografías
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For eighteen long years, Carmela and Volodya Raiz were Russian refuseniks, harassed and hounded by the KGB. Communism denied them even the basic heman right to study and practice their religion, so they had grown up ignorant of their own rich Jewish heritage. They endured hardships and persecution until their dream of freedom finally came true.
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In a small corner of the Lederman shul in Bnei Brak, Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky, a"h, davened along with the vasikin minyan every morning at the break of dawn. The author, Ruth Attias, would join her there, usually on Tuesdays -- the day graced with a double "ki tov." Then one day, Rebbetzin Kanievsky stroked her hand and told her, "Ruthy, listen to the amazing story that took place here ..."
Since then, early every Tuesday morning, Mrs. Attias would sit next to the Rebbetzin, writing pad in hand, pen poised to transcribe her words. The Rebbetzin spoke and her eager student wrote. "Someday I am going to publish these stories," Mrs. Attias told her.
When the Rebbetzin was informed that the material was ready for printing, she expressed a desire to write a dedication for it. However, shortly thereafter, she returned her pure soul to her Maker. When her husband, Harav Hagaon R' Chaim Kanievsky, shlit"a, read the original Hebrew manuscript, he declared, "The stories here are true and they can instill much yiras Shamayim."
Biografías
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The very mention of the name evokes in those who knew him a feeling of tremendous awe and reverence, much the same as the mere entry into his home at Rechov Rashbam 10 in Bnei Brak during his lifetime made one tremble and repent as if on the doorstep of the Holy of Holies. As the author, M. Sofer, wonders in the poetic introduction to his work: Where is the pen with enough ink to describe him? Where does one find the proper words to write? Is it possible at all to portray such a giant, whose gadlus reached the highest of heights?! Yet the author presents us with a two-volume work, an attempt to capture the halo of holiness which permeated his very being, to tell the countless incredible stories of those who came to him for advice and blessings, and to trace his superhuman dedication to the study of Torah and performance of mitzvos throughout his lifetime. The result is an account outstanding both in its poignancy and its accuracy, as the wealth of information gathered herein is related from the vantage point of those who were zocheh to bask in the gadol's light and observe his every move first-hand.
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Against the backdrop of Eretz Yisrael after the destruction of the Holy Temple, this vivid account portrays the life of Rabbi Akiva as he rose from humble shepherd to great Sage and leader of his generation. The Talmud and Midrash were prime sources for this colorful portrayal, one of the best loved of the many carefully researched, inspiring historical novels that Rabbi Lehmann wrote about Jewish heroes of times past.
Akiva was originally published in 1881, in Mainz, Germany, as part of the author's German language weekly newsletter, Der Israelit. It was serialized and each week another chapter, steeped with the words of our Sages, and the glory of our history, was mailed to local and international subscribers.
Biografías
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Turbulent Souls is a luminous memoir, crafted with the eye of a journalist and the art of a novelist by New York Times Magazine writer and editor Stephen J. Dubner. By turns comic and heartbreaking, it tells the story of a family torn apart by religion, sustained by faith, and reunited by truth.
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This phenomenal story offers a rare insight into the bond between body and soul.
Biografías
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Riveting, firsthand accounts - based on twenty years of interviews- of yeshiva students of yesteryear. They vividly portray life in the small towns and yeshivos of eastern Europe, and describe their lives and how it prepared them to withstand the spiritual challenges posed by the powerful currents sweeping Jewish communities worldwide; the tribulations of war and Holocaust, the hardships of ife in Siberia and on the steppes of Asia, and even in the countries in whihc they settled. These harrowing tales of mesirus nefesh, filled with rare photographs, will keep you mesmerized, and inspired, from first page to last.
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When the rabbi of a large synagogue in Rockland County suddenly dies, his wife is left at the mercy of the congregation, family and friends. The tragedy, humor, and frustrations which flow through Dina's story will give you insights into the struggles of a lone woman in the Orthodox world. Here is the non-stop hectic life that many single mothers go through - except that most single mothers don't have nine young children in tow!
Biografías
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The commentary of Rabbi Moshe Alshich on Megillath Ruth, richly annotated and with three thought provoking esssays based on rabbinic sources
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The battlefields heroics, the strategy, the lightning action of the Six Day Arab-Israeli War - these are by now well documented. But what was it like on the home front?
Here in the pages of an on-the-spot diary is the warm and human story of an American Jewish Family who lived through those frantic and awesome days.
This is an honest and candid portrayal, without frills or embellishments. Here you will relive it as it was: the fear, agony, and despair, as well as the joy, triumph, and laughter. And you will meet the Israelis as they were, not romanticized or idealized, but as flesh-and-blood: the heretics and the pious, the sinners and the saints, the cowards and the brave.
In this deeply moving volume you will weep and laugh as you live this exciting moment in history which takes you from the brink of disaster to that moment of miraculous triumph which stunned the world on the 28th of Iyar.
Newly designed and updated, this riveting account by Rabbi Emanuel Feldman now includes a prologue with perspectives on the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War.
Biografías
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This thoughtful work transports us from a carefree girlhood in a small Hungarian village, through the grim portals of Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen, and on to the healing balm of recuperation in Sweden. Along the way, Mrs. Wahrman's unshakable faith is the beacon that lights the way and which, 54 years later, lights the eyes and straightens the spine of the reader. Such faith, such commitment, in the face of such adversity... In many ways this work is an intellectual exercise as well. It presents an interestingly documented discussion of thought-provoking topics. It is liberally interspersed with carefully selected political and historical incidents that color the pre-war and wartime years. In addition, there are two illuminating chapters dealing with the attitude of the rest of the world to the ordeal of the Jews during the War, as well as a clear repudiation of the often-prevailing thesis that the Jews went to their deaths like sheep to the slaughter.
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The escape of the Mirrer Yeshiva from war-torn Poland to Shanghai, China
Biografías
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Three of Miriam’s siblings were affected by Fanconi Anemia (FA). One died when she was very young, two of them passed away when she was in high school. FA is a genetic disease that causes victims to develop cancer and bone marrow failure. Many of them also have congenital abnormalities of the limbs such as missing or extra fingers, endocrine problems, and sometimes learning disabilities.
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What started out as a glorious vacation in Paris ended as a terrifying nightmare.. When newlyweds Miriam and Daniel didn’t return home from France as scheduled, Miriam’s mother, Ann, knew something terrible must have happened.. The young couple had already boarded the plane home when officers removed them from their seats and returned them to the airport, assuring them, “This is just routine.” Opening a suitcase that a trusted “friend” had begged them to take, they were horrified to discover a cache of contraband drugs. Although they desperately tried to explain their innocence, they were immediately arrested and prevented from contacting anyone.. Miriam, who was expecting her first child, was thrown into a rigid and foreign prison, while Daniel was incarcerated in a different facility on the other side of town, both barred from contacting family, lawyers, or each other.. It was a living nightmare, the kind you never want to face; the kind you can’t wake up from. After days of anguish and worry, Ann rushed to Paris to negotiate the French legal system and offer support to her daughter and son-in-law, shuttling back and forth between the two prisons in her attempts to encourage and uplift the frightened young couple.. Behind Prison Walls is the true story of Miriam’s harrowing experience, seen through her daily letters to her family.
Biografías
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It was the best of times: a young couple whose life was a continuous sunrise, expecting their third child, with not even a hint of trouble. Then the sky clouded over. Then came symptoms, treatment, diagnosis, verification. Her kidneys were failing. Life would never be the same - and might even be coming to an end. This is a story of the incredible strength, courage, and resourcefulness of a husband and wife, left almost on their own and given little hope. They would not surrender to the "inevitable." With deepening devotion to one another and infinite faith in the mercy of the Creator, they would not give up - until the emergency call came on Shabbos evening: "A kidney is available. You must come immediately." And they did. The Concorde brought them to New York and emergency surgery vindicated their faith. Mrs. Miriam Dansky chronicles their story like a poet. Beautifully and movingly written, this is a book that will thrill and inspire; it's for everyone, and especially for people facing illness.
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The Machlis family hospitality is legendary. Every Shabbos they fit 150 or more people in their small Jerusalem living room, preparing for their guests over 40 chickens, three different kugels, countless salads, four desserts, and, of course, gefilte fish, chicken soup, and cholent-- both traditional and vegetarian.Brooklyn-born Henny Machlis was at the heart of this amazing weekly adventure. But, as author Sara Yoheved Rigler, bestselling author of Holy Woman and a friend of Henny's, discovered as she interviewed Henny's fourteen children, relatives, students, and friends, the Shabbos hospitality was just one glowing facet of the multi-faceted diamond that was Rebbetzin Henny Machlis.A master of prayer, a virtuoso in chesed, an adept in childrearing, a wise Torah teacher, an expert at working on middos, and a successful shadchanit, Henny Machlis regarded a life of Torah and mitzvos as a great treasure that she was eager to share with everyone.And her emunah, her faith in G-d's love and providence? That was where her light shone the most brightly. She lived on the Planet of Emunah, a place where miracles were everyday occurrences, because she knew, really knew, that only Hashem is in charge and He can do anything. And, for Henny, He often did.Like a steaming bowl of chicken soup, this book will satisfy you. Comfort you. And heal you -- in a way that only Rebbetzin Henny Machlis could. Sip it. Savor it. And be inspired and transformed.
Biografías
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Loyal Soldier is a fascinating, true story of one's soldier's journey throgh life. While fighting in Vietnam, Captain Hank (Zvi) Webb began serving his true Commander-in-Chief.
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Deeper than Tears is an inspiring, riveting, true story about a woman who fought with all the tools at her disposal for more than two decades, to have children. In this book, the author pulls back the curtain to allow the reader to glimpse a tumultuous life where tears and smiles, sobbing and laughter all play dominant, interchanging roles. The sun rises and sets, but it always, unfailingly, rises and shines again, casting its brilliant glow of faith, through the waiting and the hope, the dark and the light, the joy and the despair, and most of all, the prayers. Deeper than Tears is written straight from the heart; from the depths of pain and from the heights of faith. The story screams and sings. It is a book that will move you strongly, and help you understand and appreciate the gift of life. It will also intensify the knowledge that nothing can be taken for granted. It is also the story of all those special people whom society sees as "different." And this is the story of all of us, of anyone whose day or life has not gone exactly as he or she had hoped, dreamed, or planned. Deeper than Tears was published in Hebrew in 5769/2009 under the title Hazorim Bedimah, and has sold several thousand copies in Israel. It was very well received and generated a lot of positive feedback. The book was translated into English by the Tefutzah Institute. P.S. They had a baby a few years after this book was published.
Biografías
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A novel that is based upon a true story. The Yecheakels, a devoutly religious family from Bnei Brak, are struggling with tragedy. Their belived eldest son needs a bone-marrow transplant and the campaign is on to find a suitable donor. A few miles - but an entire world away - a donor is found a secular teenager from Tel Aviv's high society. An amazing tapestry emerges as the ghreads of this story are skillfully woven together.
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Dovi,you know I don't mean to do that. Its just the way things have always been with my father. It's easier that way —less drama, less fighting." Dovi nearly choked. "Easier for whom? Easier for him? It's certainly not easier for me!" Newly married Tzippy Kestenbaum finds herself in a place she never expected when her baby is born prematurely. She struggles with her many—often clashing—roles as she enters a bewildering new reality. Torn between her happy-go-lucky husband Dovi, her controlling father, and her peace-at-all-costs yet distant mother, she also has to cope with a frightening NICU existence—and her baby's unknown fate. How can she possibly pull through? Originally serialized in The Voice of Lakewood, Role Callkept thousands of readers emotionally drawn to Tzippy's saga as she faced and overcame her challenges. The interplay so subtly woven into the plot will resonate with you as you'll find yourself silently cheering her on and marveling at her strength. Role Call: A true account of thorny decisions, tangled relationships... and ultimately, self-discovery.
Biografías
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He was a regular, 19-year-old yeshiva guy. And then... "I'm sorry. He has a mass growing inside his brain." Those chilling, dreaded words marked the beginning of Yehuda Boruch Kamenetzky's incredible journey through the world of medicine, miracles - and emunah. It's a journey that includes both terror and humor. We will read about great pain, great love, and even greater growth. We will meet -- as young Yehuda did -- kabbalists and sports figures, an African-American ba'al korei and a Jerusalem beggar whose battered old notebook mysteriously contains Yehuda's name. We will accompany the legendary Dr. Fred Epstein into the operating room as he invades Yehuda's brain in order to destroy the intruder threatening a young man's life. We will hear Miriam Lubling, the tiny Holocaust survivor who won the respect of many of the world's top doctors, telling Yehuda to "Remember, He is the true Doctor." And indeed He is. Again and again, we will see the incredible hashgachah pratis that enabled a young man to defy all odds, survive, and prevail over what everyone said was a fatal condition. Though it deals with a diagnosis that is about as frightening as it can be, Brainstorm is not a frightening book. It is a book that shows us the incredible levels of kindness and faith, chesed and emunah, that a Jew can reach. It's a good read - and a great source of inspiration.
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A medical drama in real life! Parents celebrate the birth of a bouncing baby boy, only to discover that a mystery illness threatens his life, and no doctor can diagnose what it is! Follow their journey of superhuman strength, together with rock-solid emunah and bitachon, in the race to find the cure for their little baby. d to leave its readers transfused with hope.
Biografías
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I'll tell you a story, a true story, a story about my firstborn son, Moshe. A catastrophe struck. I knew it would. For years I waited in panic. Yet when it did, it struck me by surprise and left me breathless, like a blow to my solar plexus. So begins a mother's candid and harrowing account of a devastating injury her son received during a mis-sion in the Israeli air force. Shock and despair give way to determination, emunah, and hope, as the family struggles to cope with Moshe's complex medical issues, with the help of friends and community. The story portrays a period of pain, fear, and frustration that is permeated with love, humor, and blessed moments of grace, as Moshe's family helps him in his heroic quest to choose life, against all odds.
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The Miracle Next Door. by Malka Adler and Yona T. Yacobowicz. After years of battling a debilitating physical illness and waiting for a child, Yona Yacobowicz - founder of the famous women's musical group Tofa'ah - finally gave birth to a baby boy, Yisroel Meir. But could this child survive? In The Miracle Next Door, written together with Malka Adler, Yona's devoted neighbor and best-selling author of A Sunny Slice of Life, we enter the incomparable world of Yisroel Meir Yacobowicz. It's a world where every breath is a blessing. It's an inspiring story of medicine, miracles, music, and love..
Biografías
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The heartwrenching and soul-searching diary of a young widow's faith and dignity in the face of challenge and tragedy. To put her experiences in perspective, Brachah Chubara began keeping a notebook of everyday happenings, feelings, and insights gained from the crucible of her pain. This book is the result--a testament of emunah, bitachon, and hope. This is not just an ...more
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For 16-year-old Tzipi Caton, 11th grade meant exams, friends, homework, and play tryouts. Suddenly, it meant cancer. Facing a cold, new world of tests, IVs, biopsies, needles and cell-destroying chemicals, Tzipi made a decision. She'd face the reality of her illness with honesty and humor; she'd keep a detailed, upbeat account of the entire experience. Miracle Ride is Tzipi's remarkable journal. We cry with her; we laugh at her outrageous jokes and pranks. We meet her friends, her family, and the neighbors, classmates, teachers and professionals who stood by her. We catch an insider's view of the poignant stories of the cancer patients she befriended. Tzipi's brilliant entries glow with courage, wit and warmth. Though Tzipi's story is uncommon, the issues she confronts are universal: keeping relationships strong while under great strain, the often-misguided demand for perfection in a potential marriage partner, and, most important, our search for G-d's Presen
Biografías
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It should have been a most joyful time in Shoshanah Kagan's life. So why was she feeling the exact opposite of joyful - like she was in the depths of a black pit, with no way out? Waves of Blue is the story of Shoshanah Kagan, a devoted young Jewish mother's, experience with Postpartum Depression. Sensitively and accurately, it chronicles each step of her heart-wrenching journey, from the start of her horrific symptoms; to her feelings of denial, guilt, and shame; to her eventual acceptance of her situation; to her ultimate recovery. Also included is an entire informational section on PPD, written by distinguished medical professional, including psychiatrist, OB/GYN, and pediatrician, as well as an "Ask the Rabbi" section pertaining to the Torah perspective on this illness. This story of a young mother's heroic struggle and eventual triumph over adversity will benefit anyone who reads it.
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In 1977, Israel s Mossad spy agency was given an assignment far different from its usual cloak and dagger activities. It was ordered by then Prime Minister Menachem Begin to rescue thousands of Ethiopian Jewish refugees in Sudan and deliver them to me in the Jewish state. No stranger to action in enemy countries, the agency established a covert forward base in a deserted holiday village in Sudan, and deployed a handful of operatives to launch and oversee the exodus of the refugees to the Promised Land, by sea and by air, in the early 1980s. Gad Shimron, the author of this book, was one of their number. First published in Hebrew in 1998, this updated English version of the book offers a thrilling firsthand account of how the operation was put in place, and how the Mossad team in Sudan brought it off, despite great personal risk, running a partying vacation spot for wealthy tourists by day as they stole through the Sudanese desert to rescue desperate refugees by night. The book sheds light on American involvement in the latter stages of the operation, when the White House facilitated an airlift of Ethiopian Jews and the CIA station in Khartoum sheltered the last Mossad operatives, on the run from Libyan secret service agents, and spirited them out of Sudan in special boxes labeled Diplomatic Mail.
Biografías
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Daniel was born 20 years ago. At the age of 3 we understood that he had problems. At the age of 10 the experts told us - Daniel is an autistic child. The life with Daniel, 7 children, work, army reserve service and mortgage - were not exactly a picnic. But we did not give up and continued to bring him up and nurse him at home. We have visited many doctors and psychiatrists, but no one could find a cure. In the passed year, Daniel's situation started to deteriorate, and there are no words to describe our feelings.
18-Sep-06 - Daniel was hospitalized in the isolated psychiatric ward of Tel Hashomer Hospital.
Several years ago I heard of the possibility to communicate with autistic and brain damaged children.
At the time I did not believe that this can help Daniel, but I did not have anything to lose.
And this is how it started ....
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Rivka was a busy, but happy, thirty-year-old wife and mother when she began experiencing unusual and frightening symptoms. Upon receiving a potentially fatal diagnosis, her only hope for survival was a dangerous brainstem surgery. Although the surgery was successful, Rivka's life was forever changed afterwards. In Struggle to the Summit, you will follow Rivka as she embarks on her long and arduous journey to re-learn the most basic of skills and normal human functions, while trying valiantly to preserve her dignity and identity at the same time. This book will make you cry, yet it will inspire you and bequeath you with a new appreciation for each ordinary day in your life.
Biografías
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This is the story of Batsheva Wittow Gura and her struggle to live a normal life despite a terrible illness. Shevi's indomitable will and boundless emunah will inspire you. The achdus and sacrifice of her family and friends will move you. And the poignant and honest portrayal of the hurts inflicted by unthinking and sometimes cruel remarks will teach you a lesson you will never forget. This is the story of Batsheva Wittow Gura and her struggle to live a normal life despite a terrible illness.
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The Life of Rav Yitzchak Shumuel Eliyahu Finkler the Rebbe of Radoschitz in the Ghetto and Concentration Camps Hardcover
Biografías
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This intimate narrative takes the reader behind the scenes into the chambers of Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzchak Rabin, and Menachem Begin on whose personal staffs the author served. Employing time-honored literary devices of scene-setting, impressionistic description, and characterization, he restores to life episodes of war and peace as these amazing individuals, early leaders of Israel, grappled with one another and with the life-and-death decisions they were often called upon to make. In the author's eyes, Menachem Begin emerges as most exceptional, and much of the book is devoted to him. Based largely on personal notes, as well as on actual transcripts and correspondence, some of which are revealed here for the first time, the narrative reenacts how each of the leaders responded under conditions of acute stress - be it terror or war- and how their respective relationships unfolded with Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter.
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The Miraculous Rebirth of the Holy City Binding: