The Jewish Book World

And the next YU seforim sale will begin on . .

2010-12-18T21:11:00.004-05:00

Yeshiva University has just released the dates for the next SOY Seforim Sale, one of the best Jewish book and music sales in America. The sale will take place beginning February 6th through the 27th. It's pretty much a really large room filled with books and seforim from all genres as well as music and DVD's, all at discounted prices. I'm really looking forward!!

Two New Books to Check Out

2010-08-27T16:20:00.004-04:00

Some of you may have noticed that there have been a lot of new book releases in the past few weeks, and you can expect a couple more as Yomtov starts appearing around the corner. One book that I was very excited for and that I have begun reading is R' Yechiel Speros new book from Artscroll, "A Touch of Purity." I only jumped onto the "Touched by a Story" bandwagon a year ago but I've already become an enthusiastic fan of the stories. R' Speros latest book is about Elul and Tishrei and all the messages associated with those times (i.e. Teshuva, davening, etc.) As someone who learns better through stories then pure mussar seforim I really appreciate Rabbi Speros books, especially those that are about certain times of year or other themes, like his book on Tisha B'av which has given me something meaningful to relate to on that day the past two years, as well as his books of Tefillah. I haven't gotten all the way through "A Touch of Purity" yet since I want it to last me through Yom Kippur, but I have finished the section of Elul and if the rest of the book is as powerful as the first section I would recommend this as inspirational and timely reading for those of you looking for a good book/sefer on the Yomim Noraim. Each story is followed by a short vort of d'var Torah that gives the story an extra boost to help make its point. I'll admit that sometimes I skip the d'var Torah and go straight to the next story, but everything written in this book is worth reading.

The second book that I've been reading, which I picked up yesterday, is a book from Feldheim on Jewish medical ethics titled "The Value of Human Life." It is based on a series of lectures that were delivered at the first ever Jewish medical ethics conference that took place two years ago in Switzerland. I actually took a class on Jewish medical ethics a year ago which drew me to this book but its relevance is for all of us as it is fascinating and pertinent to the times we live in. In todays world we are constantly hearing about issues like stem cell research, organ donations, prolonging the life of people who are brain dead, and many other health related issues. "The Value of Human Life" has articles written by some of the biggest names in Jewish medical ethics, including Rabbi J. David Bleich, Professor Avraham Steinberg and Professor Abraham S. Abraham. I think that understanding the issues discussed in this book will help us to be more educated on these relevant issues and will give us a Torah perspective to maintain when reading about them in the newspapers. This book is reader friendly and truly fascinating for anyone interested in reading it.

Wishing you all a K'siva V'chasimah Tovah!

Emmanuel: Perspectives Then and Now

2010-06-28T17:51:00.011-04:00

It is hard to form a conclusive opinion on the current affairs surrounding the school in Emmanuel. The Slonimer Chassidim claim that this issue is not about Sephardi/Ashkenazi segregation, rather the separation made between classes in the school was simply meant as a way to distinguish those from a less religious background to those who are more religious. The Chassidim do not want their daughters to be negatively influenced by families who may do things like watching movies or going to mixed dances. A good proof for the veracity of this position is that Sephardi fathers also joined their Ashkenazi counterparts in going to jail this past week as part of the penalty for violating the court order to integrate the schools. If Sephardim are studying with Ashkenazim then the issue is not all about segregation. It seems that among our frum camp this previous opinion is held by the majority.

However, Rav Yaakov Yosef, son of Rav Ovadia Yosef and Rav of the plaintiff, claims that there definitely was some amount misconduct from the Ashkenazim to the Sephardim and that the Ashkenazim have defamed the Sephardim, who he claims are good religious Jews, by claiming for the public media that they are non-religious Jews. Obviously, this issue is far from simple and it is constantly being portrayed with a certain amount of bias, proportional to the views of the author and paper the story is being published in. Thus it is hard to form a completely educated opinion.

Today, while I was reading "In Their Shadows," by Rav Shlomo Lorincz I came across the following story which has some semblance to the case before us today in Emmanuel. Obviously, if you hold like the Slonimer Chassidim and many other Gedolei Yisroel that there has been no mistreatment of Sephardim and that this issue is about Kedushas HaTorah and Chinuch Habanim then the story below is not really relevant. However, if you hold by the other side then it surely is a relevant story, and either way it is a powerful lesson in a time when discrimination against Sephardim and others still exists. This is something that we can all learn from.

Rav Shach fully displayed his forcefulness in a letter he wrote to Rav Shraga Grossbard, director of Chinuch Atzmai, in 5741 (1981).
At that point, the admissions policy of some Chinuch Atzmai schools discriminated against Sephardic children, in favor of children of Ashkenazi descent.
In his letter to Rav Grossbard, Rav Shach explains at length that there is no halachic basis for such discrimination, and he concludes:
Therefore, I ask you to pass a message to the principals [of the schools] that there are no excuses or justifications- they must accept Sephardic children. I write this as a halachic ruling that they may not transgress" (In Their Shadow, p. 400 by Rav Shlomo Lorincz).

The Next Page: Summer 2010

2010-06-12T23:54:00.004-04:00

For those of you who bought this past weekends newspapers you probably saw the insert that was included courtesy of Israel Book Shop. Back at Winter time Israel Book Shop released a new magazine/catalog called The Next Page which had some interviews with the authors, segments from new releases, contests, and more. At the same time they also unveiled a new website, www.thenextpage-israelbookshop.com. Now, with the second publication of their magazine they have also announced a new contest. Every week there will be a new short story published on the website with each story having an inconclusive or mystery ending. Readers are then encouraged to submit how they think the story ended and the author of the best ending will receive a prize. This actually sounds like a lot of fun and I'm curious to see how it will take off.

Besides for this new contest there has also been a new original serial story that is only being published on their website called Divided Attention. All of this can be viewed at the link above. If you didn't have a chance to see the magazine that was distributed as an insert this past weekend you can view it by clicking here. I think that this new PR campaign from Israel Book Shop is very impressive and as far as I'm aware it's first for a frum publishing house. Hopefully we'll continue to see more exciting things in the future.

Jewish Music on iTunes

2010-06-08T22:03:00.007-04:00

As an avid Jewish music listener I have been occasionally disappointed by the lack of downloading availability for our CDs that many other genres of music get. Mostlymusic has actually been very wonderful about starting to have more and more CDs available for download at a cheaper price and there are even some older CDs the feature individual song downloads. I really like the latter kind since there are certain albums where you know beforehand you don't want the whole thing, you just want a couple of songs. iTunes really has a good system for non-Jewish music and I've wished more songs would be available through them, but I understand that there are financial reasons why that is not so practical for the JM business. However, I have tried to compile a list of JM albums and singers that are available on I-Tunes. Most of the albums are from Sameach with one surprising new one from Aderet (Shimon Craimer). Below is the list. If anybody wants to add anything else please comment below.

Shimon Craimer: Nashir Beyachad
Yosef Chaim (Shwekey): Lo Lefached
The Chevra 3
Yerachmiel and Aaron Razel: The Secret of Shabbos
Avraham Fried: You're Never Alone, No Jew Will Be Left Behind, The Time is Now, Goodbye Golus
Hasc: A Time for Music volumes 7, 18, 20
Yeshiva Boys Choir: YBC Live II, YBC 3 (Shabichi)
Shloime Dachs: Dachs Dance All Night
Kol Noar Boys Choir
Benny Friedman: Taamu
Aryeh Kuntsler: From the Depths
The Maccabeats
Ari Goldwag: Pure Soul
Yisroel Williger: Menuchas Shabbos
Gershon Veroba: Impressions, Second Impressions, Turn it Around, Reach Out
All of Six13, Moshav Band, 8th Day, Yaakov Chesed
Lots of Shlomo Carelbach music

Update (6/15/10): Aryeh Kuntslers new CD "Our Eyes Are On You" is also now available on iTunes

Update (8/26/10): Dovid Gabays new album, Eretz Yisroel, along with his two previous albums, are available on iTunes

Book Week at Feldheim

2010-06-08T18:01:00.006-04:00

Bargain Sale at Targum Press

2010-06-08T17:59:00.002-04:00

HaMasmidim

2010-06-03T23:52:00.011-04:00

While I was in Israel earlier this year I picked up a wonderful book that had just been released called HaMasmidim. Written in Hebrew, this book is filled with stories about Gedolim and their dedication to the study of Torah. The stories are meant to be a source of inspiration and a guide to help boys in the perseverance of Torah study. The book appears to be geared towards children and young adults but I believe that the stories in it are appropriate for all ages. Beautifully bound, with clear type and side-bar pictures of the Gadol being spoken about, this book is something like I've never seen. It also has what I think is one of the best introductions to any book that I've ever seen before. The following is my attempt to translate the intro as best I could but the original Hebrew is really much better:

Dear reader! In the book before you are descriptions that enlighten the heart about the dedication to Torah of the Gedolei Yisroel, throughout every time period. The stories tell about how they (the Gedolim) clung to Torah like one who thirsts for water, and in only the Torah did they look all their lives. Likewise, the stories describe how they trembled from the idea of Bitul Torah and how they used sechel to overcome the Yetzer Hara in this area.

But it is very important to stress that many of the Gedolei Yisroel and Talmidei Chachamim that lived during all the time periods as well as today, were not born with special characteristics- they had regular character traits. The truth is that even in you- dear reader- are the same characteristics that they had! And if you ask, how did they merit to grow into Gedolei Yisroel. . .?

The answer is simple- they succeeded in strengthening their determination that from them would emerge a Talmid Chacham along with the knowledge that with the study of every word of Torah they were fulfilling a Mitzvas Asei D'Oraisa and they were giving nachas ruach to the Creator of the world. Therefore, they were always careful to arrive to learning on time and with the time between sedarim they did not engage in frivolous activities, and they succeeded to use each moment to review what they already learned. Thus, with consistency and patience, with tefillah and supplication, they completed and knew another chapter and another masechta, until they became, with the help of Hashem, Gedolei Torah.

Therefore dear reader- you too with the help of Hashem, if you will be determined and set your mind to it, nothing will stop you from becoming a true Talmid Chacham!

We hope, that these real life examples that are filled with with pictures (of the life of these Gedolim) will encourage you to go in their footsteps and you will want throughout your life to be a Talmid Chacham, and with Siyata D'shmaya you will be!

There was just something about that introduction that struck a cord with me. As someone who loves to hear Gedolim stories, it is often possible to come to a point where you just think that the Gedolim were born this way and what they do is not possible for any of us to achieve. Their actions are beyond our capabilities so why even try. Of course this is not true and this introduction emphasizes that message; the message that many of the Gedolei Yisroel started off with the same characteristics as the rest of us and through their effort they became who they became. The stories that follow in this book are incredible. Each chapter has the theme of a particular attribute necessary in the success of Torah study and the stories that are told are really one of a kind. As I mentioned, I am particular to Gedolim stories and having heard many of them I believe that the stories in this book are wonderful. If you are looking for a source of inspiration in limud haTorah and ahavas haTorah along with a good story then this is the book for you.

[HaMasmidim is being distributed by Feldheim in the United States]

Artscroll's June Book Sale

2010-06-01T17:55:00.001-04:00

Revisionist History?

2010-06-01T16:41:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I happened to be in one of my favorite seforim stores, Eichlers (the Boro Park one, although both are great) when I chanced upon what can definitely be called a rare find. I was just browsing down the shelf of biographies and I couldn't believe my eyes when I just saw it sitting there; a book that can not be found anywhere was just sitting out in the open in one of the busiest stores in Brooklyn and nobody had picked it up yet! The book? None other than volume two of "The Making of a Gadol." What made the timing of the find more interesting to me was that my father had just been going on for the past two weeks about how hard it was to get this book and what were the chances that he could find a copy. The book was listed for $68 but it was slightly damaged and had the wrong cover on it (it said volume one as opposed to volume two) so the people at Eichlers were kind enough to bump the price down five bucks. It was still an expensive buy but considering that the book when it originally sold was $100 for both volumes, this was just $10 more expensive. I have not had time to give it a good read yet but it seems to be full of insightful gems and stories about different Gedolim and I am looking forward to reading it soon.

After I bought the book I started to contemplate on the issues that had made it so problematic.
It is important to understand about this book that it is more footnotes then actual text, meaning that everything stated in it can be sourced and the sources can even be sourced. This means that the issues that are getting people so riled up are not because they are false but because they truthfully portray certain Gedolim and those truths are not congruent with how we like to believe they lived. For example, in the original version it said that a certain Gadol used to read Russian books in his youth. Since nowadays the reading of secular books is considered inappropriate how can a Gadol be shown to have done the same? Generally we do not encounter such problems since most Gedolim biographies that are published follow set time lines and patterns of acceptability. Some may call them hagiographies but that is what the target audience of these books are comfortable with so why not give it to them? Yet, when a couple of books come out that do not follow that accepted pattern whole communities get upset and the bans start flying.

What bothers me is that we have a concept of Da'as Torah- that what our Gedolim do is correct. I believe in Da'as Torah and I have complete respect for our Gedolim, yet it was the same proponents of Da'as Torah that were at the forefront of the banning of these books. The people that believe that everything a Gadol does it right also believed that they have to cover up aspects of the lives of these same Rabbanim! Futhermore, this issue has not just been with "The Making of a Gadol" but with other books as well, such as "My Uncle, the Netziv," "Larger than Life" and possibly a new biography on HaRav Elyashiv called "HaShakdan." In many cases, the Gadol himself did not find his actions problematic, so why should we? It appears that we are putting our values into the mouths of the Gedolim before us, and when they do not measure up we censure them. Perhaps the main issue here is that people are afraid that if they admit to the fact that a particular Gadol went to college or read secular books then our children today, who we teach that the aforementioned actions are not appropriate, will also want to do the same things. But then why do we not censor the Gemara for certain things the Tannaim and Amoraim permitted that we too today find problematic? Clearly there is a line that is drawn to censorship, but where is it drawn?

I do not believe in biographies whose goal is a "tell-all." We have halachos of lashon hara that prohibit it and rightly so. Yet the issues that have caused our biographies from frum authors and publishers to become banned rest not on issues of loshon hara but on issues that this generation has interpreted as problems but were not always problematic. As I mentioned before, "The Making of a Gadol" does not contain lies but truths, and the truths are not of the tell-all kind. They are not bad truths, people are just choosing to perceive them as such! These truths were okay from the perspective of the Gadol about whom they relate and if they lower the standing of a Gadol it is because we have chosen to believe that the action they did was wrong, not them! I am not sure how to reconcile this issue since it is not the laymen who have come up with the concept that secular books, college, etc. are harmful, but the Gedolim who have decided these issues. Yet they are up against the actions of the Gedolim of the previous generation. So who is right? The answer may be a quote from HaRav Elyashiv, which he said in regards to the Slifkin issue but could also be appropriate here, "They were permitted to hold this opinion; we are not."

Coming Tomorrow: A New Book by Chaim Walder

2010-04-26T21:26:00.004-04:00

From Feldheim.com:

As an experienced educational counselor and prolific author, Rabbi Chaim Walder has dealt extensively with relationships between children and parents, students and teachers - as well as a person's relationship with himself. Drawn from the author's vast knowledge and flavored with his engaging literary style, this book bursts with a wealth of information, ideas and advice, along with practical suggestions for applying them. Culled from more than a thousand articles written during the author's almost two decades as a Yated Ne'eman columnist, Rabbi Walder tackles the issues that are foremost on people's minds. Also included are the author's opinions on a variety of topics, from mental health issues to money matters - all easily referenced in a convenient, concise index.

I always associate Chaim Walder with his great story books, namely the true life stories in "People Speak" and "Kids Speak." Another favorite of mine is his novel "That's Me, Tzviki Green. So I guess this is going to be a bit of a break in a tradition of story books from Rabbi Walder, with what appears to me to be his first English book on Parenting. I'm curious whether there will be any more stories in this new release. To find out I guess we'll just have to check out the book when it comes out. Feldheim lists it for release tomorrow, April 27th. If you happen to take a look give me an update on how it compares to the older Chaim Walder books and the style of the book format.

I'm not gone. . .

2010-04-22T00:18:00.006-04:00

It's probably obvious by now that I've been a bit sidetracked from The Jewish Book World lately. Between a lot of assignments that need to get done and just living life there hasn't been much time for me to sit down a write. In terms of books lately I just finished a great book, Deep Blue, by Meir Uri Gottesman. It's not a new book and I knew we owned it for a while. My attention was turned to it when someone who I respect started gushing about how much she loved this book. While I usually choose non-fiction over novels I had to pick this one up and see what it was all about. The final result? This book is great. The thing that sticks out the most is that this is a well written Jewish novel, both in plot and word choice. One complaint that I have heard from others who regularly read Jewish novels is that they are not exactly up to par with their non-Jewish equivalents. Deep Blue is the exception to the rule. The basic plot focuses around the will of Captain Elijah, who bequeaths the majority of his fortune to two of his grandsons, both of whom are already successful businessmen, leaving a set of shas and some worthless stock to his third and favorite grandson, Uri, who is a father, a Rebbi, and very much in need of some extra parnasa. What happens afterwards is an adventure that leads Uri on a mission to fulfill his grandfather's last instructions. This book keeps you hooked until the end which is something I really appreciated. There is something annoying about being hooked by a lot of build up only to find out after a couple hundred pages that the climax just isn't anything special. Meir Uri Gottesman is also the author a couple of other novels, including The Harp, The Wing, and The Morning Star, and I hope to get a chance to read them as well.

Pesach with Mishpacha Magazine: Featuring a New CD

2010-03-13T22:28:00.004-05:00

Mishpacha magazine has done it again! Every year their Yom Tov editions are packed to the brim with even more interesting articles, Divrei Torah and stories. This year, besides for anticipating all that, you can also start anticipating the release of a new CD. From TeeM Productions comes brand new songs composed by Yossi Green and Pinky Weber. The arrangments are from Mona Rosenblum, Moshe Laufer, and Leib Yaacov Rigler. The singers are Avraham Fried, Shlomie Gertner, Shlomie Taussig, Yisroel Werdyger, Shragy Gestetner, Motty Ilowitz, and Chilu Posen. For those of you who remember, this is not the first year that Mishpacha has been so nice as to include a new CD with the magazine. The Sukkos edition 2007 premiered the release of a CD featuring Lipa Schmeltzer called Eloka D'meir Aneini which can be found currently in certain Judaica stores. I always look forward to Mishpacha and their special Yom Tov editions and I look forward to seeing what interesting reads this year has to offer.

To see the cover art and the advertisment for the CD go to the Jewish Music Report

HT: Jewish Music Report

Be Your Own Library

2010-03-13T21:12:00.007-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the experience to spend Shabbos with a Chassidishe Rav and his family in Boro Park. It was absolutely wonderful and I look forward to going back again. One thing that stuck out for me was that the Rebbetzin runs a library out of her home. It's not a huge, professional library but it's a great selection of some older classics and more recent publications organized neatly on around five bookshelves in an upstairs room. The Rebbetzin explained that she does this as a service for the community, allowing them to come and borrow books whenever they want. An interesting observation is that right across the street from the home is a big Brooklyn public library, but of course most people in the Chassidishe Boro Park community do not utilize this library due to their content of secular books. I am sure that many of the families on the Rebbetzin's street appreciate her smaller library too the much bigger library that they feel uncomfortable using.

I was reflecting on this small library and the chessed it provides recently and it occurred to me how much there is a need for many more such libraries in our communities wherever they may be. Unfortunately there are not really any big professional libraries that are dedicated to loaning out books appropriate for the frum world. Sometimes you do come across a couple such libraries or gemachs but they can be scarce, leaving many without access to good reading material. I am fortunate in that when I was in high school we had a fantastic library that received good funding and was able to provide us with hundreds of books, including all the new releases and other books and seforim that appealed to myself and others. Where I am now also has a very decent library but it is lacking in certain areas as well as not being available to the non-student body. In my temporary apartment I keep around 30 books that I keep on a shelf and I am try to let others know that they are able to borrow them. Back at home between every member of my family we must have a couple hundred frum books, definitely a good size library. This shouldn't be a surprise, as Jews are known for their large collections of books and I think that many of us have the resources to create miniature "libraries" as the Rebbetzin that I stayed with created.

All if takes is to let people know that you have books available to borrow, write your name and phone number on the inside cover, and keep track of who has what. This is such a great chessed on many levels. First off, books are a wonderful source of good, healthy entertainment. Your loaning out books helps contribute a good education to young children or a restful afternoon to an overworked parent or student. Depending on the type of book you loan out you could also be assisting someone in their Torah learning. Any way you look at it, it's all good. So give it some thought and see if you too can help your friends or community by creating your own Jewish library.

New Haggadahs for Pesach

2010-03-04T15:20:00.004-05:00

With Purim over and Pesach fast approaching here are a list of some of the new Haggadahs that have recently been released. The last one is my personal favorite since it's so out of the box and combines my too favorite things, books and music.

Note: The name of the Haggadah is followed by the publishers name

Seif Edition Transliterated Linear Haggadah - Artscroll
The Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Haggadah- Artscroll
The Yetzias Mitzrayim Hagaddah: Bringing the Pesach Story to Life through the Haggadah- Artscroll
The Family Hagaddah: Spanish Edition- Artscroll
Hagaddah with Kitzur Shulchan Aruch: Illustrated and for kids- Greenfelds
The Royal Table: A Passover Hagaddah- OU Press
The Lipa Schmeltzer Hagaddah- Aderet Music

Week in Books

2010-03-02T23:59:00.004-05:00

New Releases:

-Seek Peace and Pursue It, by Dovid Lieberman Ph.D
-Purim and Persia: A Historical and Archaeological Perspective, by Rabbi Yehuda Landy
-It Could Have Been You: Real Stories about Real People, by Nachman Seltzer
-Nefesh Shimshon: Gates of Emunah, by Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus ZT"L
-Emunat Yisrael: Developing Faith and Trust in G-d in Our Turbulent Times, by Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Lugassi
-The Yetzias Mitzrayim Hagaddah, by Samson Raphael Grunfeld
-The World That Was: The Legacy of German Jewry 843-1945, Rabbi A. Leib Scheinbaum
-Hidden Gems: Our Special Children, by Ruchi Eisenbach
-Aleinu L'Shabei'ach: Vayikra, by Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein
-Starving Souls, by Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser
-The Mishkan Illuminated, by Rabbi Dovid Meyers

Upcoming Releases:

-A Unique Perspective: Rav Breur's Essays 1914-1973, by Rav Dr. Joseph Breur
-Dawn to Destiny: Jewish History and its Hidden Wisdom, by Rabbi Yonason Goldson

Insights for Mothers: A New Book with New Perspectives

2010-02-25T00:55:00.005-05:00

Sent in by the author, Julie Hauser:

This book speaks to women of all ages and stages of motherhood. As the reader grows, the book grows with her.

Women in our generation arrive daily to motherhood with varying backgrounds, personalities, and levels of preparation. The most warm and capable mothers can sometimes feel conflicted, isolated, or depleted. They long for validation from peers and support systems, perspective from mentors that are ahead of them, and inspiration that comes from Judaism’s appreciation of a mother’s challenges and goals.

That is just what they will find in Mothers to Mothers.

First-time author and occupational therapist Julie Hauser, (having her own “lab experience” in motherhood for the past 10 years), personally interviewed thirty mothers across the globe, ranging in age from 22 to 65, and who were chosen for their colorful personalities, depth, and honesty. Excerpts from the interviews, arranged by topic, are blended with advice and positive Torah-based outlooks from respected prominent educators, Jewish leaders, and parenting experts.

Mothers to Mothers invites the reader to listen in on some fascinating, lively, and always straightforward talk from an introspective, open and engaging group of women.

Adjusting to first-time motherhood (or grandmotherhood!), resisting the urge to compare, refining one’s character, linking with generations, making a new start, and using one’s unique gifts brought to motherhood are just some of the topics addressed herein. From learning to take care of the ‘captain’ while navigating the “ordinary” daily ups-and-downs, transitioning to new stages of motherhood and even overcoming post-partum depression -Mothers to Mothers touches on many of the concerns of contemporary Jewish motherhood, with an inspirational spin packaged in a delicate mixture of "reality” and positivity.

To view table of contents:

http://www.artscroll.com/images/insides/mtmh-3.html#view-link

Feldheim Clearance Sale

2010-02-25T00:48:00.004-05:00

Feldheim is having another one of their clearance sales. If you're looking for the best deal on books out there, this is it. Obviously it's not going to be the latest releases but it's still a great opportunity to stock up. During a previous sale I actually was able to buy 7 books for a grand total of 40 dollars! So go and take a look and see what you find.

Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer: Questions Need to Be Welcomed, Not Disparaged

2010-02-04T21:44:00.005-05:00

Opinion Piece in the Jewish Press from the author of "Search Judaism":

I was apprised of the fact that a renowned rav and posek in Flatbush dedicated his Shabbos morning drasha to the plight of a young lady who was recently dismissed from her Brooklyn Bais Yaakov. It seems she vexed the administration because she asked her teacher incisive questions about the nature of Gan Eden. Thankfully, due to the intervention of this prominent rav, she was reinstated to her school.

Thousands of frum individuals grow up with gnawing questions about the fundamentals of Yiddishkeit. Their questions may be trite and simplistic (i.e., Why do we keep Shabbos?) or profound and weighty (i.e., How do I know there is a God? or Hashem knows everything, including every move I make; yet I have free will. How can the two co-exist?).

It’s not the particular question that is germane - every sincere and thoughtful question is relevant and important. Rather, it’s the way the question is received and handled. Sadly, most often the questions are either rebuffed or repudiated by parents and teachers. Some adolescents are even slapped or labeled with the pejorative “apikores.” The outcome is that in some cases the seeker despondently resolves to trudge through life with lingering and unresolved doubts in ikrei emunah, and in other cases, tragically, they throw in the towel, religiously.

To continue reading click here

(HT: Matzav.com)

New Sefer from the Mevaser Tov of Biala

2010-01-28T00:00:00.007-05:00

A new volume of the English translation of the seforim of the Biala Rebbe of Lugano, also known as the Mevaser Tov, has just been released. This new sefer is called Mevaser Tov: Sefer Hachaim, and is being distributed by Feldheim. I first saw the new volume when I was in Israel a week ago and I very quickly decided to buy a copy. The only reason that I even debated whether or not to buy it then was because I have not yet completed another sefer of his which I own, "The Merit of the Righteous Women." However, that sefer has been so phenomenal that even though I have been reading it slowly I have gotten an appreciation for the uniquness of the writing of the Biala Rebbe. Credit also goes to the translators of his works, Daniel Worenklein and Reuven Methieson. The writing is articulate and scholarly and it exudes this feeling of love for the reader and the topic being discussed, something that I have not consistently found in hashkafah based books. So now I have this new volume, Sefer Hachaim, sitting on my book shelf and I hope to be able to get to it soon. In addition to the two previously mentioned books, there are an additional two volumes of the Mevaser Tov that are translated into English and can be bought on Feldheim's website, as well as a large collection of Hebrew seforim by the Rebbe that can probably be found in larger Judaica stores.

You can read more about the Biala Rebbe of Lugano, Rabbi Benzion Rabinowitz on Wikipedia's Hebrew site here. This also includes a complete list of the Rebbe's writings.

SOY Seforim Sale: Schedule of Events

2010-01-23T21:09:00.004-05:00

I was just checking out the schedule of events for the YU SOY seforim sale, which begins tomorrow, and it looks like there are going to be a great variety of programs and events to attend. During the next three weeks there will be shiurim, book signings, concerts, family events and even a stand up comedy show. The schedule in full can be seen at the seforim sale website by clicking here, but I just wanted to list a few of the events that seemed of particular interest to myself:

Rabbi Gil Student will be hosting a book signing Monday night, 1/25, at 7 PM
Yaakov Chesed Live, at 8 PM Thursday night, 1/28
YU Maccabeats Live, 6:30 PM 2/1 (see a video of one of their impressive acapella performances here)
Proffesor Daniel Rynhold will be giving a lecture on "Why Does Medieval Jewish Philosophy Matter?" at 12:30 PM, Sunday 2/7
Joel Chasnoff presents College Comedy Night at 7:30 PM on 2/10

In addition to those particular events the list of Rabbinim who will be giving shiurim is quite a compelling one and I guess the only thing that may keep me from attending all of them will be the other requirements that I must attend to as part of daily life. Here is a list of the shiurim that will be given:

1/24- Rabbi Norman Lamm (in conjunction with his new Haggadah) at 12 PM
1/25- Rabbi Mordechai Willig at 8 PM
1/27- Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky at 8 PM
2/8 -Rabbi Eytan Feiner at 8 PM
2/14-Rabbi Yonoson Sacks at 2 PM

See you there!

Week in Books

2010-01-23T20:58:00.002-05:00

New Releases:

-Copyright in Jewish Law, by Rabbi Nachum Menashe Weisfish
-Checkmate, by Ester Toker
-Pure Money Vol. II: A Straightforward Guide to Jewish Monetary Law, by Dayan Shlomo Cohen
-The Life and Times of Rabbi Yonason Steif: Living in the Illuminated Shadow, by Esther Shulamis (Stief) Bleier
-Chofetz Chaim: The Family Lesson a Day, by Rabbi Shimon Finkelman
-Reb Boruch Ber: The Life and Times of Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz, by Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Rosenthal
-Yoreh Binah: Concepts of Kashrus, by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis
-Candles in My Window, by Beth Firestone
-Terra Incognita: A Novel, by Libi Astaire
-Meant to Be: An Abrams Family Legacy, by Azriela Jaffe

Upcoming Releases:

-Seek Peace and Pursue It, by Dovid Lieberman Ph.D
-Purim and Persia: A Historical and Archaeological Perspective, by Rabbi Yehuda Landy
-The People Files, by Nachman Seltzer

When Was It Released?

2010-01-18T11:12:00.014-05:00

Do books get released in Israel before they are released in America? That question jumped out at me as I was exploring the world of Israeli seforim stores during my current visit to Israel. When I was in Manny's in Meah Shearim the other day I happened to see what would be considered a new, big, release considering it's predecessor's great success. The book? It was the new Feldheim English translation of Nefesh Shimshon. I believe that the topic of the new release is Emunah but since I have yet to find it online I am just relying on memory. As some of you may recall, the first Nefesh Shimshon translation was on Shabbos Kodesh and it jumped to the top of Feldheim's best seller list. Feldheim even had an advertisement for a while that if you bought the book and didn't enjoy it you could return it for a refund. That was how sure they were that it would go over well with the readers, and the consensus seems to be that they were right. So why was I surprised to see it in the Israeli seforim stores? The main reason is that such a big follow up release could be assumed to garner a lot of ad time on Feldheim's website and in the various Jewish publications. However, the book has not even made it into the Feldheim "future release" section as of yet, implying that it still has a while before it is released, and needless to say there has been no news announcing the publication of this volume. Since the new Nefesh Shimshon has been released in Israel the release dates must be in regards to other countries, including America. There are other books that I know of that were also released first in Israel before the rest of the world, again highlighting the variation in release dates that a book may have. In the meantime I am curious to see when the first advertisements will take place in America for Nefesh Shimshon on Emunah (?) as well as to see the reception it gets. R' Shimshon Pincus's works in general are as good as gold and can be found on bookshelves in homes all over the world so this new addition can probably be assured to be another bestseller. We'll see soon.

On a side note, another observation I made while making my way through Yerushalayim book stores is that book release dates can work in the reverse as well. So far I have yet to see the new Artscroll release, The Family Lesson A Day, which is their new edition to the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation publications and can currently be found in American book stores. So maybe the way these things work is that all the book publishers get together and decide that to be fair some books get released first in Israel while the rest of us get to have the other new releases. If I could have some input in all of this I would recommend that everybody use the "Harry Potter release method" which is that all new books are held under lock and key until they are released simultaneously around the world. Then again, for that to work, bookstores would have to stay open until the wee hours of the morning and trampling could ensue, so maybe we should just keep things the way they are.

Rabbi Twersky Sale

2010-01-12T12:40:00.005-05:00

Book Review Recap for 2009

2010-01-07T15:53:00.004-05:00

Here is a recap of all the book reviews featured on the Jewish Book World this past year. With Hashem's help this coming year will bring you many more book reviews, including a couple coming soon on some of the latest books.

Starting from oldest review to newest:

Reb Shlomo: The Life and Legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld, by Yisroel Besser

Don't Yell Challah in a Crowded Matzah Bakery, by Mordechai Schmutter

The Rav Thinking Aloud, by David Holzer

It's Never Too Little, It's Never Too Late, It's Never Enough, by Rabbi Yissocher Frand

Search Judaism, by Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer

Miracle Ride, by Tzipi Caton

Salomon Says, by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

Rabbi Sherer, by Yonoson Rosenblum

YU News: Seforim Sale is Almost Here

2010-01-07T15:09:00.004-05:00

Updates on the upcoming seforim sale from the YU News website:

The students of Yeshiva University (YU) will hold their annual SOY Seforim Sale from January 24 through February 15 in Belfer Hall, 2495 Amsterdam Ave. on YU’s Wilf Campus in Manhattan. The sale, North America’s largest Jewish book sale, is organized entirely by YU students who run the entire operation from ordering to setting up the premises, marketing and all the technology the project entails. Proceeds support a myriad of initiatives, including student activities on campus and student-lead outreach programs in the Jewish community.

Last year the acclaimed Judaica book sale drew over 15,000 people from the tri-state area and raised more than $1 million in sales. The annual event provides discounted prices on the latest of over 10,000 titles in rabbinic and academic literature, cookbooks, children’s books, music and lecture CDs, and educational software.

“We expect to draw close to 20,000 people this year,” said Eliezer Barany, CEO of the SOY Seforim Sale. “We will be offering a wider array of seforim and have many exciting events planned, including multiple book signings and lectures, musical performances, and for the first time ever, a stand-up comedy routine by one of the authors.”

The Seforim Sale has become a highlight for the Yeshiva University community, as students and alumni congregate to visit their alma mater, see old friends, and add books to their personal libraries.

Those who can not attend the sale can still take advantage of the great prices and vast catalog selection by ordering online on the Seforim Sale’s upgraded Web site. For a complete listing of dates and times, to purchase gift certificates or to view the online catalog, visit
www.soyseforim.org.

(HT: Vos Iz Neias)

Vote for the Jewish Music Blogger Awards

2009-12-30T00:49:00.003-05:00

This years Jewish Music Blogger Awards are being hosted by the team at the Jewish Music Report. The nominees are up so go and vote for your favorites in eight categories!

You can vote here

Is $10,000 still considered Hiddur Mitzvah?

2009-12-29T20:08:00.009-05:00

You've got to give Eichlers credit for being one of the best Jewish bookstores out there, but every time I go to there website lately my eyes immediately go directly to the solid gold kiddush cup that they now have back up on their homepage. The availability of this item isn't new (DovBear had a post on this back in 2007) but I've started to ask myself some questions about who exactly is the intended customer for such a gift. The tag line for the item is "Have you ever wondered what to get the special person who has everything?" Sure, but $10,500 for a kiddush cup seems to be a bit extravagant for a gift, even if it is for the honorees at your school fund-raising dinner or for a big Chassidishe Rebbe (I can't imagine any Rav accepting such a gift). Particularly nowadays when many families can't afford the money to do many other mitzvos, like marrying off their children or buying teffillin for a Bar Mitzvah boy, we should first give money towards those areas before purchasing such an item. Although, I can't help but imagine that this beautiful cup would be perfect for the Melech HaMoshiach when he arrives.

The Week in Books

2009-12-27T21:49:00.005-05:00

New Releases:

-The Neshama Should Have an Aliyah, by Rabbi Tzvi Hebel
-Rav Schwab on Yeshayahu, by Rabbi Shimon Schwab
-Duties of the Heart: The Gate of Trust, by Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Finkel
-Feminine Faith: L`Hovin Inyan Rosh Chodesh- Chassidic Heritage Series
-Channeling the Divine: Issa Bemidrash Tillim-Chassidic Heritage Series

Upcoming Releases:

-Copyright in Jewish Law, by Rabbi Nachum Menashe Weisfish
-Checkmate, by Ester Toker
-The Life and Times of Rabbi Yonason Steif: Living in the Illuminated Shadow, by Esther Shulamis (Stief) Bleier
-Aleinu L'Shabei'ach: Shemos, by Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein

SOY Seforim Sale Date Announced!

2009-12-13T21:47:00.003-05:00

The date for the annual YU SOY Seforim sale has been announced:

January 24, 2010 - February 15, 2010

The S.O.Y. Seforim Sale, the largest Jewish book sale in North America, is operated by the students of Yeshiva University. The sale provides discounted prices on the widest selection of rabbinic and academic literature, cookbooks, children's books, music and lecture CDs, and educational software.

This is the best sale of the year! G-d willing we'll try to keep you up to date on further happenings regarding the seforim sale.

Their website is: www.soyseforim.org/

Kehot's 50% Off Hei Tevet Sale

2009-12-13T21:26:00.001-05:00

Coffee Table Books Are Here

2009-12-13T19:54:00.006-05:00

Coffee table books are often nice gifts and the Jewish book market has just seen an increase of four new books in that category, just in time for Chanukah. Check them out below:

Great Jewish Letters:

For millennia, the Jewish sages have shared their vast treasury of knowledge with us through their Torah works. Less well known, however, is the storehouse of wisdom available to us in letters that the great Torah scholars wrote to their families, disciples, and to the Jewish People.

In this unique collection Rabbi Moshe Bamberger, a respected scholar and educator, shares with us 120 great Jewish letters, translated into flowing English from their original Hebrew. Spanning the centuries from the Gaonic period to today, these letters contain fascinating historical insights and profound ethical truths. Some of the letters are classics, others not well-known, but all share a sense of both intimacy and eternity, a message from a father to a son, from a teacher to a student, from a leader to his people. The letters are arranged by topic, and each is prefaced by a brief biographical sketch of the author and is presented in its historical context.

From the Rambam, to the Alter of Slabodka; from the Gaon of Vilna to Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach; from Rashi to the Gerrer Rebbe and Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, here are the authentic voices of Torah greatness, in their own beautifully-phrased words.

Lavishly designed with both photos and illustrations, Great Jewish Letters is an elegant and important work of both Jewish history and Torah thought.

The Beit HaMikdash. The Holy Temple.

The center of Jewish longing and aspiration.

In this visually stunning, meticulously researched work, the Temple Mount and the Beit HaMikdash — the place where Heaven touches Earth, where mortals can feel eternity — comes to vivid life.

A breathtaking trip through history.

Here, deep beneath the sacred earth, stands the Foundation Stone, where Creation began. Here Abraham bound Isaac upon the altar, and King Solomon built the first Temple. From this mountaintop the magnificent Second Temple cast its light to the world, and it was here that the Roman legions burned and plundered the Temple's treasures.

Forgotten and neglected by the rest of the world, Jewish eyes and hearts have always turned to this holy mountain.
Now, the Temple Mount comes to life before our eyes.

An important work of scholarship and research.

Rabbi Zalman Menachem Koren brings to this groundbreaking work a profound knowledge of the Mishnah, Talmud, and the classic commentaries, and a deep familiarity with modern archaeological findings. A respected scholar, he has devoted decades to studying the Temple and the Temple Mount.

An heirloom edition, to be treasured by generations.

Hundreds of magnificent photographs
Pull out, panoramic diagrams of the Temple from many different perspectives
Detailed descriptions of the various parts of the Beit HaMikdash: their dimensions, locations, and functions
History and legends of the Western Wall
A unique visual tour of the Temple

Book of Amazing Facts and Feats

The Creator's World and All That Fills It

The Only Word That Describes This Book Properly Is...WOW!

Step aside, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, and make room for a book that really makes a Jewish jaw drop! How big is the world's largest tallis? Which letter appears most in Tanach? Which animals can fly without wings? What is the driest place on Earth? Faster than you can say, "Wow!", these facts and feats will dazzle and amaze you, with full-color pictures to enhance the experience. This book attests to the might and wonder of our Creator's world, giving a rich and colorful picture of the remarkable things that surround our everyday existence.

The Shmuz on the Parsha
Life Transforming Insights on the Weekly Torah Reading

Powerful Life-Changing Messages in a few, short minutes of reading!

The Shmuz is an engaging, motivating shiur that deals with real-life issues. Its unique style captivates listeners while inspiring growth and change - almost effortlessly!

The Shmuz on the Parsha packs the same powerful, life-changing message into a few short minutes of reading. It will allow you to motivate and inspire the people at your Shabbos table to greater levels of spiritual achievement and growth.

Review: "Rabbi Sherer"

2009-12-12T23:13:00.005-05:00

Anybody who has happened to see the many recent advertisements for Artscroll's newest biography, "Rabbi Sherer" by Yonoson Rosenblum, would be right to be impressed. As someone who saw the ads mentioned to me, "ten years in the making? What kind of biography takes ten years?!" Now that I have read "Rabbi Sherer" I would have to answer, "an exceptionally good biography takes ten years and that is exactly what this is."

"Rabbi Sherer" is the comprehensive biography of the life and activism of Rabbi Moshe Sherer, the man of whom it can truthfully be said deserves much of the credit for making Agudath Israel the forefront Jewish organization that it is today. The term "askan," literally defined who he was and perhaps if if were to be found in Webster's dictionary would have to include Rabi Sherer as the ideal demonstration of the term. Rarely has such a necessary biography been published. Necessary because there are still too many people who are not aware of how much hakaras hatov we must accord to Rabbi Sherer. As I carried around this book for the past two weeks I encountered two types of reactions from people who asked to see what I was reading. Those who were familiar with Rabbi Sherer started to sing his praises, describing to me what a wonderful person he was. There were certain people, however, who just looked at me and said, "I've never heard of him before." If this monumental biography were to only familiarize the second group of people with all that Rabbi Sherer accomplished in his lifetime of work it would more than serve it's purpose, but I believe that this book has an additional potential, namely to give both groups of people an eye opening view of what it means to give your life to work for Klal Yisroel.

This book is filled with historical pictures and letters that attest to the closeness that both Gedolim and political leaders felt between themselves and Rabbi Sherer. From Rav Aharon Kotler to New York Senator Jacob Javitz, all trusted him with confidence and pride. Two words that came to mind when thinking how to describe the book were insightful and thrilling. Thrilling stood out the most for me because there aren't too many biographies that come to mind that fulfill that description. The thrill comes from watching Rabbi Sherer encounter challenge after challenge and then rectifying them all with an incredible grace and ease. I literally couldn't put down this book because the stories engrossed me entirely. Rabbi Sherer's eloquence and professionalism are often stressed in the book along with his additional positive characteristics that molded him into becoming a once in a lifetime leader. Perhaps two sentences alone, from a chapter describing how Rabbi Sherer was as a boss, could sum up his entire philosophy as well as that of Agudath Israel. When a new secretary started her first day at the Agudath Israel office, Rabbi Sherer asked her who she worked for. After she answered the name of one of the senior staff Rabbi Sherer corrected her and said, "No, you work for Klal Yisroel. All of us here work for Klal Yisroel." All I can say is, wow.

This book has ten years of work written all over it and if you are looking for something enjoyable and inspiring to read I would definitely recommend "Rabbi Sherer."

Judaica Press Chanukah Sale

2009-12-10T01:58:00.004-05:00

To Kindle or Not to Kindle (and I don't mean Chanukah)

2009-12-10T00:18:00.006-05:00

This is the era of all things electronic and anything that won't plug into a wall or take double-a batteries should keep a close eye on their future. Very few things are immune. An example of an area that has clearly been hard hit is the postal service. When people can simply send an e-mail that will arrive to the recipient in less than a minute why mail a letter that will take at least one day? But what has caught my attention the most is electronic reading. This can refer to books online in general, but more specifically my eye is on the Kindle.

For at least two years now I've been seeing ads on Amazon.com or the subway for the Kindle, which is, in the simplest terms, an I-pod for all things literary. You can purchase books at half the price and upload them directly to the Kindle device. Subscriptions to magazine and newspapers can also be transferred to your Kindle. It hasn't exactly swept over the nation like MP3s or those special texting phones with the qwerty keyboard, but I've been seeing it slowly creeping into the general population, and now it's come into my home.

You see, my younger sister received the Kindle as a belated birthday present and everybody has been very excited to hold it and see what it is like. It does give off an impressive appearance. The memory capacity is large enough to hold several hundred books and it comes with a built in dictionary so when you come across a word that you don't know all you need to do is click on it and the definition is literally right at your fingertips. There is even a function to have the book read out loud to you, sort of like an audio book except without the human voice. I can't give a completely thorough analysis of the Kindle since I haven't been back home long enough to sit down and read a book cover to cover (although that expression may have to go in this circumstance) but I'll admit that I am still not convinced to switch my reading from paper to computer, mainly for two reasons. The first is the most obvious which is that the main bulk of my reading material is Jewish books and until the frum book companies decide to also start offering their books on Kindle there really isn't anything for me to purchase. Amazon does have a button to click on that will let the book companies know that you are interested in getting their books made into the Kindle format but I'm not sure yet whether the interest is large enough in the Orthodox community for electronic books and seforim to make it worthwhile for the Jewish book companies to start offering their books electronically.

Second off is that I think I've just been brought up for too long on books that are thick, smell fresh, and are filled with paper that that particular method of reading has become a relaxing source of enjoyment for myself and I don't really feel any need to try a new way to read. It's hard to switch to something different when you are comfortable with the original. I feel so old saying that since most people who have trouble adapting to technology are 50 years my senior but maybe the electronic phenomon has bypassed me as well. Overall I see the praticallity of having so many books at your fingertips on a screen that is essentially the thickness of your finger and the benefits that such a device has to offer to those who have reached a level of comfort in electronic reading. My sister has already found the Kindle to be very useful and I know others who feel the same way, but for now I think I'll stick with the regular books.

Two New Shows At TheCoolJew.com

2009-12-03T23:33:00.004-05:00

The Cool Jew has two new book themed shows. One is featuring Mordechai Schmutter with his latest book "A Clever Title Goes Here" and the second is with Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier with his new book "The Shmuz on the Parsha." To here the interviews click the links below:

The Cool Jew Show W/ Mordechai Schmutter
The Cool Jew Show W/ Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier

Touched By a Niggun

2009-12-02T20:30:00.003-05:00

What do you get when you take a world renowned author and multi talented singer/composer? Touched by a Niggun. Baruch Levine teamed up with Rabbi Yechiel Spero author of Touched by a Story, Prayer etc. to create a very unique type of album. The album, which is entitled "Touched by a Niggun" will features the compositions and vocals of Baruch Levine to lyrics based on the stories from Rabbi Spero's. The album produced by Yochi Briskman features background vocals from Eli Schwebel and Gadi Fuchs of Lev Tahor.

I'm very curious to see how this album turns out. Both Rabbi Spero and Baruch Levine are favorites of mine in their respective fields. I've probably cried a good number of times from the power of certain Rabbi Spero stories. However, good Jewish English songs are hard to come by if your name isn't Abie Rotenberg. This album definitely has great potential just from seeing who is involved with this CD and I look forward to hearing it when it is released.

This album is available now for pre-order from Mostlymusic.com.

Review: "Salomon Says"

2009-11-30T01:09:00.008-05:00

There’s a good chance that you’ve heard the name Rabbi Yaakov Salomon before. A notable author, popular columnist on Aish.com, musmach of Rabbi Noah Weinberg, and a leader in Project Inspire and Aish, somehow the name is bound to pop up. If you haven’t heard of him, don’t worry, just keep reading. Now out with his latest book, “Salomon Says”, Rabbi Salomon is back on the shelves, delivering fresh and insightful stories (50 to be exact) that are meant to make you think, smile, and act. I’m always up for a good story and I was happy to find a satisfactory amount in this latest release. The book is broken up into six sections, each containing short essays relating to that sections theme. Certain topics are brought up more than once. I noticed that there were a couple of Yomim Tovim essays, as well as essays on parenting and chinuch. Many of the stories are real eye-openers. If I could list a few of my favorites I would probably say “Meeting Jason,” “The Connoisseur,” “Just Say No,” and “Thank You, Danny.” Rabbi Salomon is a social worker which also gives the book a noticeable psychological aspect. Most importantly, the topics are all very relatable. More than once you’re bound to have a “connection to the book moment’ where you feel like the author is speaking directly to you or had you in mind when writing that particular story. Overall, this book is an impressive release and can be read over and over again for the full motivational affect.

I just wanted to end off with one last thought. One of the things that impressed me most about “Salomon Says” was not necessarily about the book but about its author. I came away from reading the book thinking that Rabbi Salomon is a really exceptional human being. First off, as in many books, before it even begins there are the introductions and acknowledgments. Rabbi Salomon takes the opportunity here to encourage the reader to write to him with any questions or comments. He puts his e-mail address right up front and says with a perceivable sincerity that he would “love to hear from you.” I have so far only encountered one other book where the author has included his contact information. To me this says that the author is making a real attempt to relate to his readers, and the stories that follow will be in a similar vein. One of the other things I noticed was that Rabbi Salomon doesn’t just look to others for stories; rather he also takes personal stories from his own life. He doesn’t have any qualms about sharing personal thoughts, or even mistakes that he’s made. He uses them to inspire the reader and give approachable examples of how we should make the most of our life. Rabbi Salomon should be commended for his latest release and its benefits that it will undoubtedly serve.

(This review can also be read at The Cool Jew as part of our new partnership in bringing you the latest book reviews on the newest books.)

Eichler's Chanukah Sale

2009-11-27T00:50:00.007-05:00

Shop the Chanukah Store

The Week in Books- Mega Release Week Edition

2009-11-26T23:59:00.005-05:00

New Releases:

-Salomon Says: 50 Stirring and Stimulating Stories, by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon
-Rabbi Sherer: The Paramount Torah Spokesman of Our Era, by Yonason Rosenblum
-Kuntres Sfat Tamim- Chofetz Chaim
-Kuntres Chovat HaShemirah- Chofetz Chaim
-Too Beautiful: Stories So Uplifting They Have to be Shared, by Hanoch Teller
-Practical Halachos for Girls, by Meyer Birnbaum
-A Touch of Inspiration, by Rabbi Yechiel Spero
-The Beit Hamikdash: The Temple and the Holy Mount, by Rabbi Zalman Menachem Koren
-"Normal" and Other Stories, by Reva Rubenstein
-The Eye of the Storm: A Calm View of Raging Issues, by R' Aharon Feldman
-Something New: A Comprehensive Guide to the Halachos of the Shehecheyanu Brocha, by Rabbi Michael Yehoshua Newman
-Nissim V'Niflaos: Halachic Perspectives on Chanukah and Purim, by Rabbi Chaim Gross
-Good Job!: Successful Strategies For Developing Your Work Potential, by Rabbi Moshe Goldberger
-Breaking Free: A Novel, by Riva Pomerantz
-22 Promises, by Naama
-A Clever Title Goes Here, by Mordechai Schmutter
- Shabbos, NOT a Day of Rest: Discovering the True Shabbos, by Rabbi Pinchas Stopler
-Shabbos In a New Light - Majesty, Mystery, Meaning, by R' Yitzchak Hutner and adapted by Rabbi Pinchas Stopler
-Through Your Hands: The Complete Story of Chanukah, by Meir Lamberski
-Shadows on the Moon, by Bracha Goykadosh

Upcoming Releases:
-Invisible Me, by Tzipi Caton
-Book of Amazing Facts and Feats, by Nattan Hurvitz and Aharon Yosef Hoffman
-In Forest Fields: A Unique Guide to Personal Prayer, by Shalom Arush
-Emergencies in Halacha, by Rabbi Moshe Rotberg
-A Legacy of Leaders II, by Rabbi Yehuda Azoulay
-The Neshama Should Have an Aliyah, by Rabbi Tzvi Hebel
-Pen of the Soul, by Chani Altein
-A Vort from Rav Pam, by Rabbi Sholom Smith
-Great Jewish Letters, by Rabbi Moshe Bamberger
-Rav Schwab on Yeshayahu, by Rabbi Shimon Schwab
-Aleinu L'Shabei'ach: Shemos, by R' Yitzchok Zilberstein

Israel Book Shop gets a blog

2009-11-19T23:31:00.006-05:00

Israel Book Shop has a new blog called The Next Page. It's pretty new but I'm already impressed. The layout is really cool and the content so far (all 3 posts of it) is great. I hope that they can keep up the good work. They even have a post about Mordechai Schmutter's upcoming book, "A Clever Title Goes Here," which I am very much looking forward to. Here's what they had to say:

When I was little, aside from the fact that I had to walk two miles to school uphill both ways because only the rich people could afford horses, another depressing fact was that there was no such thing as American Jewish humor. Sure, there were some old Yiddish jokes, but only people who appreciated the “flavor” of Yiddish and also the flavor of Slivovitz thought that they were funny.
Mordechai Schmutter changed all that. Beginning sporadically, he worked his way up to a weekly Hamodia Magazine column. He’s still shocked that Hamodia even has a humor column, but the tens of thousands of readers who look forward to it each week are glad that it does.
His first book, Don’t Yell Challah in a Crowded Matzah Bakery was a gamble at first because it was the first of its kind, and the gamble paid off as it became a best seller. Meanwhile, his column, which began with such everyday topics as cooking, marriage, and writing humor columns, has expanded into areas such as GPS, Kosherfest, and the Syms Bash.
Now, Mordechai is publishing his second book, A Clever Title Goes Here. Aside from the clever title, it also has many of his funniest articles in it, one of which you can read here!

To see my review of Mordechai Schmutter's first book, "Don't Yell Challah in a Crowded Matzah Bakery," click here.

Update: Anybody who recieved the Jewish Press or Hamodia this week (perhaps even other papers as well) should have also seen the "The Next Page" magazine insert. As with the blog, I was also very impressed by this as it was a mix between spotlights on new upcoming books as well as a catalog of Israel Book Shop's publications. It appears to be a quarterly as it was dated Winter 2009. I'm always excited about anything new in books and I'm looking forward to seeing more things from "The Next Page."

Spotlight on. . . "Miracle Ride"

2009-11-19T22:38:00.007-05:00

In anticipation of a new novel, “Invisible Me” from author Tzipi Caton, we present a review of her first book, “Miracle Ride”, released in May 2008, which was received with great acclaim. I remember reading a while back that “Miracle Ride” was a bestseller for Artscroll and indeed if you look at the publication date for the book it says that the first impression was May 2008 while the second was June 2008, meaning that they had to already print more copies a month later! I personally have read it at least three times and I’ll say right off the bat that this was definitely one of the best books to be released in the last two years. Let's take a look. . .

“Miracle Ride” is the true story of Tzipi Caton (which is her pen name), who was diagnosed in 11^th grade with Hodgkin’s disease, a type of cancer. The book is her story as she chronicles it throughout the ordeal, starting with the diagnosis, followed by treatment and the path to recovery. The fact that this was originally written as part of her blog (jacancerpatient.blogspot.com) before being compiled into a full length book gives it a light and personable feel. What’s interesting is that one wouldn’t automatically associate a book about someone’s struggle through cancer as being “light reading,” yet Tzipi has very superbly put together a book that is exactly that. What stuck out for me the most was the humor aspect. I’m a big believer in trying to find the humor in life and Tzipi’s personality is such that she is able to make you smile even as she goes through the ups and downs of cancer. It's fun to watch her take her strong sarcasm and deal with some of the more difficult people in life and it's incredible how she can take such serious predicaments and end off making you smile. I do wonder though every time I read the book whether people she criticizes in her writing figure out who they are, and if yes what were their reactions? That question always makes me so curious!

Tzipi also gives over stark, yet important, messages about the good and not such good ways to treat someone who is ill. A teacher who she befriends in the course of the story has diabetes and there is a common theme between the two illness of how we use our misconceptions to delegitimize those who are ill. There are also instances where friends don't really think before acting, which most of us are guilty of in some form or another, and it's good to be reminded from the sick person's point of view how we really need to act. Pretty much this is a biography, funny, and filled with lessons, my three favorite book genres rolled into one. What more can I ask for?

Miracle Ride is a bold and fresh book and if you haven’t read it since it was released over a year ago, than what are you waiting for?! The chapters are short, making it more accessible to those on a busy schedule, yet it is so addicting that putting it down sounds easier than it really is.Keep your eyes out for her upcoming book, “Invisible Me”, coming soon to bookstores near you.

Targum Press Chanukah Sale

2009-11-19T20:50:00.003-05:00

Feldheim's Pre-Chanukah 25% Off Sale

2009-11-18T14:42:00.005-05:00

Feldheim Presents:

Take advantage of our 25% off sale while it lasts.
Start Saving Now!

Want to Shop at a Store? Click Here to Print a Coupon.

Ashreinu That We Are Jews!

2009-11-13T00:50:00.007-05:00

Tonight I had the zechus to attend the beautiful Hachnosos Sefer Torah that was held in front of 770 Eastern Parkway, in memory and in honor of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg H"YD. I say zechus because when I left Crown Heights to go back home I felt as if I had witnessed true simcha and achdus, the greatest sight in the world, and to me that is a zechus. It was a zechus to have the opportunity to share in that moment of achdus as well as to be mesameach in a brand new Sefer Torah that will join the new Chabad house in Mumbai, solidifying a determination to never give up, to continue persevering b'derech HaTorah. To see thousands of Shluchim, along with children, teenagers, families and Jews of many stripes, dancing together with such a great energy, that is something that one does not easily forget. Ashreinu that we are Jews!

A Book Trailer

2009-11-05T23:16:00.003-05:00

There's a new twist to book advertisement; book trailers. This is the first time I've seen anything like this, so kol hakavod to Artscroll (if anybody knows of anything similar, please share!). This is for a children's book and I don't know how well a video like this would work for an adult, words only book, but it's interesting to see. I definitely think there could be more videos like this to showcase the new books coming out. What do you think of it?

The Week in Books

2009-11-04T22:13:00.004-05:00

Note: It's incredible how since the last "Week in Books" post so many upcoming and new releases have popped up. Artscroll in particular seems to have their machines on full strength with many new titles being announced for the near future. Some of the books that are scheduled to be released look really good and hopefully we'll have some coverage over those new titles to give you a taste of what to expect once they come out.
And now back to regular programming:

New Releases:

-The Shmuz on the Parsha: Life Transforming Insights on the Weekly Torah Reading, by Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier
-Meoros HaShabbos Vol. 5: The Laws of Shabbos Arranged for Weekly Study at the Shabbos Table (see here for a brief overview of the series)
-In-Laws: It's All Relative, by Rabbi Abraham Twerski and Leah Shifrin Averick
-Peace in Your Palace: Blueprints for a Successful Marriage, by Rebbetzin S. Simon

Upcoming Releases:

-Rav Schwab on Yeshayahu: The teachings of Rabbi Shimon Schwab zt"l on the Book of Isaiah
-Rabbi Sherer: The Paramount Torah Spokesman of Our Era, by Yonoson Rosenblum
-Salomon Says: 50 Stirring and Stimulating Stories, by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon C.S.W
-A Vort From Rav Pam, by Rabbi Sholom Smith
-A Touch of Inspiration, by Rabbi Yechiel Spero
-Great Jewish Letters: A collection of classic and inspirational writings of Torah sages and Jewish leader, by Rabbi Moshe Bamberger
-Kuntres Sfat Tamim- Chofetz Chaim
-Kuntres Chovat HaShemirah- Chofetz Chaim
-Too Beautiful: Stories So Uplifting They Have to be Shared, by Hanoch Teller
-Something New: A Comprehensive Guide to the Halachos of the Shehecheyanu Brocha, by Rabbi Michael Yehoshua Newman
-"Normal" and Other Stories, by Reva Rubenstein
-Chain of Thought: Torah Linked Through the Ages, by Rabbi Moshe Hubner

Seforim Store Directory

2009-11-04T19:36:00.003-05:00

The Jewish Book World is looking to compile a comprehensive list of seforim stores as a service to its readers, similar to the various lists of kosher restaurants that are available. If you have information regarding a seforim store in your community we would love to hear from you! Please send any relevant information, such as the store name, address, phone number, etc. to Jewishbookworld@gmail.com. Thank you!

Benny Friedman Has Arrived!

2009-11-02T19:10:00.002-05:00

There has been so much hype surrounding the release of this album and I think that it's going to be a hit! Benny's talent has already been showcased on the Jewish music scene for a while from the various performances he has done and he has a great stage presence and a powerful performing voice. I can't wait to get a copy!

Benny Friedman's long awaited debut album is finally here! Presented by Sameach Music and produced by Avi Newmark, this has been one of the most anticipated albums in recent memory, featuring 12 tracks sure to satisfy all musical palettes.
A variety of talented artists team up to bring you this masterful musical production. Selections include compositions from such famed composers as Yitzy Waldner and Elimelech Blumstein, and relative newcomers like Meshulum Greenberger and Oriel Avraham. Arrangers range from Good ol' Mona and Moshe Laufer to the always incredible Leib Yaakov Rigler and Avremi G, along with some great surprises from Ian Freitor, the album's engineer.

The Friedman/Marcus families showcase some very strong talent with three compositions, including the title track, Taamu, composed by Shmuel Marcus, an incredible piece of music sure to take your breath away composed by Simche Friedman, and a Bentzi Marcus composition featuring a duet with 8th Day! Rabbi Manis Friedman, Benny's father, collaborates with Lipa Schmeltzer to compose a Yiddish lyric that will at once force you to look inward, while causing your feet to move with the beat! A special musical tribute was composed by Yitzy Spinner in memory of Izzy Taubenfeld, the founder of Sameach Music.

HaRav Shlomo Lorincz Z"TL

2009-10-26T22:58:00.007-04:00

When I saw the articles headlined with the name Rabbi Shlomo Lorincz, announcing his passing, I knew that the name was familiar to me from somewhere. Then I remembered that he is the author of an incredible biography, "In Their Shadow," which details the lives of the Chazon Ish, Rav Shach and the Brisker Rav. The book is actually a translation of it's Hebrew equivalent, B'Mechitazasam, which received tremendous haskamos from a large number of Gedolei HaDor. The Hebrew version has two volumes, the first being what was translated into English and the second being the biographies of a large number of additional Rabbonim, which I hope will eventually be made available to the English reading public. If anybody has the opportunity to get a hold of a copy of these books take a moment to read through them. Rabbi Lorincz was a contemporary of some of these Torah giants and his writing is filled with powerful stories and lessons that are meant to inspire and improve us.

After reading some of the obituaries for Rabbi Lorincz I learned about some of his other incredible accomplishments, which I had been ignorant to before his passing. He was a political activist, achieving the status of MK in the Knesset, and he was a great Talmid Chochom. Yonason Rosenblum from Cross Currents has an insightful piece that gives the reader an outlook into the life of this special human being. One of the passages that caught my eye was the following:

"In his preface to the first volume of B’Mechitzasam (the translation of which into English I had the honor of supervising), Rabbi Lorincz describes how he recorded only those stories of the Chazon Ish, the Brisker Rav, and Rav Shach that can inspire others to increased Torah learning, fear of Heaven and good deeds. He entreats the reader not to read the book as a storybook, but to contemplate each story, analyze what it teaches us, and think about how that lesson can be applied in practice."

This to me is the essence of what Gedolim biographies are all about, and that is why I particularly gravitate to books of that genre. If we could learn from the examples of the great giants of generations, current and past, and see what heights man is capable of achieving then we would all grow in positive ways. Don't be intimidated by their achievements. As the saying goes, "shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you'll land among the stars."

Yehi Zichro Baruch.

The Week in Books

2009-10-25T23:40:00.003-04:00

New Releases:

-Mother's to Mother's: Women Across the Globe Share the Joys and Challenges of Jewish Motherhood, by Julie Hauser
-Torah Classics Library: Tehillim with Rashi's Commentary - 2 Vol. Set
-Diamond in the Rough, by Esther Rapaport
-Dare to Dream: An Abram's Family Legacy, by Leah Gebber
-Step up to the Plate, by Rabbi Yisroel Roll
-The Brisker Rav, Vol. 2, by Rabbi Shimon Yosef Meller
-Reflections on The Parshah: Bereishis, by Rabbi Zechariah Fendel

Upcoming Releases:

-Meoros HaShabbos, Vol. 5, from the Global Torah Network
-The Shmuz on the Parsha, by Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier
-Kuntres Sfat Tamim- Chofetz Chaim
-Kuntres Chovat HaShemirah- Chofetz Chaim
-Rav Schwab on Yeshayahu: The teachings of Rabbi Shimon Schwab zt"l on the Book of Isaiah

Nachman Seltzer on the CoolJew Show

2009-10-25T21:38:00.004-04:00

The CoolJew has continued to spread their influence in the Jewish entertainment industry with a first of hopefully many interviews with Jewish authors. This first issue is with the very talented Nachman Seltzer, the author of an array of books including novels, biographies and short stories. Check out the interview by clicking here.

Hamodia Interviews Avner Gold

2009-10-22T20:17:00.003-04:00

Last weeks issue of Hamodia (10/14) has an interesting interview by Shloimy Blau with best selling author Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman, also known by his pen name, Avner Gold. I must admit that I've never read any of his books but their popularity has not gone unnoticed. His most recent books, part of the Strasbourg Saga, are available from Artscroll. Here is a short excerpt from the article:

How would you recap the accomplishments of your writing career?

First and foremost, I value immensely the sefarim I have been fortunate to write, both those already published and those as yet unpublished. They are my main legacy for the future.
As far as my novels are concerned, it has been said that there is more truth in fiction than in non-fiction. My fictional material can portray characters in a manner that ordinary people can fully appreciate, showing both their virtues and their flaws. This allows people to derive great practical inspiration from their challenges, struggles and triumphs.
I am continually humbled by the outpouring of positive feedback that comes my way. I include my e-mail address in my books, and I respond, often at length, to all correspondence. I write with my readers in mind, and my relationship with them is important to me. Hearing how some of my books have inspired people- and even returned some secular Yidden to the path of authentic Yiddishkeit- has made my seemingly endless hours of exhausting labor all the more worthwhile and enjoyable.

Lecture and Book Signing

2009-10-18T22:39:00.003-04:00

Date & Time:

Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 9:00 PM

Location:

Young Israel Beth El of Boro Park
4802 15 Ave
Brooklyn, New York 11219

Meoros HaShabbos Updates

2009-10-13T19:34:00.006-04:00

For those of you who are not familiar with Meoros HaShabbos, it is a great series that goes through Hilchos Shabbos and is available in Hebrew, English and Yiddish. To make it family and user friendly the halachos are divided up by Parsha, and then further divided up for Shabbos dinner and then Shabbos lunch. This encourages famalies to use part of the time at those two Shabbos meals to become more familiar with the laws of Shabbos. Each day also includes a story about Gedolim and how they related to Shabbos. So far four volumes have been published (two volumes per year) and the fourth volume concluded with the first day of Sukkos, which was a Shabbos this year. The fifth volume supposedly begins this Shabbos but Feldheim has informed me that there have been some delays. It has been printed and should be available in approximately three weeks. Keep your eyes out for it and if you haven't started the series yet take a look at it next time you're in the seforim store. Maybe you'll find something new L'Kovod Shabbos Kodesh.

The Week in Books

2009-10-12T22:36:00.003-04:00

New Releases:

-Aleinu L'Shabeiach: Breishis, by Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein
-Chizuk: A Premier on Bitachon, Coping, and Hope, by Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff
-Moonlight: Stories that Illuminate the Spirit of Our Lives, by Yael Mermelstein
-The Rambam’s 13 Principles of Faith VI & VII, from Kol Menachem

Upcoming Releases:

-Mother's to Mother's: Women Across the Globe Share the Joys and Challenges of Jewish Motherhood, by Julie Hauser

Dovid Stein and Benny Friedman Rock the Collive Concert

2009-10-01T23:42:00.004-04:00

This video may already be old (if a month can be called that) but the Collive concert overall looked like it was awesome based on the videos and this clip in particular is my new favorite. Benny and Dovid do a great job with MBD's new song Kulam Ahuvim and I keep watching it over and over! You can even just put it on in the background, it's so leibedike. I wish I could have been there!

Sale at Targum Press

2009-10-01T21:18:00.004-04:00

Me, the Newspaper Junkie

2009-09-29T22:41:00.007-04:00

There's another book being released every second! As much as I would love to buy a new book every week it's just not monetarily feasible, but more importantly it's simply not necessary. I like to remind myself that books are not a one time experience. It's the yetzer hara that likes to convince oneself that you need "new," and assuming that a book interests you, it's meant to be read more than once. Between all the book shelves in our house I could read and reread from now until the next Birchas HaChamah (4/9/2027- put it on your calendars) but . . . there is something nice about purchasing some fresh material.

This is where the newspapers come in.

I love newspapers.

My two favorite weekly's are the Hamodia and the Mishpacha magazine. Both of them are, in my opinion, the leaders among religious Jewish publications in quality and substance. Besides for the typical news items that are reported everywhere, they also are able to find original interesting stories that are fun and inspiring to read and news items that interest me as a Jewish person. The Hamodia is significantly cheaper (in price, not quality) than the Mishpacha so I am able to buy it every week, but when a particularly good Mishpacha comes out I make an effort to go and get it. And when I say effort, I mean effort. To get the Mishpacha requires strategic coordination on my part because for some reason it is not sold at newsstands or seforim stores in either of my two residences. The closest it is offered is about 45 minutes away so my choices are between finding an excuse to, say, go to Brooklyn, or calling up someone who lives in those locations and asking them to please pick me up a copy. I actually just did that about 2 hours ago when I called up my lovely aunt and asked her if she could buy a copy of this weeks Mishpacha- it's one of the special expanded editions that are put out before Pesach and Succos!!!- which I will pick up when a next get a chance. But going back to the main topic, it's the opportunity to buy the newspapers each Thursday, whether it's the Hamodia, Mishpacha, Jewish Press, etc. that helps feed my addiction for new material. The benefits are twofold. I save money since, for example, the Hamodia only costs me $2, and the papers are long enough to make me feel like I'm getting something new to read while at the same time remaining short enough that I can then go back to the books sitting on my shelf waiting to be finished. You can even save the Mishpacha and Hamodia Magazines and reread those too.

Ah, now that I've just spent a half hour thinking about the papers, come Thursday I think I'm going to be one very pumped up Hamodia buyer. Watch out!

The Week in Books

2009-09-24T22:06:00.002-04:00

New Releases:

-Angel of Orphans: The Story of R' Yona Tiefenbrunner and the Hundreds He Saved, by Malka Weinstock
-Speak of Hashem's Wonders: Miracles in the Midbar, by Rabbi Zev Yehuda Shain
-Faith in the Night, by Rebbetzin Rivka Wolbe
-A Time to Laugh, A Time to Listen, by Rabbi Yehoshua Kurland
-Triangle of Despair- Circle of Hope, by Yaffa Farbstein
-Six Constant Mitzvos, Based on a Series of Lectures by Rabbi Yitzchok Berkowitz
-The Essential Malbim, by Rabbi Reuven Subar

Upcoming Releases:

-Aleinu L'Shabeiach- Bereishis, by Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein
-Chizuk: A Primer on Bitachon, Coping, and Hope, by Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff
-Mother's to Mother's: Women Across the Globe Share the Joys and Challenges of Jewish Motherhood, by Julie Hauser
-Moonlight: Stories that Illuminate the Landscape of Our Lives, by Yael Mermelstein

Review: "Search Judaism"

2009-09-24T20:33:00.014-04:00

When I am back in my hometown I often have the opportunity to work in one of our local seforim stores, which is a dream come true for a Jewish bibliophile like myself. Despite the fact that you do have to tend to customers, more often than not there is still plenty of time to take a look at all the books lying around and see what looks good. My bosses are great and on my last work day at the store this past summer I was told that I could pick out a book for free. It was a tough decision (iy'h it should be the toughest I am ever faced with), and I finally chose the subject of today's book review, Search Judaism by Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer.

One of the first things that drew me to Search Judaism was that it bills itself as another book in an ever growing category of attempts to answer some of the often posed tough theological questions, such as whether there is a G-d, are we inhabited with divine souls, and does mankind truly have free choice. I believe that these and the other questions in the book, which relate to fundamental tenets of the Jewish belief system, are important for everyone, especially frum Jews to know. I personally try to solidify my commitment as a religious Jew by attempting to learn that which is within my capacity to understand about Judaism, Hashem, and the Torah, and this book is an appropriate catalyst towards that mission. Other topics that were addressed by Rabbi Fingerer that interested me were how the Torah and science can be compatible and insights into the subject of reincarnation. Each chapter is filled with delightful stories and anecdotes that expound on the designated topic, and all answers are referenced to leading Rabbi's and secular authorities. Actually, there is a strong emphasis on secular references which is great because it's no chiddush to back up Jewish beliefs with Jewish sources, rather when the outside world also comes to the same conclusions that the Torah does, that is impressive.

This book is similar in subject style to "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" by R' Shmuel Waldman and "The Eye of the Needle" from Aish HaTorah. For those of you have read similar books some of the sources and arguments may be a little old but there is fresh material here as well. Search Judaism stands out in that is is very easy to understand and could be read comfortably read by Jews of all kinds. Rabbi Fingerer really does a great job posing tough questions and giving good answers. Something that really showed me how much this book is meant for everyone to be able to learn is that on the last page there is contact information for Rabbi Fingerer and links to websites for furthering Jewish education. As I mentioned before, I believe that it is important for frum Jews to review this material because it is through doing so that we can also try to transmit this information over to our less knowledgeable brothers and sisters so they too can come to an understanding about what a wonderful gift it is to be a Jew.

Review: "It's Never Too Little, It's Never Too Late, It's Never Enough."

2009-09-16T22:45:00.003-04:00

"You better knock my socks off." Thus said my 9th grade English teacher at the start of every class in the hopes that we would be on better behavior. If I had to use a phrase to describe the impact that, "It's Never Too Little, It's Never Too Late, It's Never Enough" is capable of I would have to borrow her phrase and say "it knocks your socks off." Anyone who is familiar with Rabbi Yissocher Frand's previous works, whether his essays or his Divrei Torah, knows that his eloquent style and poignant sense of humor have the power to both inspire and make you smile. This book is no exception.

"It's Never Too Little etc." is a breath of fresh air, an enlightening perspective of Torah amidst the turbulent world around us. Day after day we are subject to voices of foolishness, misguided priorities and false promises. One of Rabbi Frand's essays takes on the so called Shidduch crisis, a crisis that is largely of our own making through improper goals and requirements from young boys and girls. Another essay talks about interpersonal relationships and how we are to understand the seemingly impossible task of truly loving another person as we love ourselves. A third essay discusses the financial meltdown and how important it is for us to reevaluate our priorities. Do we earn money as a means to an end, or is the money the end itself? We are shown through real examples of the gadlus and chesronos of our broad communities what our mistakes are, how great our potential really is, and how simple introspection is something we could all make use of.

Here is a little vort from " It's Never Too Little, It's Never Too Late, It's Never Enough" to give you some inspiration as we go into the Aseres Yemei Teshuva.

Have you ever noticed that all of the berachos in Shemoneh Esrei end by defining Hashem as One Who can provide the specific form of salvation that we seek: He is the Chonein Hada'as- the Gracious Giver of knowledge; the Rofeh Cholei Amo Yisrael- the Healer of the sick of His nation, Israel; Bonei Yerushalayim- the Builder of Jerusalem. Only one beracha stands out. We ask Hashem, "Hashiveinu Avinu l'Sorasecha- Bring us back, our Father, to your Torah, and bring us near, our King, to your service, and influence us to return in perfect repentance before You. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who desires repentance."

Why is this beracha different from all the rest?

The answer is simple. Hashem can do everything for you. He can give you knowledge, He can heal you, He can build Jerusalem- all without your input. But He cannot do teshuvah for you.

There is one thing He does do, however. He profoundly desires your teshuvah, and eagerly awaits the day when we will choose to return to Him. (p.137)

Rabbi Frand's latest book is a gem and I encourage others to take a look at it. Even as an avid reader there are few books that are just too much to take a break from and put down. This was one of them and I enjoyed every minute of reading. It is very hard to give this book a good read and not come away wanting to strive for improvement and to grow closer to Hashem. If you are looking for a book to help you start the New Year off on the right foot look no farther and go read "It's Never Too Little, It's Never Too Late, It's Never Enough."

K'siva V'Chasimah Tovah!

Haskamos

2009-09-16T17:44:00.003-04:00

Today I heard a shiur from Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser and one of the topics that he brought up was the importance of checking haskamos when you buy a sefer or a book that represents itself as expressing Torah ideas and values. I thought it would be worth it to reiterate this message again here as our main focus at the Jewish Book World is, you guessed it, Jewish books. When you are purchasing seforim with which you are not familiar it is very important to see who wrote it and whether the writer's ideas are supported by the Gedolei HaTorah and leaders of our respective communities. Just like we are careful about the food that goes into ours mouths, the things our eyes see and the words that we speak we must also be careful about what we read and learn in the name of Torah.

The Week in Books

2009-09-13T18:49:00.002-04:00

New Releases:

-Torah for your Table, by Rabbis' Osher Anshel and Yisroel Jungreis and Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis
-Festivals of Life, by Rabbi Zev Leff
-Nefesh HaChaim, a new translation by Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Finkel
- The Legacy of the Mashgiach, compiled by Rabbis' Alter and Tzvi Gartenhaus, edited by Rabbi Yitzchok Kirzner
- Delivery From Darkness: A Jewish Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Depression, by Rabbi Baruch Finkelstein, Michal Finkelstein and Doreen Winter
- The Yellow Notebook: A Novel, by Devorah Rosen
-Musawi: A Novel, by A. Shalom
-The Daily Halacha, by Rabbi Eli Mansour
-Grow! Inspiration, Stories, and Practical Advice, by Rebbetzin S. Feldbrand

Upcoming Releases:

-Mother's to Mother's: Women Across the Globe Share the Joys and Challenges of Jewish Motherhood, by Julie Hauser
-Six Constant Mitzvos, Based on a Series of Lectures by Rabbi Yitzchok Berkowitz
-The Essential Malbim, by Rabbi Reuven Subar

Review: Malei Olam

2009-09-10T21:20:00.017-04:00

Malei Olam is Shlomo Katz's latest release, following the successful debut of V'hakohanim as well as a joint project on K'shoshana with Aaron Razel and Chaim Dovid. The influence of Shlomo's self-stated spiritual mentor, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, can be seen through his style of music which also encorporates Israeli rhythms and accents, differentiating his style from his brother and another great singer, Eitan Katz. I'll tell you upfront that I was very impressed with this CD, so much so out of all the albums I own I decided to try and put out my first music review using this one. As I do not have the book jacket in front of me, 200 miles away from home, I may be missing information on guest appearances or composers (I know one song is a Carlebach song buy I'm not sure which). Either way, here we go:

V’af Al Pi: Shlomo starts off the album with a slow song; something that I’m seeing more and more with newer releases. This song is a brilliant composition and gives you the feel for what to expect from the rest of the songs. It’s soft, heartfelt and meaningful. The violin at the beginning adds a nice touch as does the rest of the instrumental accompaniment. This song was first released a couple months back (see here) and it definitely gave me something to anticipate from the rest of the album. The interlude at 3:01 is particularly moving. I don’t know why but every time I hear it, it reminds me of the African savannah. Strange, right?

Hazorim Bedimah: Another slow song. Not a big fan of the opening music but once the lyrics get started this song really starts to take off. Again, the essence of this song is the beautiful medley. It’s repetitive (yes, I know that Jewish music is repetitive but this one a bit more so than others) but it has beauty in it's simplicity. The higher and lower parts all flow into each other creating an enjoyable and singable zemer for an opportune time like the Shabbos table or long car rides.

Shma Koleinu: Wow, now we’re moving up the tempo! I love fast songs and while the first two songs we’re beautiful they’re nothing you can get up and dance to. Great electric guitar rock beginning! The chorus- v’kabel brachamim u’vratzon, has a pumped up beat while the shma koleinu part is a bit more soft rock Israeli. This song makes me think of something that Aryeh Kuntsler might perform. This is a fun song. Enjoy!

Ana Avda: Moving back to slow now. The lyrics begin with Ava Avda and then switch to the words from Asapra Lesudasah at 1:51. I love how the melody and the words flow together but I’m just not enjoying the choice of instruments. It's great when Shlomo is singing but the musical interludes are when it gets bothersome.

Yartzeit Niggun: It's hard to describe such a Niggun so I'll just use one word: stunning.

Od Yishama: I’ve spotted my new favorite song! I just can’t stop playing it. The music has this great folksy feel and the simcha just jumps right out. Everything from the beginning to the end is fun and leibedik. It has rhythm, a great choice of instruments and Shlomo’s vocals at 2:40 are the highlight of the song.. At first I wished that it would have been longer but then I realized that the length keeps you coming back for more instead of getting bored from it dragging on.

K'vodo: While this song is titled K'vodo, the title for the album, Malei Olam, can be found here as part of the lyrics. Gorgeous violin solo right off the bat. Then guest singer, Avshalom Katz, Shlomo's father and an accomplished singer and chazzan, begins to sing. I have never heard Avshalom before but his voice is so deep and rich. A great choice on Shlomo's part to include his father as it adds so much to the song. Shlomo appears at 2:04, letting his father have the spotlight until then. The two of them together afterward just make this song a hit. A++

Niggun Mitzpe: From what I remember reading on the book jacket this song was inspired from a place that Shlomo is very connected to in Israel, Mitzpe Nevo. His first niggun which became a huge hit, Niggun Nevo, was also from Shlomo's connection to this community, hence the names of the niggunim. I love Niggun Nevo but this has no similarities in any shape or form to it's predecessor. It just reminds me too much of cowboys and barnyard square dances. It's got a good beat but I'll pass on this niggun.

B’chayechon: Hmmm, how to classify this song . . . probably a medium tempo, like a slow song with beat. This is a good song and it’s got the same soft/sweetness that we’ve already come to expect but I’m not overly excited about it. Listen for the nice harmony at 00:51

Yom Shekulo: The final song and it's a great one to end off with. After a packed and uplifting CD this song sort of places you softly back down leaving you wanting to press play and start all over again. Thinking about it, all the songs just seem to blend right into each other, in a positive way, and that's what makes this CD all the more impressive. Yom Shekulo is slow and meaningful, powered with a sense of sweet simcha dripping from the words and voices. I think that's Aaron Razel I hear starting at 00:50. The whole song is just great.

So that's all folks. My final impressions are simply that this is an album worth giving a chance. As an avid JM follower I'm usually inclined to listen to fast and upbeat simcha music but the d'veikus of these compositions give the neshama a different type of boost and is a breath of fresh air when you just need something to calm down with. The simplicity of the compositions is really the essence of this album’s beauty. Some people need more to work with to create a better product but Shlomo takes simple verses and soft tunes and creates gems. A really nice job all around.

Mishpacha Interviews Authors

2009-09-08T17:43:00.005-04:00

"A Shabbos Story at It's Best"

This past weeks Mishpacha Magazine (Issue 274) had an interesting interview with two big name Jewish authors, Yair Weinstock and Yeruchem Landesman. In They were asked some great and insightful questions and I was very impressed by the level of responsibility these two authors felt towards imparting their ideas and stories onto the klal, as well as the appropriate kavanos they have when they write their stories. In much of society writing is solely a means of earning a living but it's nice to see these two Chassidish authors who feel that it is also a way of Avodas Hashem. Rabbi Weinstock even gives some examples of people who were influenced positively by his stories, so much show that it further influenced their growth towards Hashem.

Here's one of the questions that was asked:

Reb Yeruchem, you're not daunted by the new computerized generation that has encroached upon the reading market?

"The Jewish People are the People of the Book. There is no substitute for a good story written black on white. The small setback in popularity is only marginal. Our youth grew up on books, not on computers. When I deliberated about publishing a book, it was Reb Yair (Weinstock) who pushed me to do so with his hearty encouragement."

Hey There!

2009-09-04T01:58:00.003-04:00

Just got two new books today- "Search Judaism" by Rabbi Yitzchak Fingerer, and "It's Never too Little, It's Never Too Late, It's Never Enough" by Rabbi Yissochor Frand. Both are new releases and look great. I hope to give them a good read over Shabbos and report back to you ASAP. Also, look out for some of the music side of this blog with a review of Shlomo Katz's new CD, Malei Olam, coming soon. Those of you who aren't familiar with it yet, this is definitely an album that is worth giving a good listen. Be back soon!

A Beautiful Rendition of Machnisei Rachamim

2009-08-26T02:42:00.004-04:00

Orad Katz & Tsudik Grindwald Machnise Rachamim from "The Rebbe's Dream" Heichal Hatarbut Tel Aviv

The Week in Books

2009-08-26T00:01:00.003-04:00

New Releases:

-Moments: Unexpected and Incredible Moment's In Our Lives, by Nachman Seltzer
-It's Never Too Little, It's Never Late, It's Never Enough, by Rabbi Yissocher Frand
-Raising Kids to Love Being Jewish, by Doron Kornbluth
-Life is Now, by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
-The Torah of Brisk - Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur, by Rabbi Shimon Yosef Meller
-Voice of Nobles: Commentary of the Dubner Maggid on the Book of Ecclesiastes, by David Zucker
-Rosewood Court, by Libby Lazewnik

Upcoming Releases:

- Delivery From Darkness: A Jewish Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Depression, by Rabbi Baruch Finkelstein, Michal Finkelstein and Doreen Winter
-Festivals of Life: The Depth and Meaning of Mo'adim, by Rabbi Zev Leff
- The Yellow Notebook: A Novel, by Devorah Rosen
-The Daily Halacha, by Rabbi Eli Mansour
-Mother's to Mother's: Women Across the Globe Share the Joys and Challenges of Jewish Motherhood, by Julie Hauser
-The Legacy of the Mashgiach: The thought-provoking teachings of Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein, Mashgiach of Yeshivas Mir and Ponevez
-Torah for your Table, by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis and Rabbis Yisroel and Osher Anshel Jungreis
-The Essential Malbim, by Rabbi Reuven Subar

It's Finally Here

2009-08-20T20:29:00.003-04:00

After many delays and false release dates the new Yeshiva Boys Choir album, Shemoy Shel Melech, is now available for purchase. I was just listening to some clips on Mostlymusic and it sounds okay but you can't tell everything from just 30 second previews. I have to say that although I was not at the Big Event Concert I just bought the DVD (a great buy! Review coming soon) and I was very impressed with the "Pirchei Boys Choir" which from what I understand was just YBC singing the songs of the old Pirchei Choir and R' Eli Teitelbaum. The harmonies and solos were gorgeous with none of the shrieking that I have sometimes come to associate with YBC. They we're, to put it simply, phenomenal. I would hope that Eli Gerstner was able to recreate that same smoothness into this album. Anyways, when the CD becomes available in my local store I will try to pick up a copy and give it a good listen. I'd be interested to hear what you also thought of the album, and stay tuned for more Jewish music news and reviews here at the Jewish Book World.

Comic Laugh

2009-08-12T22:59:00.004-04:00

People of the Book

2009-08-11T23:07:00.007-04:00

Books are a wonder of creation which never ceases to expand and amaze. They are full of new and exciting information and there is always one out there for whatever mood you're in. When I was younger I remember my mother telling me that one of her greatest pleasures in life as a child was to curl up in bed on a rainy day with a cookie and a good book. I don't have trouble believing that since I have experienced that same wonderful pleasure myself- and it's not limited to bad weather days or to when you have some cookies lying around. Every day can be a book day. I personally find that Shabbos is the best day to sit down and lose yourself in a book or sefer. Put yourself in a comfortable environment and just read. Prepare ahead of time for moments where you will have to pass the time, like sitting at the DMV or a the doctors office, by bringing that new book you haven't had time for yet or the newest edition of Mishpacha Magazine. If you doubt that there is a book out there that could interest you try walking into a large bookstore like Eichlers in Brooklyn or Shanky's in Yerushalayim, take a step back and you will be amazed at the never ending line of row after row of bookshelves piled high with books. Go to the Library of Congress and see how many categories of books exist within those walls. Humanity does not lack for reading material. Food, maybe, but not books!

My young brother has a book called The Very Best Gift by Genendel Krohn. It's a cute book that describes the giving of the Torah in a fun to read rhyme. I have made an observation about the Torah which has led me to believe why it is the very best gift. It never ends! I get overwhelmed walking into a Rav's house and seeing how many seforim line the walls. To imagine that one person could learn through those thin pages and thick books in a lifetime, and that's just referring to the books that were on those particular shelves! There is a book that was on the NY Times Bestsellers List called The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs, which is the quest of one man (the author) to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. One certainly views that as a great accomplishment- it's one of the most comprehensive lists of knowledge in the secular world. However, the Encyclopedia is but a drop in the sea compared to how many seforim currently available (and still growing) we have access to and that are being learned. The Gemara alone is tremendous in size and there have been uncountable numbers of commentaries written since then. Only a work such as the Torah, which is from the Hand of our G-d who is infinite, could give forth such a stream of knowledge which is still growing. Hafoch Ba V'Hafoch Ba D'Kula Ba- turn it (the Torah) and turn it for everything is within it. The quantity of knowledge out there shouldn't intimidate, rather it should excite because you know that there will always be something waiting for you to dig right into.

The Week in Books

2009-08-11T22:56:00.003-04:00

New Releases:

-Kedushat Levi: Torah commentary by Reb Levi Yitzchak M'Berditchev in a 3 Volume Set, translated by Eliyahu Munk

-Path to Greatness: The Life of Maran HaRav Elazar Menachem Man Shach Vol. 1, by Rabbi Asher Bergman
-Midnight Intruders, by Avner Gold

-Search Judaism: Judaism's Answers to a Changing World, by Rabbi Yitzchak Fingerer

-All of Our Lives: An Anthology of Contemporary Jewish Writing, by Sarah Shapiro
-In Defense of Torah Values: My Memories of Moreinu Reb Yaakov Rosenheim and the Struggle for Yiddishkeit in Eretz Yisrael (1938-1968), by Zev Schlesinger

Upcoming Releases:

-Life Is Now, by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
-It's Never Too Little, It's Never Late, It's Never Enough, by Rabbi Yissocher Frand
-Mother's to Mother's: Women Across the Globe Share the Joys and Challenges of Jewish Motherhood, by Julie Hauser
-The Daily Halacha, by Rabbi Eli Mansour
- The Yellow Notebook: A Novel, by Devorah Rosen
- Moments: Unexpected and Incredible Moment's In Our Lives, by Nachman Seltzer
- Delivery From Darkness: A Jewish Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Postpartum Depression, by Rabbi Baruch Finkelstein, Michal Finkelstein and Doreen Winter
-Festivals of Life: The Depth and Meaning of Mo'adim, by Rabbi Zev Leff

JMR Upcoming CD Report!

2009-08-10T14:07:00.004-04:00

The Jewish Music Report has just published a great list of some of the new albums that are in the works and are due out soon. The list includes, among others, new albums for Yaakov Shwekey, Yeshiva Boys Choir, Benny Friedman, Ohad, and MBD. I am personally looking forward to see what each CD has to offer, and I am especially excited for the albums from Shua Kessin, Benny Friedman, and YBC 4. One new release is the CD and DVD from the Big Event Concert which featured Lipa, Dedi, MBD, and others and iy'h I intend to purchase that as well (I'm deliberating between getting the CD or the DVD- which do you think is a better buy?). It was billed as the concert of the year and although I wasn't able to make it to that one LifeofRubin has reported that there will be another Big Event concert next year so maybe I'll have the chance to go to that one. In the mean time, keep looking out for all those new CDs (and books) due out within the coming weeks. These are exciting times!

Rivky Holtzberg's 29th Birthday

2009-08-06T01:29:00.005-04:00

Time may heal all wounds but certain incidents need many years before their shock begins to disappear. Since the tragic events that took place last December at the Chabad House of Mumbai the incredible sadness of it all continues to linger with an awesome strength. Yesterday, Tu B'Av, was the 29th birthday of Rivky Holtzberg, Chabad shlucha to Mumbai, and as a zechus for her neshama the Holtzberg and Rosenberg families have asked Collive to please publicize that in her honor we should recite Rivky's chapter of Tehillim (as corresponding to her age +1), which is Perek 30/Lamed. This can be recited for Rivky throughout this coming year and it serves as a measure of hakaras hatov for the work that she was moser nefesh for. In the merit of all the kedoshim we should see good tidings very soon.

Watch a video of Rivky Holtzberg a'h as she speaks about her work in Mumbai:

(Video HT: Gruntig)

The Week in Books

2009-08-03T23:22:00.002-04:00

Recent Releases:

- Green Fences, by Riva Pomerantz
- Positive Word Power, from the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation

Upcoming Releases:

- Path to Greatness: The Life of Maran HaRav Elazar Menachem Man Shach Vol. 1, by Rav Asher Bergman
- Moments: Unexpected and Incredible Moments In Our Lives, by Nachman Seltzer
- 6 Constant Mitzvos, by Mordechai Plaut
- Search Judaism: Judaism's Answers to a Changing World, by Rabbi Yitzchak Fingerer
- All of Our Lives: An Anthology of Contemporary Jewish Writing, by Sarah Shapiro
- Life is Now, by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
- Midnight Intruders, by Avner Gold
- It's Never too Little, It's Never Late, It's Never Enough, by Rabbi Yissocher Frand

Review: “The Rav Thinking Aloud”

2009-08-02T13:44:00.009-04:00

Almost every student in either a Hebrew day school or a yeshiva nowadays has heard of Rabbi Joseph B. Soleveitchik, or as he's more commonly referred to- the Rav. It shows something about the impact that an individual has made on society when all you need to say is "the Rav" and people know who you mean. I had also grown up hearing about the Rav, both in the classroom and at shul, but I never read any of the works by him or about him.

That all changed a month ago when I picked up a new book, "The Rav Thinking Aloud: Transcripts of Personal Conversations with Rabbi Joseph B. Soleveitchik," by Rabbi David Holzer, Rabbi Soleveitchik's close confident and a personal attendant of his for many years. This book is a collection of informal conversations with the Rav about a variety of topics, including thoughts on Zionism, women in Halacha, medical ethics and a personal history of the Rav's early years, including recollections of his grandfathers, the giants of the Brisk Yeshiva. This book is unique because it contains the actual words of the Rav as recorded by Holzer, as opposed to recollections or retellings of his views. The downside (which is not a big one) to this is that because the book contains unscripted conversation the sentence structure is not always complete, and sometimes a word or two is missing due to the recorder not picking up clearly the Rav's voice. However, these unedited informal conversations are really one of the most genuine ways to get a close up look at the Rav's thoughts and ideas. The Rav is literally "thinking aloud", which is how he himself expresses his views in one of the later chapters, and the reader gets the authentic feeling of being in conversation with the Rav.

The format of the book is divided between sections of recorded conversation and notes that Rabbi Holzer took down from certain conversations. The bottom of each page explains that the standard text is the words of the Rav from the recordings, and the text that is surrounded by a border is based on notes. The author does a good job making sure that everything is clear, making a distinct separation between who is asking the Rav questions versus when the Rav is the one talking, as well as when the text is based on notes.

The book is also accompanied by footnotes that add both sources and interesting additional information about the topic being discussed. As a reader, I have always preferred footnotes over endnotes because then you can remain on the page and see the added information, as opposed to having to turn all the way to the back of the book to find the same information. A brief album of pictures is included at the end of the book, with most of them showing the author or members of his family with the Rav. This author makes clear the connection that existed between himself and the Rav. Instead of any haskamos the book begins with a transcript of the Rav speaking affectionately at the author's sheva brachos, and throughout the book the Rav visibly shows a high esteem for his young attendant. This lends legitimacy to the author's credentials towards writing such a book since he is clearly familiar with the subject being portrayed and was found worthy of such a task by the subject himself.

One of the most interesting chapters, as well as one of the longest, is the recording of a shiur at YU that the Rav conducted following Shacharis on the morning of Yom Ha'atzmaut 1978. The focus of the shiur stemmed from the recitation of Hallel during Shacharis and the Rav delves into whether or not in his opinion one should recite Hallel on that day. The chapter goes into so many different scenarios and aspects of Yom Ha'atzmaut, answering pretty much every possible question. Concepts of Halacha for the day, such as Hallel, K'rias HaTorah, and music are brought into the conversation, as well as hashkafic concepts like aliyah and our responsibilities to the land. One question that was posed to the Rav was:

"What should be done? Is the whole idea of Yom Ha'azmaut a proper idea?"
The Rav answers:
"I don't know, it's no idea. For my part Yom Ha'atzmaut can be Yom Yerushalayim. I don't care about the date. In my opinion there is no kedushas ha'yom in the day. But the fact, the event, of Medinas Yisrael requires shevach v'hodaah to Hakodosh Baruch Hu, and not only on Yom Ha'atzmaut. One 365 days of the year." (p. 214)

The Rav's views on this topic are not accepted by everyone but it is interesting to read into his thoughts on the matter and the ways that he came to his conclusions. It took me a while to make my way through this chapter and the rest of the book but overall one puts it down with a sense of understanding another approach to Torah within the framework of Shivim Panim LaTorah and I would recommend this book for anybody interested in learning more about the Rav and his teachings. Even someone like me, who does not necessarily come from the same school of thought as the Rav, enjoyed learning more about a person who is respected and revered by many thousands around the world.

Feldheim Sale

2009-07-24T00:07:00.002-04:00

Feldheim presents it's first ever sale on Hebrew Sefarim with prices discounted 15-25 % off. The sale ends August 3rd.

Rav Elyashiv, Obama, and French Fries:

2009-07-23T21:26:00.002-04:00

So, I was flipping through the Yated Ne'eman today when I came across the makings of an interesting psak from HaGaon Rav Elyashiv:

"Last week, a yungerman came to Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv to ask him if French fries are a food that would be classified as being prohibited if cooked by a non-Jew. According to a report in Bakehilllah, Rav Elyashiv turned to the petitioner and asked, "Does Obama eat French fries?"
The questioner was astounded by the answer and it took him time to register that Rav Elyashiv was referring to the halacha that states that if something is served on a king's table- if it is oleh al shulchan melachim- it falls under the prohibition of bishul akum. Rav Elyashiv was effectively saying that in regard to this matter, President Obama is considered like a king, and if he eats French Fries, they would be considered oleh al shulchan melachim and subject to the laws of bishul akum."

I don't know about you, but I smiled after reading this. I like the idea of the posek hador referencing Obama in a shaila. On a related note, do you think the Queen of England has ever eaten French fries?

On the Struggle to Free the Bochurim

2009-07-22T22:33:00.003-04:00

I was very happy to see today the article on VosIzNeis stating that the Japanese Justice Minister has signed the transfer order for the youngest of the yeshiva boys imprisoned in Japan, the only one to be tried and sentenced to date, to serve the rest of his time in Israeli prison. This is a huge victory in the struggle to get these boys into a less harsh prison deal and G-d willing the other two bochurim will also be allowed to be extradited to Israel.

As someone who has been following this story since the very beginning I have seen and heard many of the negative and positive arguments that have arisen from the stories unusual circumstance. Just open up any one of the reports regarding this story from the past year and you will see the gamut of all possible opinions one could concieve of. In that regard, I believe that the Mishpacha cover story from 6/24, which was a detailed interview with the three askanim who have been most involved with the case, as well as any other interview with these Rabbonim, should be required reading for anybody wishing to express an opinion about what is going on in Japan. Every event in our lives contains a lesson for us to learn, and there have been many lessons that we as a people have learned from the details that have emerged from this story, including the importance of not taking any packages containing contents we are not familiar with. We must also learn though not to make quick assumptions about others being guilty, or rather to hope that innocence will eventually be proven.

Most people can not conceive of a society where boys do not even know the word "drugs," as indicated by their initial examinations with a Hebrew translator. Japanese attorneys had to be brought to see Bnei Brak because they themselves couldn't believe such an insular society existed. Furthermore, all three boys were proven innocent of intentional illegal activity through the use of lie-detectors, and while a lie-detector is only 92% accurate, having three identical results usually indicates a common innocence. Their actions leading up to and following the events and are also indicators of innocent activity. I don't deny that there was an unprecedented amount of naivety that went into the suspicious operation of transporting those drugs into Japan, but is that the fault of the boys or the society that they live in, which did not give them a sufficient education about exploitation and drug trafficking? If the goal of punishments is to serve as a lesson to oneself and others, then the lesson in this case should be to increase the knowledge within the Charedi community, as well as for ourselves, about these issues, and not that three boys should sit in one of the toughest prisons in the world. I keep reading comments by people who have handed down harsher sentences on these boys than the courts themselves! Some people say that these boys should just rot or that we have no responsibility for them, challilah! How far from the truth. Kol Yisroel Areivim Ze Lazeh! We have an achrayus for one another and we don't abandon any Jew, whether he is incarcerated or a free man.

To conclude, we all know that the dominant trait of the Jewish people is that we are rachmanim bnei rachmanim, merciful people. There is a good quote from a story in this past weeks Mishpacha, which told the fascinating tale about Yaakov Nakashh who was born a Jew, raised in a monastery during and after the Holocaust, almost becoming a Priest, and than returned to his Jewish roots and moved to Israel. In describing life in the monastery, Yaakov says that "he was put in a room together with three cardinals from the Vatican. As the cardinals chatted to pass the time, much of the conversation involved uncomplimentary remarks about other religions. 'I insisted that it was not nice to say such things about other people, to which one of the cardinals immediately retorted, 'If you're defending other religions, you must be a Jew.'" Even the non-Jews known that we are a merciful nation! We are a nation whose essence is to be kind and compassionate towards others. It is one of Hashem's middos and therefore it must be a middah that we constantly strive for. No matter how you have come to view this issue, it remains a distressing story about diligent Yeshiva boys who are far from home, in a world unlike the one they had prior to then seldom left, and enduring conditions that are hard for any human to endure. Try to think with the benefit of the doubt and remember that how we judge others is how we too will be judged by the beis din shel ma'alah.

The Week in Books

2009-07-21T20:25:00.002-04:00

Recent Releases:

-Double Impact: 348 Stories from Impact! and Major Impact!, by R' Dovid Kaplan
-Living With G-d in the 21st Century: Judaism's Approach to Bettering Mankind's Destiny, by R' Yosef Gabay
-The Practical Guide to Bitachon, by R' Shaul Wagschal
-Straightalk: The Next Step, by Yossi
-Religious Compulsions and Fears: A Guide to Treatment, by Avigdor Bonchek
-The Hidden Hand: The Holocaust, by Yaakov Astor

Upcoming Releases:

-Positive Word Power: Building a Better World with the Words You Speak

New Book by Yaakov Astor

2009-07-21T00:22:00.004-04:00

"The Hidden Hand - The Holocaust" has just been released by Yaakov Astor and the folks at Judaica Press. I read the first book in this series, titled "The Hidden Hand" around two years ago and it makes for an interesting read, especially by any history buffs out there. In the first book, Astor takes a look at well known historical incidents, including the fall of the Berlin wall or the West's victory in WWII and shows how the final outcome, which could have come down to something as simple as Hitler y'msh oversleeping one morning, was the hand of Hashem guiding history step by step. I am guessing that this book will be written in a similar vein, and with the Holocaust as the main topic it should make for a very moving and inspiring lesson in Emunah.

Browsing the Bookshelf

2009-07-13T00:17:00.013-04:00

What first draws you to pick up a book that you see laying around in the bookstore? Is it the author? The cover? The publisher? Of course content should always be first, and I don't buy something purely based on external factors but the externals can play a role in choosing a book or at least they get you to first pick up a book when you're browsing the bookshelf. For me it comes down to a couple of factors:

Okay, so publishers. I know that for me if a book is not published by certain companies (namely the big name frum book publishers i.e. Artscroll, Feldheim, Judaica Press, etc.) that I have become comfortable with then I tend to avoid reading the book. These companies have made a name for themselves for publishing books that express ideas and values that I am comfortable with so I often narrow down my book choices to those names. Some people might say that this makes me "close minded" or that I'm limiting myself from a large selection of Jewish books out there but these publishers alone have put out thousands of books and I could go well through most of my life subsiding from their books alone so I don't feel like I'm limiting myself. Like authors (see below) people read books by publishers that have made positive names for themselves just like people buy products from companies that are known for creating good products. Marketing 101.

From my years at glancing at the many books that grace the bookstore shelves, it seems that Judaica Press and Israel Book Shop tend to put out the best covers for books, and they usually draw me right in to at least picking it up a flipping through it. Covers give off an impression (whether true or not) of quality and I find myself picking up a lot more books from those publishers in contrast to others. I would say that Feldheim comes in at number three and then comes Artscroll. The Artscroll covers just don't seem to catch the eye as much as some other books do but there are always exceptions to the rule. One example is Miracle Ride, which was a great cover that just jumped out at you.

Authors of course are a huge factor as well. When looking at the secular book world you will notice that certain well known authors just have to put out a book and it is grabbed right off the shelves. At this point, J.K. Rowling could write anything she wants and it will become a number one bestseller. But for authors to get to that point they usually need to prove their capabilities as writers and therefore most people come to the assumption that anything they write will be a quality item and worth the read. The same goes for some of the popular authors in the Jewish world. If Chaim Walder puts out another People Speak I know that I will buy it because the first three have been great hits. For some people anything that says Twerski on it is a must have for their home libraries. Therefore if a new book comes out and it is by one of these authors I will gravitate towards buying it more than certain other books. Most of the time I will first look it over a good two or three times before shelling out the twenty plus bucks for it but the simple fact alone that the book has a particular author's name stamped on the cover gets me one step closer to considering making the purchase.

So next time you are in the bookstore ask yourself (or your subconscious) what factors play a part in your book buying experience?

Download a free acapella song from Shua Kessin

2009-07-10T00:42:00.006-04:00

Mostlymusic.com is now offering a free download featuring up-and-coming singer Shua Kessin. The song is acappela, making it a welcome addition during these three music-free weeks as well as for the rest of the year. It is titled Nishmas, after the Shabbos Shacharis tefillah, and has a beautiful, haunting, melody to it. The song is from Shua's upcoming (instrumental) album which is titled "Lo Lihityaish." My thoughts after listening to the wonderful vocals displayed on this single is that I am eagerly awaiting to see what other gems Shua has to offer when his debut album hits the shelves iy'h this coming Elul.

Check it out at:

http://www.mostlymusic.com/shuakessinnishmasacappela-p-4245.html

Review: "Don’t Yell Challah in a Crowded Matzah Bakery!"

2009-07-08T18:43:00.007-04:00

It may not be the Pesach season and this book may not be the most recent but "Don't Yell Challah in a Crowded Matzah Bakery" is a pioneer in a new trend of frum comedy literature, and as a comedy lover it is therefore up there with some of my favorite books. Judaism has always been at the forefront of religious humor and plenty of joke books have been released with a Jewish humor theme. Yet this book is the first I have found, and certainly the first in a while, that is an original frum comedy book. It is dubbed as "The Book of Kosher L'Pesach Humor & Stress Relief" and on many levels it delivers what it promises.

For those of you who are not familiar with the author, Mordechai Schmutter (it's never been clear whether that is his real name or just a pseudonym) is the featured weekly humor columnist in the Hamodia Magazine section. To be honest, his columns vary in laugh out loud humor from week to week. Sometimes I have found that for a couple of weeks columns barely get a chuckle out of me but then there are certain columns that I could not get through without laughing hysterically. The same goes for his book. The beauty of Don't Yell Challah is that it does what comedy is supposed to do, namely taking situations we can all relate to and showing the humor that resides in them. Popular humor topics in this book include the Pesach cleaning process (probably didn't know that could be funny, did ya?), the many different minhagim that exist about what qualifies as "kosher for Pesach", as well as a funny look into the Pesach story. Pharoah definitely comes out funnier in this book than his cameo in the Torah (that's not heresy, is it?). Schmutter does a great job at putting a smile on your face as you read humor bits, such as this one that pretty much sums up Pesach chumrahs in a sentence: "We are also very careful to erect safeguards around anything that may be related to anything that came into contact with anything that can be mistaken for anything within walking distance of chometz, because eating chometz on Pesach is a crime punishable by death, which will come at the hand of Hashem, because it is very difficult to explain to the non-Jewish media why you're stoning your neighbor for eating a bowl of noodles." Bada Boom!

Now, about this books target audience. I can imagine that this book goes over very well in the more yeshivish communities where access to secular stand-up comedy and humor is on a more limited level. This can be a good thing because I have found that in my pursuit for funny jokes a lot of what the secular world has to offer is filled with profanities and inappropriate image use. All in all, is this on the same level at some of the better secular stand-up out there? Not really. Those in the more modern sector who are used to a more sophisticated humor may not find this as satisfying but it does come through with some great laughing moments. While it reaches its peak of enjoyment around the holiday season (Pesach time) when you are actually experiencing on some level the humor, it is a good casual year-round book, great for a commute (not when you're the driver!), pre-bedtime read, or just for a time when you need a pick me up. If you enjoy laughing and seeing the humor in our beautiful Torah ways then I encourage you to check this book out.

(Note: You may also enjoy what is, according to my count, the second recent comedy book, "Adventures in the Produce Aisle" by Mishpacha columnist Perel Grossman. In addition, Schmutter has announced that he is planning a new book release around Chanukah time so keep your eyes out for that one as well.)

The Week in Books

2009-07-07T23:53:00.008-04:00

Recent Releases:

Touched By Their Tears: A Kinnos Companion, by Rabbi Yechiel Spero
Talelei Oros: Rosh Chodesh, by Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rubin
Heroes of Spirit: 100 Rabbinic Tales of the Holocaust, by Rabbi Dovid Hoffman
It’s Only Money: An Abram’s Family Legacy, by M. Luxenburg
A Maggid (Preacher) of Righteousness: an English translation of R’ Yosef Karo’s sefer Maggid Meisharim
The Stars Will Guide You, by Miriam Walfish
Tales from Above and Beyond: 30 Inspiring Stories to Warm the Spirit, by Shaya Gottleib

Upcoming Releases:

Religious Compulsions and Fears: A Guide to Treatment, by Avigdor Bonchek
Praying with Fire Vol. 2, Pocket Sized Edition, by Rabbi Heshy Kleinman
Positive Word Power: Based on Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s classic The Power of Words
The Hidden Hand: The Holocaust

The First Review!! “Reb Shlomo: The Life and Legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld”

2009-07-07T10:08:00.008-04:00

Released around a year ago, "Reb Shlomo, The Life and Legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld," by Rabbi Yisroel Besser, has grown to become one of my favorite books and, after speaking with others who have read it, a favorite for them as well. It is certainly one of the best frum biographies that are currently available. For those of you, who are not familiar with who Rabbi Freifeld was, all I will tell you is that he was the founder of the prominent yeshiva, Shor Yoshuv, and, being born in New York, was probably the first American Gadol to have been born-and-bred in this country. For more than that, go read the book!

Now, what makes this book so great? For starters, there is definitely something about the writing of Rabbi Besser that brings out a beautiful, vivid portrait, of the person being described. In his other works, including the book "Warmed by their Fire" (to be reviewed at a later time, iy'h!) and his Mishpacha magazine articles, his style remains consistent, often using powerful stories and strong adjectives to bring about a point. Furthermore, "Reb Shlomo" is not a biography that is written in a timeline setting, which is something that sets it apart from many others in the genre. It does start with a narrative about Rabbi Freifeld's early life but after the first 60 pages the chapters become categorized by lessons and middos that Rabbi Freifeld excelled in. That is the essence of this book; stories. This book is story after story of powerful and touching examples of the greatness that a human being can achieve, which brings us to the second aspect that makes this book great.

Often when learning about Gedolim we hear wonder stories about miracles they brought about or a phenomenal memory, etc. These stories are incredible and I certainly enjoy reading them. However, those are actions that are hard to emulate. "Reb Shlomo" reads like a mussar sefer. The hundreds of stories that Rabbi Besser collected from various talmidim and relatives of Rabbi Freifeld, show a man who excelled in simcha, sensitivity, wit, respect for others, and every other middah you can think of. He was constantly involved with the people around him, as a Rav and as an educator for hundreds of students. Certainly he was a Torah scholar of the highest caliber, and the book does not gloss over that! Yet the focus is on his gadlus is mitzvos bein adam l'chaveiro, and the message that stays with you after you read this book is that Rabbi Freifeld is a golden example of a role model and someone that we should all strive to emulate.

This book is an easy read and is perfect even for someone who doesn't' have much time to devote during the day for books. Each story is small yet packs a big punch. What will G-d willing become a feature of the book reviews is including a small segment of the book to give you a taste of what to expect. Thus we present a story from "Reb Shlomo:"

Reb Shlomo was willing to do whatever it took to help a bachur grow, to feel good about himself, to become bigger.
Reb Shlomo entered the Yeshiva office one morning asking if anyone had seen the daily newspaper. R' Avrahom Halpern and R' Dovid Sitnick were sitting there, and watched as he looked for it anxiously. When he finally located it, he explained, "There's a bachur in Yeshiva who just came from Williamsburg. He can barely speak English and he certainly cannot read it."
"I see that it's breaking him; he wants to speak English so badly. I hope that if I can teach him English, then maybe, just maybe, I will be able to teach him Torah."
And with the newspaper under his arm, Rebbi headed out to teach a talmid English.

Reading "Reb Shlomo" was pure enjoyment for me and I encourage anyone who is looking for something new to read to give this book a chance. Happy reading!

Welcome!

2009-07-07T01:32:00.000-04:00

Hey there and welcome to the Jewish Book World! This first post feels like I'm beginning the technological equivalent of writing in a clean new notepad, which is always fun, and I even save a few trees doing so. L'chaims all around!

Anyway, the tachlis of this blog is to provide you with up to date news of the Jewish book scene, as well as to share with you reviews of books both old and new and all other things book related. Additionally, since my other favorite hobby is Jewish music you can probably expect some of that to be thrown into the mixture of writing. Please feel free to send in your opinions of books you have recently read or books that you would like to see get some of the spot light. As the saying goes, "the more the merrier!"