The present volume, which contains more than one hundred vivid stories about Rabbi Boruch Milikowskys relationship with his students, entertains as it inspires. With tears and laughter, you will accompany Rebbe through the tragedies and triumphs of his life as he reaches out to his students with humor, wisdom and compassion, helping each one to achieve his full potential as a Jew and a human being.
From the acclaimed author of The Jew in the Lotus comes an "engrossing and wonderful book" (The Washington Times) about the unexpected connections between Franz Kafka and Hasidic master Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav—and the significant role played by the imagination in the Jewish spiritual experience. Rodger Kamenetz has long been fascinated by the mystical tales of the Hasidic master Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav. And for many years he has taught a course in Prague on Franz Kafka. The more he thought about their lives and writings, the more aware he became of unexpected connections between them. Kafka was a secular artist fascinated by Jewish mysticism, and Rabbi Nachman was a religious mystic who used storytelling to reach out to secular Jews. Both men died close to age forty of tuberculosis. Both invented new forms of storytelling that explore the search for meaning in an illogical, unjust world. Both gained prominence with the posthumous publication of their writing. And both left strict instructions at the end of their lives that their unpublished books be burnt. Kamenetz takes his ideas on the road, traveling to Kafka’s birthplace in Prague and participating in the pilgrimage to Uman, the burial site of Rabbi Nachman visited by thousands of Jews every Jewish new year. He discusses the hallucinatory intensity of their visions and offers a rich analysis of Nachman’s and Kafka’s major works, revealing uncanny similarities in the inner lives of these two troubled and beloved figures, whose creative and religious struggles have much to teach us about the Jewish spiritual experience.
How the wisdom of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov can change your life. Two hundred years ago, hundreds of Chassidim flocked to Rebbe Nachman of Breslov to hear his wisdom and follow his path in Jewish living. Today, tens of thousands of Jews flock to Rebbe Nachman's grave in Uman every year to pray, study his teachings, and imbibe the energy that is Breslov. It's true - Rebbe Nachman is more popular today than ever before. And for good reason. With his original teachings on joy, simplicity, faith, and many others, Rebbe Nachman is the ultimate mentor. With his understanding of human personality and constant encouragement, Rebbe Nachman is the consummate life coach. And with his encyclopedic knowledge of Torah and Kabbalah, Rebbe Nachman is the ideal spiritual guide. Rebbe Nachman shows everyone how to get the most out of life. Come hear what he has to say to you.
“One of the greatest religious biographies ever written.” – Dennis Prager In this enlightening biography, Joseph Telushkin offers a captivating portrait of the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a towering figure who saw beyond conventional boundaries to turn his movement, Chabad-Lubavitch, into one of the most dynamic and widespread organizations ever seen in the Jewish world. At once an incisive work of history and a compendium of Rabbi Schneerson's teachings, Rebbe is the definitive guide to understanding one of the most vital, intriguing figures of the last centuries. From his modest headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the Rebbe advised some of the world's greatest leaders and shaped matters of state and society. Statesmen and artists as diverse as Ronald Reagan, Robert F. Kennedy, Yitzchak Rabin, Menachem Begin, Elie Wiesel, and Bob Dylan span the spectrum of those who sought his counsel. Rebbe explores Schneerson's overarching philosophies against the backdrop of treacherous history, revealing his clandestine operations to rescue and sustain Jews in the Soviet Union, and his critical role in the expansion of the food stamp program throughout the United States. More broadly, it examines how he became in effect an ambassador for Jews globally, and how he came to be viewed by many as not only a spiritual archetype but a savior. Telushkin also delves deep into the more controversial aspects of the Rebbe's leadership, analyzing his views on modern science and territorial compromise in Israel, and how in the last years of his life, many of his followers believed that he would soon be revealed as the Messiah, a source of contention until this day.
Inclusion and the Power of the Individual In the Teachings of The Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, The Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, was a pioneer in inclusion. At a time when expulsion was the norm, when people with disabilities were essentially locked out of "mainstream" schools, the workforce, and society at large, when families with loved ones who were not deemed "typical" often splintered due to social pressures and stigma, the Rebbe advocated and called for inclusion. With love, compassion, and respect, the Rebbe drew in those whom society all too often pushed away.perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Rebbe's approach to inclusion was how perfectly natural it was to him. The Rebbe's call for inclusion did not result from the latest medical studies, societal shifts, or external pressures; it came from within. Inclusion and the Power of the Individual tells a remarkable story of the Rebbe's perspective on, and advocacy for, inclusion by recounting his teachings, writings, and conversations on this topic throughout the four decades of his public leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.The Rebbe's message remained steadfast and unwavering: Every single human being is worthy of dignity, respect, love, and inclusion.These are the accounts of the Rebbe's call for inclusion.
This book is a history, an indictment, a lament, and an appeal, focusing on the messianic trend in Lubavitch hasidism. It records the shattering of one of Judaism's core beliefs and the remarkable equanimity with which the standard-bearers of Orthodoxy have allowed it to happen. This is a development of striking importance for the history of religions, and it is an earthquake in the history of Judaism. David Berger describes the unfolding of this historic phenomenon and proposes a strategy to contain it.
