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Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History

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Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History

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Overview

“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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062318985
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/10/2014
Pages:	640
Sales rank:	399,113
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

A widely known spiritual leader and scholar, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin is the author of eleven influential Jewish books, including A Code of Jewish Ethics; Words That Hurt, Words That Heal; Biblical Literacy; and four novels. He lives in New York City and lectures throughout the United States.

Preface xv

Author's Note xxi

Part 1 Leadership of the Rebbe

Chapter 1 A Rebbe for the New World 3

Chapter 2 1950-1951: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson Becomes Rebbe 16

Part 2 On Being a Rebbe

Chapter 3 Connecting to Individuals: The Experience of Yechidus (One-on-One Meetings) 43

Chapter 4 The Ten Campaigns: Taking Judaism into the World 74

Part 3 Seven Virtues

Chapter 5 Love Your Neighbor: The Focus on the Individual 91

Chapter 6 Creating Fearlessness, Creating Leaders 100

Chapter 7 Optimism and the Careful Choosing of Words 109

Chapter 8 "I'm Also Tired. So What?": The Rebbe's Work Ethic 118

Chapter 9 Expressing Disagreement without Being Disagreeable 131

Chapter 10 Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Now 145

Chapter 11 Judaism's Mission to the World 156

Part 4 Life Lessons according to the Rebbe

Chapter 12 "It Is a Commandment to Tell the Story": The Rebbe and Journalism 165

Chapter 13 Chess, Thieves, Astronauts, and Atoms 178

Chapter 14 Going to the Poolroom with the Rebbe's Blessings, and Gratitude without End 189

Part 5 Uniting the Jews: The Rebbe's Approach to a Fractured People

Chapter 15 "There Also Needs to Be a Girl": Women, Judaism, and the Twentieth Century 215

Chapter 16 Reform Jews, Conservative Jews, and the Rebbe's Open Door 223

Chapter 17 No One Is beyond the Possibility of Repentance 230

Chapter 18 Differences That Don't Affect a Friendship: The Rebbe and the Rav 236

Part 6 Judaism Confronts Modernity: Controversial Views of the Rebbe

Chapter 19 United States: Prayers in the Schools, Menorahs in the Streets 257

Chapter 20 Israel: Territorial Compromises Won't Bring Peace 273

Chapter 21 Soviet Jewry: Public Demonstrations Will Hurt Russian Jews 293

Chapter 22 When It Is Wrong to Make Aliyah 307

Chapter 23 The Revolving Sun, Evolution, and the Age of the World: A Dissenting View 318

Chapter 24 Why People Shouldn't Go to College, and Why Those Who Do Shouldn't Drop Out 329

Part 7 The Rebbe and His Family

Chapter 25 Mrs. Schneerson from President Street 363

Chapter 26 Devotion beyond Measure 378

Part 8 "It Is the Books That Were Victorious"

Chapter 27 The Courtroom Battle That Tore Apart a Family 387

Part 9 The World of Messianism

Chapter 28 The Rebbe and the Messiah 415

Part 10 Leadership after Life

Chapter 29 Leadership after Life: The Rebbe's Priorities as a Blueprint for Shaping the World 441

Part 11 The Life of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Chapter 30 Major Events in the Life of the Rebbe: A Timeline Designed to Be Read 457

Glossary 521

Notes 525

Acknowledgments 597

Index 603

From the B&N Reads Blog

Page 1 of

Editorial Reviews

05/12/2014
Telushkin (Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History) gives an engaging account of the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe from his seemingly unlikely beginnings in engineering in Berlin and Paris, and his reluctant acceptance of the title, up to his later years when many followers came to believe he was the Messiah. Telushkin also offers a compelling view of the principles behind Schneerson's building of the Chabad movement in the United States and around the world, which since his death has sustained itself and even grown in scope and influence. The book is rich with accounts of encounters with the Rebbe, including, besides his own followers, Jews of many denominations, secular Israeli leaders, American politicians, students of philosophy, and non-Jews. What stands out is Schneerson's engagement with the principles by which he managed to wield a considerable and controversial influence upon the American cultural scene and the Jewish world. An admiring but honest look at Schneerson and his legacy, this book should also interest those who view the Rebbe's methods and worldview more critically. Agent: Richard Pine, Inkwell Management. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Whether you are a believer, an admirer or a respectful skeptic, you will learn much from this deep and accessible account of a truly great man by a great writer.

Alan M. Dershowitz

An iconic figure comes alive in these pages, a man of wisdom and learning, yes, but also of deep personal caring and kindness… An astounding personal biography.

Ruth Messinger

[An] excellent new biography of Chabad’s great 20th-century leader… For all his immense achievements, the Rebbe’s power ultimately came from a simple message that anyone can appreciate. As Mr. Telushkin puts it: ‘Love your fellow, and not just those who agree with you….’ Mesmerizing.

Wall Street Journal

[Rebbe] is an enjoyable book to read, with insights and perspectives as well as details that inform and engage, shedding light on a towering, influential figure.

Chicago Jewish Star

With this book, the Rebbe no longer is incomprehensible. Spend some time getting to know the Rebbe. You’ll be glad you did.

Jewish Herald Voice

[Rebbe] should be in the personal library of Americans of every faith.

Front Page Magazine

2014-05-06
A biography of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994), whose influence on Judaism and the Jewish people is still coming into focus.One of America's leading rabbis, Telushkin (Hillel: If Not Now, When?, 2010, etc.) is well-qualified to write about his subject: While he is not a Lubavitcher, he has been an affectionate observer of the movement for his entire life, and his father served as Schneerson's personal accountant. Less a traditional biography and more a compendium of mostly lighthearted anecdotes, the book progresses thematically, highlighting Schneerson's thoughts and quips on a wide variety of subjects. Telushkin draws on Schneerson's public statements as well as his voluminous correspondence and his thousands of private audiences, with his followers and others, both Jewish and non-Jewish, memorably held in the middle of the night. Broadly educated, Schneerson spent eight years studying engineering at prestigious universities before seeking rabbinic ordination, and each morning he read the newspapers in four languages. His far-reaching secular interests were evident in his humanistic mindset and lateral thought processes; he praised the astronauts after the moon landing, saying that he "discerned in [their] disciplined lifestyle…lessons with which Jews—particularly the sort who would not instinctively accept the demands of the Torah—could inspire themselves to be more observant." Schneerson had no heirs ("Never spoken of in public, we can only imagine what a great tragedy and disappointment this was"), and his death was so keenly felt that his followers found the idea of appointing a successor unthinkable. Many clung to the hope that he was the Messiah, creating a deep rift in the Orthodox world. Telushkin concludes that those who believe this "do not mean what people think they mean…the Messiah issue is, in the final analysis, a non-issue."An approachable and admiring introduction appropriate for readers interested in modern Jewish thought.

Kirkus Reviews

“[An] excellent new biography of Chabad’s great 20th-century leader… For all his immense achievements, the Rebbe’s power ultimately came from a simple message that anyone can appreciate. As Mr. Telushkin puts it: ‘Love your fellow, and not just those who agree with you….’ Mesmerizing.” — Wall Street Journal
“Through his clear and unambiguous prose cultivated from many sources, Telushkin recounts how the Rebbe fundamentally transformed notions of human potential, as he believed individuals were capable of much more than we imagine for ourselves... Rebbe will be a staple of rabbinic biography for years to come.” — Huffington Post
“The subtitle’s claim that Schneerson was the modern world’s most influential Jewish religious leader is proven throughout this highly readable book… Readers are left to draw their own assessment from the wide-ranging portrait… Fascinating.” — Booklist (starred review)
“A vivid, panoramic view of Rabbi Schneerson-in each of his many roles as dynamic spiritual leader, inspiring teacher, and even motivating life coach and management guru… Telushkin’s Rebbe is a man in constant motion, a non-stop whirlwind of faith-driven energy and action possessed of a spiritual calm.” — The Jewish Week
“An admiring but honest look at Schneerson and his legacy… What stands out is Schneerson’s engagement with the principles by which he managed to wield a considerable influence upon the American cultural scene and the Jewish world… An engaging account.” — Publishers Weekly
“Well-qualified to write about his subject, [Telushkin] draws on Schneerson’s public statements as well as his voluminous correspondence and his thousands of private audiences, with his followers and others, both Jewish and non-Jewish. An approachable and admiring introduction appropriate for readers interested in modern Jewish thought.” — Kirkus Reviews
“One of the greatest religious biographies ever written. Generations from now, Rebbe will be read by people of every faith.” — Dennis Prager, national talk show host and New York Times bestselling author of Still the Best Hope
“An iconic figure comes alive in these pages, a man of wisdom and learning, yes, but also of deep personal caring and kindness… An astounding personal biography.” — Ruth Messinger, President, American Jewish World Service
“Whether you are a believer, an admirer or a respectful skeptic, you will learn much from this deep and accessible account of a truly great man by a great writer.” — Alan M. Dershowitz, professor emeritus, Harvard Law School, and author of Taking the Stand
“Joseph Telushkin’s earthbound study introduces ‘the most influential rabbi in modern history’ by documenting the incremental process through which his influence was acquired… Illuminating.” — Commentary Magazine
“Telushkin offers a rounded portrait of life in the shadow, or the sunlight, of the Rebbe. We meet dozens of followers and hear their stories, get a feel for the texture of their devotion, for why they loved him… It is worth studying how and why his method worked.” — The Jewish Daily Forward
“[Rebbe] should be in the personal library of Americans of every faith.” — Front Page Magazine
“[Rebbe] is an enjoyable book to read, with insights and perspectives as well as details that inform and engage, shedding light on a towering, influential figure.” — Chicago Jewish Star
“With this book, the Rebbe no longer is incomprehensible. Spend some time getting to know the Rebbe. You’ll be glad you did.” — Jewish Herald Voice
“Provides a comprehensive history of the Rebbe’s hallmark focus on the individual-from heads of state to the everyman” — JNS
“To understand why he inspired so many, do yourself a favor and pick up this moving, new biography. You don’t need to be a Jew or even be a religious person to learn from this monumental man.” — New York 1
“Rebbe is that extremely rare thing: a perfect book about a perfect man. [It] brings the great man alive and gives the reader powerful motivation to examine his own life... The Rebbe touched the lives of millions; through Telushkin’s book, he will touch the lives of many more.” — NY Journal of Books

From the Publisher

A vivid, panoramic view of Rabbi Schneerson-in each of his many roles as dynamic spiritual leader, inspiring teacher, and even motivating life coach and management guru… Telushkin’s Rebbe is a man in constant motion, a non-stop whirlwind of faith-driven energy and action possessed of a spiritual calm.

The Jewish Week

One of the greatest religious biographies ever written. Generations from now, Rebbe will be read by people of every faith.

Dennis Prager

Joseph Telushkin’s earthbound study introduces ‘the most influential rabbi in modern history’ by documenting the incremental process through which his influence was acquired… Illuminating.

Commentary Magazine

Through his clear and unambiguous prose cultivated from many sources, Telushkin recounts how the Rebbe fundamentally transformed notions of human potential, as he believed individuals were capable of much more than we imagine for ourselves... Rebbe will be a staple of rabbinic biography for years to come.

Huffington Post

[An] excellent new biography of Chabad’s great 20th-century leader… For all his immense achievements, the Rebbe’s power ultimately came from a simple message that anyone can appreciate. As Mr. Telushkin puts it: ‘Love your fellow, and not just those who agree with you….’ Mesmerizing.

Wall Street Journal

The subtitle’s claim that Schneerson was the modern world’s most influential Jewish religious leader is proven throughout this highly readable book… Readers are left to draw their own assessment from the wide-ranging portrait… Fascinating.

Booklist (starred review)

To understand why he inspired so many, do yourself a favor and pick up this moving, new biography. You don’t need to be a Jew or even be a religious person to learn from this monumental man.

New York 1

Telushkin offers a rounded portrait of life in the shadow, or the sunlight, of the Rebbe. We meet dozens of followers and hear their stories, get a feel for the texture of their devotion, for why they loved him… It is worth studying how and why his method worked.

The Jewish Daily Forward

Rebbe is that extremely rare thing: a perfect book about a perfect man. [It] brings the great man alive and gives the reader powerful motivation to examine his own life... The Rebbe touched the lives of millions; through Telushkin’s book, he will touch the lives of many more.

NY Journal of Books

Provides a comprehensive history of the Rebbe’s hallmark focus on the individual-from heads of state to the everyman

JNS

The fascinating biography of one of the most influential rabbis in modern Jewish history is competently narrated by Rich Topol. He deals smoothly with many foreign languages, primarily Yiddish and Hebrew, sometimes varying his articulation to create subtle characterizations. For this book, the listener is likely to care more about the subject matter than the narration. Rabbi Schneerson was the leader of the Chabad movement and is most often referred to as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a title derived from the Russian town of the movement's origin. Because of Rabbi Schneerson, there are Chabad houses all over the world, including many remote places with tiny Jewish populations. His secular and religious knowledge both are considered unequaled. Jewish outreach has never seen the like. D.R.W. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

AUGUST 2015 - AudioFile

Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History

Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History

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