The Rabbi of 84th Street : The Extraordinary Life of Haskel Besser

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Summary: the extraordinary life of an extraordinary man
Review: If I had to choose one book to take with me on a trip, this would be it. The style is written simply because the subject matter is so fascinating and speaks for itself. I have been privileged to meet the Rabbi and this book is just the tip of the iceberg. The sequel to this book should perhaps be written in encyclopedia form as there is so much more that can be written about Rabbi Besser's experiences. Wishing his entire family and him much luck.

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Summary: The most precious gift is that of life...
Review: In these two hundred pages, the reader encounters a 21st century spiritual giant- Rabbi Haskel Besser, originally of Poland, and now of New York, a chassid of Radomsk, a chassidic dynasty destroyed in the Holocaust. The author, a prominent journalist and self-described Conservative Jew, was befriended by Rabbi Besser in 1988. He didn't know at the time that this elderly rabbi dressed in chassidic garb would indelibly change his life. So, at a Manhattan office building began a friendship and teacher/student relationship between Rabbi Besser and the author that would only deepen and flourish in the next 16 years to come. Rabbi Besser, we are told in the acknowledgments, "makes the idea of faith plausible at a time when many people have turned away from G-d." Rabbi Besser, we learn from the prologue, is a driven man with a "backbreaking schedule" who is always smiling, who "possess(es) that rare alchemy that simply makes people happy when they see him." Rabbi Besser well understands that the most precious gift is that of life. In the pages that follow, in The Rabbi of 84th St., we learn how one eighty-one-year-old man has used his life in "bringing honor to his G-d and his people," in "undo(ing) a terrible wrong that happened before most of the people on earth today were even born," and for "studying and learning so that he might someday understand why, while all people on earth are given the gift of life, he received that precious inheritance not once, but twice." I was particularly inspired by chapter ten, Faith and Family, and its section, The Power of Rebbes and Mystics, wherein we learn of the special relationship shared between Rabbi Besser and the Lubavitcher Rebbe. (This relationship is also raised in chapter nine regarding Rabbi Besser's holy work of restoring Jewish cemeteries in Poland.) Also, you will undoubtedly smile in this chapter, if not laugh, at reading Rabbi Besser's clever and witty response to two Catholic cardinals' question posed to him at President George H.W. Bush's inauguration in 1989. This powerful book is also graced with many photographs from Rabbi Besser's private collection, including an eight-year-old Haskel Besser with the Radomsker Rebbe's daughter, Rabbi Besser's father with the Radomsker Rebbe, Rabbi Besser hitting the ski slopes at St. Moritz in 1960, Rabbi Besser and his wife with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Besser with the former President Bush and Vice President Quayle and their wives, and more. Enjoy this book and may Rabbi Besser's shining example inspire us all. I only hope that, one day, I am granted the opportunity to meet this giant of a man.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring Story
Review: This book provides a bit of insight into the story of Rabbi Besser. The author is successful in writing a biography of a great man without fanfare or noise. The story of Rabbi Besser's life is an inspiration to all of us. It demonstrates the power of faith, prayer and a life spent doing good deeds -- without the need for continuous recognition. Rabbi Besser sets an example just by being himself. Perhaps best summed up as doing the right thing. An excellent read.

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Summary: Inspiration for the Modern World
Review: This man is both rooted in tradition, from ancient sources, but lives now and for today. Life is about gaining wisdom, and we can all learn from Rabbi Besser how to do just that.