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Summary
Summary
"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.
Author Notes
Joseph Telushkin is a rabbi, scholar, and author. His books include A Code of Jewish Ethics, Hillel, Jewish Literacy, and Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
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) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
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 lifestylelessons with which Jewsparticularly the sort who would not instinctively accept the demands of the Torahcould 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 meanthe Messiah issue is, in the final analysis, a non-issue."An approachable and admiring introduction appropriate for readers interested in modern Jewish thought. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The subtitle's claim that Schneerson, of the Chabad-Lubavitcher sect of Orthodox Jewry (and thought by some of his followers to be the Messiah), was the modern world's most influential Jewish religious leader is proven throughout this highly readable book. He was visited by everyone from Robert Kennedy to Cory Booker, had a warm correspondence with Ronald Reagan, and received a Congressional Gold Medal. With outreach programs that extended far beyond his tiny sect, he made the love of one's fellow Jew a visible symbol throughout the world. Telushkin introduces the Rebbe through the stories and memories of those who knew or were touched by him. A wide range of topics is discussed: Schneerson's connection with his family, his congregation, and other Jewish denominations; his position on Israel; his outside-the-box thinking on a number of religious issues. Although this account doesn't contain any real critical assessment, it is not hagiography. Rather, readers are left to draw their own assessment from the wide-ranging portrait. For instance, what to make of the fact that though Schneerson was highly trained in the sciences, he insisted that the sun revolves around an earth that is less than 7,000 years old? For those who wish a more ordered look at the Rebbe's life, the author provides a detailed time line. Extensive notes bolster the text. Fascinating.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
In episodic rather than chronological order, this book details the life of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson (1902-94), the seventh Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch. The Rebbe, as Schneerson is still remembered by many Jews throughout the world, is widely acknowledged to be the most influential Jewish personality of his time. Because the leader believed very strongly in the Jewish dictum to "love your neighbor," he was able to connect with a multitude of people on a wide range of topics, and the story of his life is also the story of his leadership. Telushkin (The Book of Jewish Values; Jewish Literacy) uses firsthand accounts of interactions with the Rebbe to highlight the man's tenets and values, which are still prominent 20 years after his death. The Rebbe's teaching is as central to the volume as it was to his life. This title's format allows the reader the opportunity to see the man through the eyes of those who knew him, which lends sincerity to the material, yet a detailed time line is provided that puts his life in a chronological context. Verdict Any reader of 20th-century history, particularly religious history, will find something interesting in this book.-Keri Youngstrand, Dickinson State Univ. Lib., ND (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
| Preface | p. Xi |
| Author's Note | p. xvii |
| Part One: Leadership of the Rebbe | |
| Chapter 1 A Rebbe for the New World | p. 3 |
| Chapter 2 1950-1951: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson Becomes Rebbe | p. 16 |
| Part 2 On Being a Rebbe | |
| Chapter 3 Connecting to Individuals: The Experience of Yechidzcs (One-on-One Meetings) | p. 43 |
| Chapter 4 The Ten Campaigns: Taking Judaism into the World | p. 74 |
| Part 3 Seven Virtues | |
| Chapter 5 Love Your Neighbor: The Focus on the individual | p. 91 |
| Chapter 6 Creating 'Fearlessness, Creating Leaders | p. 100 |
| Chapter 7 Optimism and the Careful Choosing of Words | p. 109 |
| Chapter 8 "I'm Also Tired. So What?": The Rebbe's Work Ethic | p. 118 |
| Chapter 9 Expressing Disagreement Without Being Disagreeable | p. 131 |
| Chapter 10 Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Now | p. 145 |
| Chapter 11 Judaism's Mission to the World | p. 156 |
| Part 4 Life Lessons According to the Rebbe | |
| Chapter 12 "It Is a Commandment to Tell the Story":The Rebbe and Journalism | p. 163 |
| Chapter 13 Chess, Thieves, Astronauts, and Atoms | p. I78 |
| Chapter 14 Going to the Poolroom with the Rebbe's Blessings and Gratitude Without End | p. 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 | p. 213 |
| Chapter 16 Reform Jews, Conservative Jews, and the Rebbe's Open Door | p. 221 |
| Chapter 17 No One Is Beyond the Possibility of Repentance | p. 228 |
| Chapter 18 Differences That Don't Affect a Friendship: The Rebbe and the Rav | p. 234 |
| Part 6 Judaism Confronts Modernity: Controversial Views of the Rebbe | |
| Chapter 19 United States: Prayers in the Schools, Menorahs in the Streets | p. 255 |
| Chapter 20 Israel: Territorial Compromises Won't Bring Peace | p. 271 |
| Chapter 21 Soviet Jewry: Public Demonstrations Will Hurt Russian Jews | p. 291 |
| Chapter 22 When It Is Wrong to Make Aliyah | p. 305 |
| Chapter 23 The Revolving Sun, Evolution, and the Age of the World: A Dissenting View | p. 316 |
| Chapter 24 Why People Shouldn't Go to College, and Why those Who Do Shouldn't Drop Out | p. 327 |
| Part 7 The Rebbe and His Family | |
| Chapter 25 Mrs Schneerson from President Street | p. 361 |
| Chapter 26 Devotion Beyond Measure | p. 376 |
| Part 8 "It Is the Books That Were Victorious" | |
| Chapter 27 The Courtroom Battle That Tore APart a Family | p. 385 |
| Part 9 The World of Messianism | |
| Chapter 28 The Rebbe and the Messiah | p. 413 |
| Part 10 Leadership After Life | |
| Chapter 29 Leadership After Life: The Rebbe's Priorities as a Blueprint for Shaping the World | p. 439 |
| 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 | p. 455 |
| Glossary | p. 517 |
| Endnotes | p. 521 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 591 |
| Index | p. 597 |