History

“Without knowing the past, we are woefully ignorant about the present, and certainly have no clue as to what the future will be.”

From Rabbi Berel Wein’s Introduction to Struggle, Challenges and Tradition

What Happened?

In a little over a century, masses of Jews throughout the world discarded the beliefs they had cherished for millennia. Orthodoxy seemed doomed to extinction.

And then ... After a century of losing battles with the forces of assimilation, as well as the horrors of the Holocaust, Torah Judaism underwent an almost-miraculous resurgence, prospering in a way that no one could ever have imagined.

Nobody brings Jewish history to vivid life like Rabbi Berel Wein. In Struggle, Challenges and Tradition Rabbi Wein takes us on a grand tour of world Jewry from the years 1820 - 1940. He explores the remorseless battles and the forces ranged for and against Torah observance. He discovers which strategies helped defend and rebuild Torah life -- and which failed.

Struggle, Challenges and Tradition is a fascinating work of history -- and a vital book for anyone who cares about Torah Jewry’s future. Learn More

Sara Yoheved Rigler has discovered a Secret Society. Qualifications for membership include Holocaust-related recurring dreams, panic attacks, fearsome flashbacks, and phobias in children born after 1945. The secret handshake of this society is a childhood obsession with the Holocaust by those unrelated to survivors, who never heard it discussed until after their dreams or phobias were already haunting their young lives.
This groundbreaking, meticulously researched book provides evidence that is as startling as it is mysteriously affirming.

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“As a son of Holocaust survivors, I learned that long after the years of my parents’ suffering, the nightmares lingered on. In this monumental work, Sara Rigler documents…the nightmares of so many born after the Holocaust.… This is an incredibly eye-opening and inspiring journey into one of the greatest mysteries of our times.”
—Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, Rabbi of Aish Kodesh Congregation, Woodmere, NY

“This book is an astounding work… The many personal accounts of those who have recollections of past lives linked to Holocaust victims are not only fascinating and inspiring, but can also strengthen one’s belief in the soul and afterlife.”
—Rabbi Zev Leff, Rabbi of Moshav Mattityahu, Israel

“Sara Rigler has written a powerful and gripping narrative…. The stories make for fascinating reading.”
—Rabbi Yitzchak A. Breitowitz, Rabbi of Kehillat Ohr Somayach

“This book is not only credible, it is important.”
—Rebbetzin Tziporah (Heller) Gottlieb, author and lecturer Learn More

The Odyssey of a Jewish Family during the Holocaust

As a little girl growing up under the fast-darkening skies of wartime Europe, Sylvia (Sarah) Laufer looked to her parents and extended family for a way to make sense of the chaos and horror surrounding her world. For some time her loving family did indeed manage to cushion the blows, but then they were forced into hiding, and Sylvia's own little world filled with darkness too. It wasn't long before, one by one, Sylvia's grandparents, aunts, uncles, and finally her father disappeared, never to be heard from again... Soon it was just Sylvia and her little brother, together with their very young but valiant mother, alone in their fight for survival.

With incredible strength and courage, Sylvia's mother, Mrs. Frieda Laufer-David, refused to give up hope, and she singlehandedly raised her children amid these squalid and depressing conditions. Their challenges did not end at liberation, either. The new era ushered in struggles of a different nature, as Sylvia's mother sought to find stability for her small children in a world still reeling from years of death and destruction.

In Silent Childhood, Sylvia (Laufer) Richter relives her tumultuous childhood years spent in hiding and deprivation, as well as the period of rebuilding which followed the family's liberation. Written from the perspective of a young child, her memoirs are at once heart-wrenching, warm, and poignant. Learn More

Courage amid Destruction
Faith amid Devastation
Thirteen Stories of Survival and Renewal

To Tell the Story: Memoirs of Hope, Faith, and Courage

Each Holocaust survivor, a world unto him- or herself. Entire books can be written about each one, the countless miracles they experienced...the near-death episodes...the incredible rescues...

In To Tell the Story, popular author Rachel Stein presents the true stories of emunah, courage, and miracles experienced by more than fifteen Holocaust survivors. Whether they grew up in Lithuania, Czechoslovakia, or Poland; whether they spent the war years on the run, trying desperately to stay one step ahead of the Nazis; hiding out in bunkers or Catholic convents; or suffering unimaginable torture in a death camp, the common denominator uniting these special heroes is the thread of faith that bound them to their Creator - something that no German official, or anyone else, could ever take away from them.

Glimpse these survivors' awe-inspiring stories in this book. Be astounded at the clear yad Hashem that accompanied each one throughout all the trials and tribulations of their lives. Learn More

Gabe took hold of the mules’ harness and pulled. The front mule’s ears went up. A bad sign.

Gabe quickly let go.

Mr. Brant was watching from the boat with a slight smile. “Say ‘gee-off,’ son. They’ll understand.”

The year is 1909, and twelve-year-old Gabe Marks is looking for excitement. He jumps at the chance to help the Brants on their canal boat as they travel to Georgetown to collect an injured mule. But what seems like a thrilling experience quickly becomes a test of courage for Gabe as he encounters wild animals, slippery tunnels, and threatening thunderstorms. Can Gabe prove himself to the Brants while staying true to his beliefs?

Award-winning author Tovah S. Yavin brings a forgotten chapter of American Jewish history to life in this fascinating story. Adventure and discoveries await Gabe during his journey on the C&O Canal.

Recommended Reading Level: Grades 6-7 Learn More

Learning about the great personalities of Tanach, we find ourselves in awe. Inspiration, though, generally only lasts when you realize that the lives, struggles, and challenges of these greats, find parallels within our own lives and our own challenges. 

“There is a secret panel beneath the carpet in my bedroom. Under a hidden floorboard, there is money and a cache of diamonds, for emergencies like this. If you see that I am delayed returning, you will take Mamme and the rest of the family, along with the hidden valuables, and cross the river to find me.”

Amidst falling bombs and enemy approach, Tatte leaves Reginna with a mission to bring Mamme and the family across the San River to the relative safety of the Soviet side. She promises Tatte she will do it. She is sixteen years old.

Following Tatte’s instructions, she bundles her family away from the German invasion and crosses the river that now designates the border between Germany and Soviet Russia. She leaves her hometown of Yaroslav far behind. Withstanding loss and years of enforced imprisonment in Siberia, she is relentless in her quest of finding her beloved Tatte, of protecting her ill Mamme, and of keeping her family together. Never losing faith, she holds tight to her belief that the Aibeshter is with her. And that she and her family will survive.

Based on the true story of Rivkah bas Moshe Yosef Learn More