Jewish Sages of Today: Profiles of Extraordinary People, edited by Aryeh Rubin, $16.95, 264 pages, Devora Publishing and Targum Shlishi, 978-1-934440-96-4, November 30, 2009
Miami, FL (December 6, 2009)—Who inspires us, makes us think, gives us hope? Who is making a difference in the Jewish world? Jewish Sages of Today: Profiles of Extraordinary People, edited by Aryeh Rubin, founder and director of Targum Shlishi (Devora Publishing and Targum Shlishi), contains in-depth profiles of twenty-seven accomplished individuals dedicated to improving the Jewish world.
The book has been several years in the making and is considered by Mr. Rubin to be a mission of sorts, an effort to offer an alternative to the widespread and misguided celebrity worship so prevalent in our society. “The sages in this book, and others like them, are true heroes. These are people who have a a mission in life, have incorporated Jewish values into their core, and are working to improve the world,” explains Mr. Rubin. “Sages inspire us, elevate us, and motivate us to imagine and live lives of intent and purpose.”
In addition to inspiring readers through the examples of these remarkable people, Mr. Rubin hopes that this book will help to stimulate change in terms of Jewish leadership. “The sages profiled in this book, and their peers, should be included in the power structure of Jewish leadership on a macro level, and largely are not,” Mr. Rubin says. “Why are the wisest people in our generation not involved in the decision making process? Just think about how much more effective Jewish leadership would be if the sages and people like them were at the table.”
Who are the sages?
The individuals profiled are an eclectic group, drawn from across the U.S. and Israel, from a variety of professions, ranging in religious observance, and representing an age span from their twenties to their eighties. They include:
- A world-renowned, secular scientist turned Orthodox Jew who left the lab and now explores the nexus of science and religion
- The last Nazi hunter
- A man who has spent his career rescuing and preserving Yiddish books
- An internationally known teacher and Jewish feminist whose doorway into Jewish knowledge has been Shakespeare
- A philanthropist deeply committed to furthering Jewish knowledge, love of Israel, and to encouraging young Jews to meet, marry, and procreate
- A woman who left her high-powered political consulting firm to found a non-profit that advocates for Israel
The sages profiled are: Yossi Abramowitz; Rachel Azaria; Michael Berenbaum; Mira Brichto; Ruth Calderon; Debbie Friedman; Yitz and Blu Greenberg; Judith Hauptman; Laurence Hoffman; Tobi Kahn and Nessa Rapoport; Aaron Lansky; Daniel Libeskind; Sholom Lipskar; Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi; Hankus Netsky; Robert Pollack; Dennis Prager; Gary Rosenblatt; Susan Weidman Schneider; Alice Shalvi; Michael Steinhardt; Adin Steinsaltz; Joseph Telushkin; Avivah Zornberg; and Efraim Zuroff.
About the Jewish Sages of Today website and curriculum
A website for Jewish Sages of Today (www.jewishsagesoftoday.com) and a curriculum for students in grades seven through twelve are both being developed. The website will supplement the book by including work by each of the individuals profiled, such as audio and video of lectures and music performances, images of art, and book chapters, along with audio excerpts from interviews conducted for the book and links to relevant websites and web resources. The curriculum will be posted on the website.
Advance praise
Jewish Sages of Today has met with an extremely enthusiastic pre-publication response — readers are reporting that the book is thought provoking, motivating, and a pleasure to read. For a sample of positive reviews, see the book’s amazon listing.
About Aryeh Rubin, editor of Jewish Sages of Today
Aryeh Rubin is the founder and director of Targum Shlishi, a foundation dedicated to supporting innovative projects that promote positive change in the Jewish world. The foundation concentrates on four areas: education, women’s issues, Israel, and justice for Nazi war crimes. Mr. Rubin’s deep commitment to the survival of the Jewish people drives his desire for innovation and the exploration of new ideas. Mr. Rubin is also the founding partner and managing director of The Maot Group, an investment company. Prior to founding The Maot Group in 1991, Mr. Rubin was in the publishing field, first as the founder and publisher of Jewish Living magazine in the late 1970s and then as the publisher of the New York–based KSF Group, a medical publishing company.
His opinion pieces have appeared in Jewish Week, the Jerusalem Report, and Moment Magazine, and he has been profiled in articles in several publications, including the New York Times, the Miami Herald, the Daily Business Review, and the Jewish Star Times. Mr. Rubin received a bachelor of arts degree from Yeshiva University. He is married, has three daughters, and lives in Florida.
For more information on Targum Shlishi, visit its website at www.targumshlishi.org.
Contact: Targum Shlishi
info@targumshlish.org
305.692.9991
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