What had been planned as a book review for a small group attracted a standing-room-only crowd this week at Indigo, Bayview Village in Toronto.
The book review was R. Joseph Telushkins's bestseller, Rebbe: The life and teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the most influential Rabbi in Modern History.
Dennis Pager, who has often co-authored books with Telushkin, has described Rebbe as one of the greatest religious biographies ever written. It rocketed to the top of the best-seller lists, completely selling out its first printing almost before it went on sale. And despite being more than 600 pages in length, the book is enjoyable and easy to read.
Telushkin has written 16 books on Judaism. They include Words that Hurt, Words that Heal; Jewish Literacy and A Code of Jewish Ethics. He has been a frequent visitor to Toronto and for those who have heard him speak, it will be no surprise to learn that TALK magazine named him as one of the 50 best speakers in the United States.
Rabbi Joe Kanofsky of Kehillat Shaarei Torah’s live review of Rebbe shied away from so much of the fawning praise that abounds. As a man with a PhD in comparative literature under the direction of Prof. Elie Wiesel, Rabbi Kanofsky is well qualified to analyze and criticize books.
For example, the title of the book, he said, is misleading. Instead of “life and teachings” in that order, Rabbi Kanofsky pointed out that most of the book is about “teachings,” with “life” receiving far less attention.
Rabbi Kanofsky thus concentrated his presentation on the history of the Rebbe’s journey through life from Mykolaiv, Ukraine, through Humbolt University of Berlin and the Sorbonne, all the way to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where he worked designing the electrical wiring for the USS Missouri.
Those present at Indigo heard all about the Rebbe’s emphasis on education, the many famous people who sought his advice, his views on Israel, Soviet Jewry and the impact of his Jewish outreach initiatives. Rabbi Kanofsky talked about the Shluchim that now number more than 3,600 institutions in over 80 countries in the world. We were left in no doubt that the Rebbe was a gifted scholar, whose teachings have been published in more than 200 volumes.
Is Telushkin’s book the final word on the Rebbe? No, it is not according to Rabbi Kanofsky, who had plenty to say on the subject. He remarked that Rebbe reads like a hagiography.
Certainly the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was a towering figure. He became viewed as both a spiritual leader and a saviour. To be fair, Telushkin also dealt with some of the controversial aspects of the Rebbe’s leadership, including the Messiah debate.
Yet, the book leaves much unsaid about the Rebbe’s personal life. It seems that for those who want to understand this most fascinating man in greater depth, one needs to read other books. Many of the people who attended the book review were tapping away on their mobile devices as Rabbi Kanofsky recommended: Steinsaltz, Chaim Miller, Samuel Heilman and Menachem Friedman.
The takeaway message was clear.