My Rebbe

In My Rebbe, Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz shares his firsthand account of this extraordinary individual who shaped the landscape of twentieth-century religious life. Written with the admiration of a close disciple and the nuanced perceptiveness of a scholar, this biography-memoir inspires us to think about our own missions and aspirations for a better world.

From the Author’s Preface:

“The Rebbe was a great man, certainly the greatest man I have ever met, one whom I deeply admired. The life’s work he chose constitutes one of the most remarkable religious tasks ever undertaken by a single man, a task whose purpose is urgently relevant to our times. He sought nothing less than to transform our reality into a better one.

“While he was devoted to the Jewish people, his message was universal; his vision encompassed the entire world. The Rebbe’s influence stretched far and wide, despite the fact that he confined himself to a small office for the last fifty years of this life.

“He hand no political party backing him, no financial empire to call his own , and yet the heads of state, ambassadors and other world leaders would sit patiently in his modest anteroom, waiting to speak with him…

“Many still yearn to keep both the Rebbe and his vision alive in memory and deed. That is what I am trying to do, as well, in this small volume. I want to recreate the person as he really lived and taught, and help him carry on his great mission.”